Meeting ID: 837 5337 6615
Passcode: 415298
Week 1
"You write a hit the smae way you write a flop" - Alan Jay Lerner
Tuesday, March 4th, 2025
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Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Tuesday - Writing and Revising your Lyrics
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- Poetics & rhyme scheme
- Thinking through your narrative
- Thinking through your imagery
- Punching up your lines
- Finding your own words
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Assignment: Write a song from one of the song prompts, or from your title list or idea list.
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Assignments -
1. Make a list of common phrases you use when you speak.
2. Make a list of questions to ask yourself when editing
3. Rewrite a verse of song you have already finished that uses a "predictable" rhyme. Use less "predictable words".
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Thursday - [IN-PERSON] @ Swallow Hill
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Class Recordings
Week 2
"I started being a songwriter by pretending I could do it, and it turned out I could." - James Taylor
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
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Thursday, March 13th, 2025
Tuesday - Writing and Revising Your Music
- Chord Voicings
- Standard progressions
- Re-harmonizing
- composing a linear melody
- Differentiating your sections
- Groove and texture
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Assignment: Write a song using the chord progression: Am-D-G in the verse. Start your chorus on a Bm chord.
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Thursday - Workshopping session [In Person]
- Bring a song to share that you have worked on revising
Class Recordings
Week 3
The more time you spend writing the "luckier" you will get.
Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
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Thursday, March 20th, 2025
Tuesday - Approaching Revision
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- Strategies for working through the hard moments.
- Making your songs more interesting.
- Layered approach
- Sculptor
- Professor
- attorney
- Thinking through your characters and narrative elements.
- Merging ideas
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Assignments -
1. For two minutes (set a timer), write all the descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) that you can think of. Once finished, go through your list and write synonyms for each of those words.
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2. Choose an object in your house. Write a one-page description of that object with as much detail as possible. Once finished, highlight all the descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) and replace them with the "opposite" of those words.
2. Rewrite a song that is already finished. Go line by line and see if you can add imagery, replace common adjectives with more complex or specific ones.
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Thursday - Martin out (playing at the Jamestown Mercantile)
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Don't forget to contact Martin about setting up a 1-on-1 song coaching session!
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Class Recordings
Week 4
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
Tuesday, March 25th. 2025
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Thursday, March 27th, 2025
Tuesday - Finishing revising and Q&A
- laying out your song
- creating the product
- Preparing it for rehearsal
- revision after performance
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Assignment: Finish a song that you have started and make a lyric sheet with the chord progression.
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Thursday - Meet online!!!!
Virtual song circle
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Bring a song written from Section 2 writing prompts
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Class Recordings
"Yellow Submarine" Songwriting Work Tapes - Part 1
"Yellow Submarine" Songwriting Work Tapes - Part 2