Tuesday - Writing Exercises

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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...

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Assignments -

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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.

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2. Write a song for one week from Thursday that starts with the line: "I am not a free spirit" Share this on April 17th.

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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?

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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.

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Thursday - Work-shopping Session - Martin Out

- Bring a song

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Tuesday - Narrative

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

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• 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

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

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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.

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Example: ​

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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

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Abraham Lincoln was president

Abraham Lincoln was president

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Or

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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

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Abraham Lincoln was president

Abraham Lincoln was president

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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.)

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Bring this song to share in class on April 24th!

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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

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Thursday - Work-shopping session [In Person] - Martin Out.

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

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Tuesday - Abstract writing

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Fundamentals of Abstract Art

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• Balance

• Emphasis

• Rhythm/pattern

• Unity

• Variety

• Contrast

• Movement

• Surprise, individual voice, or soul

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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"

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Assignment - Share this song one week from Thursday!

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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.

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

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Share this song on May 1st!

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Thursday - In Person at Swallow Hill - Bring the song (or the start of the song) from Week 1 prompt that starts with the words "I am not a free spirit".

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Tuesday - Writing from a prompt & on a deadline

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Today we are writing a third form song which means you need two verses, a chorus, and a bridge. you will have 45 minutes to get it mostly done.

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1. Choose a prompt from this months writing prompts.

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2. Choose a central theme immediately and write it as a basic line. That line goes at the end of your chorus and build it backwards from there. Concentrate on your chorus first! Use this chord progression: IV-V-I

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3. Write your first verse. Figure out who is talking, what are they trying to tell everyone, why are they saying it, where is the song taking place? Once you've answered those questions try to set the story or idea up as well as you can in an ABAB rhyme scheme. Use this chord progression I-V-ii-IV

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4. Write the second verse. Move the story forward or expand on the idea. Heighten the tension if it's a narrative, or present more complexity of the idea if it's a song on a theme. Use an ABAB rhyme scheme with different end rhymes. 

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5. Write the bridge. Sum up the story in 2 or 4 lines. Use the flat-7 chord and change to the 4 chord halfway through. 

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6. Revise it quickly. Find the descriptive words. Can you give them more detail? Can you replace them to make the song more abstract? Can you capture the texture better? Don't overthink anything. This song needs to get done quickly!

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Do not revisit this song until the night before ​the class where you will share it which is May 8th!

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

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Thursday - Bring a song to share from the week 2 assignment on a historical figure or family member.

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