This thesis explores how the compositional process is affected by using text as a foundation. The main purpose is to examine how a text can inspire compositional choices, how I, as a vocalist, can increase consciousness regarding the lyrics both from a sounding and semantic perspective, and how these aspects collaborate. The texts I've used are a combination of poems and self-written texts. To explore this, I have tried different methods for setting music to text. The methods focus on analyzing a text's direct meaning and the words' sounds and rhythmical aspects. The use of these methods resulted in six compositions that were presented at my graduation concert. In the thesis, I discuss what compositional choices I made from the texts and how this way of composing has affected my compositional process. Using text as a foundation has resulted in an improved focus and direction in the compositional process. Furthermore, translating associations and impressions from the text to musical ideas helps integrating the text into the composition's expression.