Song for a Son Leaving for College

Turn your son's major and dorm name into a real song he can play on move-in day.

You type one idea into jhoom.baby — something like "a song for my son leaving for college, his major is mechanical engineering, his dorm is Maple Hall" — and a few minutes later you have a finished song with lyrics and music. You can play it in the car, send it to him the night before he leaves, or download it so he keeps it on his phone.

What to put in your idea

The more specific you are, the less the song sounds generic. A song that says "my son is going to college" could be about anyone. A song that says "my son Arjun is going to study nursing and moving into Baker Hall" is about him.

Include these things:

• His name, spelled the way you say it at home.
• His major, even if he just declared it last week. "Undeclared" works too — it is honest and it can be funny.
• The dorm name. Maple Hall, Baker, the one with the broken elevator.
• One small detail only your family knows. The way he makes tea at midnight. The hoodie he has worn since tenth grade. The playlist he plays too loud.
• What you actually want to say. That you are proud. That the house is quieter. That he can call at any hour.

Skip the speeches. One true line beats five fancy ones. If you want to mention that he still cannot fold a fitted sheet, say that.

Four ideas you can use today

• A warm acoustic pop song for my son [name], who is leaving for college to study [major] and moving into [dorm name]. Mention that he always [small habit, like making chai at midnight] and that we are proud of him.
• A gentle ballad for [name] on move-in day at [dorm name], where he will study [major]. Say that home is still his, and that he can call us any time.
• An upbeat, sing-along song about [name] starting [major] at [university] and living in [dorm name]. Include the joke that he still cannot fold a fitted sheet.
• A soft piano song for my son [name], who is studying [major] and living in [dorm name]. Mention the drive to campus and the last dinner we had together.

Pick the one that sounds most like your family, swap in the real details, and paste it into the studio. If the first version is not quite right, change one line and make it again.