This course focuses on both individual and collaborative songwriting with an emphasis on the creative process from multiple angles to assist the student in developing a variety of skills and approaches.
Refresher of Songwriting Basics I: Nuts and bolts. Historical overview.
Refresher of Songwriting Basics II: Form. Structures. Templates.
The Art of Collaboration I: Team songwriting. Plot/character/storytelling. Musical thinking
The Art of Collaboration II: Song as an imperative in the music industry. Strategies for making a living as a songwriter. Finding the right team. Setting music to lyrics/lyrics to music.
Integrating Music Technology: Rundown on music technology. Music-making tools (programs and programming). Crafting strong demos.
Techniques: Structural aspects—“hearing” rhythm, rhyme, and form. Making smart compositional decisions. Hooks.
Sharpening Your Collaborative Craft I: Co-writing models—lyricist/composer, Nashville, production-driven
Sharpening Your Collaborative Craft II: In-class co-writing and partner projects.
Song Sharing: In-class performances. In-class lyric readings.
The Business of Songwriting: Royalty streams. Performing rights organizations. Overview of publishing, master, and synch rights. Songwriters associations.
Note: Content may vary among individual classes.
