Tuesday - Writing Exercises

​

1. Place - Imagine a serene place where you feel content and happy. In prose, write a vivid description of the place. What does it look like, what do you see (down to the smallest detail) what does it feel like? What does it remind you of? Why is it comforting to you?
    

2. Dialogue - Think back to an emotional conversation you have had with someone. Write a brief description of the characters in the conversation, including their clothes, your description of their personality, and the place where the conversation took place. Write a page of dialogue re-hashing that conversation, focused on the most heightened parts of the conversation. Try to capture each individual voice with your word choice. Highlight the most unique phrases that were spoken in that conversation.
    

3. Self - finish these phrases.

   • I am ....

   • I am at my best when...

   • I am at my worst when...

   • I can...

   • I cannot...

   • I understand...

   • I do not understand...

   • I love...

   • I hate...

   • I tolerate...

​

​

Assignments -

​

1. Self - Imagine yourself as a little kid in the place where you felt most safe when you were young. Close your eyes and go to that place to talk to your younger self. Let your younger self give you a tour of that place and show you the things that are most important to them. (if you like, you can tell your younger self it's ok to leave that place). Write as much as possible about that experiment. You do not have to share this.

​

2. Write a song for one week from Thursday that starts with the line: "I am not a free spirit"

​

Notebook - Write these questions to yourself

• Why am I an artist?

• Who am I trying to reach?

• Why are songs important?

• What is music?

• When will I be a songwriter?

​

Set a reminder in your calendar to ask yourself these questions (and think deeply about them) every four to six months. Don't review your previous answers before writing, and do your best to try not to recall those previous answers.

​

______________________________________

​

Thursday - Work-shopping Session

- Bring a song

​

​

​

​

Tuesday - Narrative

​

1. Choose one of these people, read about them, and write a short narrative account of their life.

​

• Chief Spotted Tail

• Robert Smalls (Charleston Harbor)

• Akhenaten

• Soapy Smith

• Mary Lee Mills

• Chester Arthur Burnett

• Jaqueline Cochran

• Spring Heeled Jack

• Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman

• Ching Shih

• Percy Julian

• Tenzing Norgay

​

What is the most significant thing that sticks with you about that person?

​

2. Rewrite their history in rhyming couplets, grouped in four or six line stanzas. Every two stanza write the significant thing about that person twice.

​

Example: ​

​

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky

In a poor run-down cabin, to a family unlucky

His mother died when he was young

and he and his father did not get along

​

Abraham Lincoln was president

Abraham Lincoln was president

​

Or

​

Abraham Lincoln was from illinois

He moved to the state when he was just a boy

a clerk in New Salem, a dream of a town

He moved to Springfield when the whole place went down

He studied the law, and he started a firm

And always knew there was something to learn

​

Abraham Lincoln was president

Abraham Lincoln was president

​

​​

Assignment - Who is an influential figure in your life? Go through this process and write a song about them (mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend, historic figure, etc.)

​

Bring this song to share in class one week from Thursday!

​

Notebook - What are some stories that inspire your life? Write a list in your notebook to revisit when you are stuck on something to write

______________________________________

​

​

Thursday - Work-shopping session [In Person]

- Bring the song (or the start of the song) from Week 1 prompt.

​

​

Tuesday - Abstract writing

​

Fundamentals of Abstract Art

​

• Balance

• Emphasis

• Rhythm/pattern

• Unity

• Variety

• Contrast

• Movement

• Surprise, individual voice, or soul

​

Food for thought

1. Sound Poetry - Steve McCaffrey - "Carnival"

2. Sound Composition - John Cage - "Williams Mix"

3. Song - Tom Waits - "Jocky Full of Bourbon"

4. Song - John Hartford - "Gentle on my Mind"

​

​​

Assignment - Share this song one week from Thursday!

​

1. Find a piece of artwork and free write a description of it. Isolate themes from the writing and arrange the lines into a rhyme scheme and verse.
    

2. Select a topic that is unrelated to the painting - Machines, automobiles, airplanes, thermodynamics, biology, astronomy, geography, sailing, sewing, woodcarving, etc. and make a list of descriptive words (adjectives & adverbs) that realte to your chosen topic.
    

3. In the verses that you arranged from your free writing, highlight the descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs, etc.) replace those words with descriptive words form your unrelated topic list. (i.e. "The tongue and groove sky" or "Our blanched vacation")
    

4. Which of the lines that you wrote provokes the strongest image or most thought? Make that line the last line of each verse, and construct your rhyme scheme from that anchor point.

​

Notes: don't try to make it make sense, just try to make the images vivid.

​

Share this song one week from Thursday!

​​

​

-----------------------

​

​

​

Thursday - In Person at Swallow Hill - Bring a song to share from the week 2 assignment!

​

​

Tuesday - Guest Speaker - Jackson Emmer

​

“Few are writing songs like Jackson Emmer.” – Rolling Stone

​

Jackson Emmer is an award-winning songwriter, folksinger, and genre-bending artist from Carbondale, Colorado. His work blends humor with heartache, and tradition with exploration. Emmer’s writing is often compared to that of John Prine and Guy Clark. He has toured the US since 2009, collaborated with Grammy-winners, and co-written 50+ songs with folk music legend, Tom Paxton. Emmer has opened for Robert Earl Keen, Sierra Ferrell, and Carsie Blanton. His music has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, 1200+ Spotify playlists, and hundreds of radio stations worldwide.

​

Since 2018, Emmer has been a finalist or winner in several songwriting competitions in the US. In 2023, he won 1st place at the prestigious Telluride Troubadour Contest, held during the 50th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

​

Though often pigeonholed into the “Folk” “Americana” or “Country” genres, Emmer’s music is far more expansive. His writing, production, and collaborations have branched into Indie, Alt-Rock, Jazz, and Electronica territory. Emmer has penned his own name for these genre-defying mashups: “Honky Tronica.”

​

Jackson Emmer is also the founder of Diamond Ranch Records, Colorado Roots Music Summit, and a songwriting partner for Challenge America.

​  

​

​​

Assignment: Create a writing prompt for all of us and share it on Thursday!

​​​

-----------------

​

​

​

Thursday - Share your abstract song written from Week 3 Assignment.

​