Learn How A Composer And Songwriter Made His Best Song Ever With No Formal Music Training

The song “God Is Friends with Me” celebrates the concept of our Lord as both creator and friend.

Prophetic Dream

It started as a dream that came into Larry Schwarz head that wouldn’t leave. Larry tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but it wouldn’t go away. So, he got up and spent a minute humming what he heard into his computer’s microphone. He figured maybe someday he would try to put it together, but he wasn’t too concerned about it at the time.

Years later Larry left his job to take a break and decided to use GarageBand, a software application for OS X, iOS, and Mac that allows users to create music or podcasts. He took the song that had been in his head and composed “God Is Friends with Me”. The name of the song and the lyrics were inspired by Neale Donald Walsch’s book “Friendship with God” from the “Conversations with God” series.

Building On His Song

Knowing that he needed professionals to finish his project, he had a demo recorded at Beaird Music Group in Nashville with a session singer named Kim Parent to do the vocals. Dove-award winning artist Francesca Battistelli listened to the song and stated the song had a "very unique melody". Larry also shared the song with some of his friends, but did not tell them that he was the songwriter because he knew it would get him the most honest feedback. One of his Christian friends said, “The message is simple and celebrates the personal aspect of a relationship with God.” Another friend who supports Christianity in China said the song “is very pleasant and has a future” and “the words communicate pure Scripture.”

Critiques About The Project

Daniel Lee, the Senior Creative Director of BMG Nashville told Larry that he “felt it was a competitive song,” but he couldn’t help him with it until it reached “critical mass.” Other critics have said the song should be more complex and the chorus less repetitive. Larry believes the simplicity and clarity of God’s message is the song’s entire purpose. He feels that the five-syllable line (“God Is Friends with Me”) used in the chorus could be replaced with any five-syllable inspirational thought (e.g. “God is Blessing Me”). It leaves the song open for people to customize it to encourage creativity and meet their own spiritual needs.

Target Audience

Larry is looking for people to nurture his song and bring its inspiring message to where it needs to go. Whether it’s a Christian contemporary artist, Gospel artist, or even a Gospel choir, anyone who is willing to spread the word is a friend indeed!

Can God who is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator also be a friend? Some traditionalists would say, absolutely not! Perhaps after listening to “God Is Friends with Me”, those who disagree will see things differently.

About The Composer / Songwriter

Larry Schwarz was born Jewish and converted to a Christian by his mother at a young age. He has a wide variety of accomplishments under his belt: traveling independently to all 50 states and 131 countries, working as a news and talk show producer, working as a tour guide in a dozen cities, and even appearing on The Tonight Show and America’s Got Talent as a musician who plays music on his teeth!

With no formal music training other than elementary school band, Larry Schwarz taught himself the basics of music theory and has created a tune only a professional could develop. He found that he is gifted with making music on programmable synthesizers and computers.

Larry Schwarz

godisfriendswithme@gmail.com

Website: godisfriendswithme.com