For songwriters Roger and Melanie Hoffman, much of the music they write often comes to them as a great surprise. As Roger Hoffman put it, sometimes their only role in the songwriting process is “showing up” because the “songs (are) delivered by grace.”
The Hoffmans have devoted their time, talents and energy to creating music together for the past 35 years. The couple has received recognition for beloved hymns such as “Consider the Lilies” and “Gethsemane” as well as for their work on "Scripture Scouts." Most recently, in light of Easter Sunday, Covenant Communications has released a picture book combining the lyrics to “Gethsemane” with the works of several artists who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The couple reflected on their experiences writing sacred music and how the process is an exercise in faith.
Roger and Melanie Hoffman have a soft spot in their hearts for kids, and much of their music is catered toward helping children come unto Christ, they said.
It is fitting, then, that one of their very first musical collaborations took place on a long road trip with their young boys. To stifle the repeatedly asked question “Are we there yet?” and to subdue the other antics of their children, the parents began to sing. But it was more than the typical, casual singalong.
“We would harmonize and just had so much fun,” Melanie Hoffman said. “That’s really where it started — us making music together.”
One of their earliest projects was “Scripture Scouts,” a musical tool to teach young children stories in the Book of Mormon. Prior to this, Melanie Hoffman had only written one song for children. By the time the work was complete, there were 50 songs in the series, she said. She worked closely with Marvin Payne, who wrote the script for the project.
It was also during this early phase of the Hoffmans’ music career that “Consider the Lilies” was “delivered by grace,” Roger Hoffman said. It happened about 30 years ago when he was playing the piano at church. As his fingers subconsciously formed a melody, words entered his mind, and he quickly jotted down what would become the hymn’s first two verses. When he began to rise from the piano bench, he received the distinct impression that he was not yet finished.
“Here (came) this whole great big agenda,” he said. “The third verse deals with suffering and the grace of the Lord to help (us) heal. That wasn’t on (my) agenda. But his plans are so big. It was a marvelous experience for a little kid who didn’t figure anything like that would ever happen to him.”
Melanie Hoffman has also had her share of similar moments. She recalled how naturally the lyrics to “Gethsemane” flowed from pen to paper. The song is featured on the couple’s 2007 album “Stories of Jesus.” The purpose of the album is to convey the life of Jesus Christ with each song focusing on a specific time in his ministry.
“It got more challenging when approaching the end of the Savior’s life and the Atonement because the project is for Primary-aged kids,” Melanie Hoffman said. “I thought, ‘How are we going to write about this?’”
Because writing about such a sacred subject for a young audience was a difficult task, the couple initially thought they would just rearrange a sacrament hymn. But later on, the words “Gethsemane, Jesus loves me” came unexpectedly and strongly to Melanie Hoffman's mind, and it wasn’t long after that point that she ended up writing the entire song.
“I just kept writing so fast,” she said. "It was building up to this big thing.”
In reflecting on how effortlessly “Gethsemane” came to his wife, Roger Hoffman added that “(The song) was a gift; it was given.”
The couple is excited about the recent release of the “Gethsemane” picture book, especially since the images accompanying the lyrics double the song’s teaching power.
“The best part is that (the song) really speaks to children, and it’s (about) the most important thing that they could know,” Melanie Hoffman said. “We love to write for children. We feel like they deserve the highest, best you can give of your art.”
A major key to giving the best of your art is getting in tune with the Spirit and with the purpose of a song, they said. This involves avoiding all distractions and going to a place where they can “give themselves single-mindedly to that process.”
“We call it the creative wilderness, and we’ve lived there a long time,” Melanie Hoffman joked.
The couple mentioned how a high level of vulnerability goes into writing music as well as making a career of it. Every time they begin working on a new song, there are always issues of funding, concerns about how or even if the piece will be received and if the song remains true to its purpose. Such questions often lead them to wonder if they should continue down this path. But the rewards for writing sacred, inspiring music always outweigh the challenges, they said.
“We have been blessed to have people believe in us … that our voice, our message was valid and worth pursuing,” Melanie Hoffman said.
In turn, the Hoffmans have received stories about their music helping others to believe in themselves. It has also been a surreal experience for the Hoffmans to see their grandchildren listening to their music, because they never dreamed that their songs would endure, they said. They also never dreamed that writing sacred music would lead to so many miracles.
“We of necessity have had to go out seeking his will every single day," Melanie Hoffman said. “That’s the greatest blessing, that our work is tied to our faith. We’d love to have our music convey what we have experienced firsthand, that he really will take care of us all and he really will help us to do his work and to be a light to the world. The gospel is a joyous thing, and the core of our mission is to help people come to Christ in a joyous way.”