Week 1
"You write a hit the same way you write a flop" - Alan Jay Lerner
Tuesday, February 4th, 2025
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Thursday, February 6th, 2025
Tuesday - Introduction & Orientation
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- How to navigate this course
- Presenting songs
- Work-shopping
- Giving good feedback
- Receiving feedback
- Asking for advice
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- The Audience
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Assignments -
1. Get a notebook! Or set up a digital place to keep ideas and work in for the course...or get both!
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2. Find a song and break it down. Write a short description of the song thinking about form, chords, rhyme scheme, imagery, etc. Tell me why you like it, and why you don't
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3. Explore the rhyming dictionary as well as the resource section in this progressions course.
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4. Find a time and a place to write. Be prepared to share that with the group next Tuesday!
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Thursday - [IN-PERSON @ SHMA] - Workshop #1
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You must bring a song or a partial song to share with the class.
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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, February 11th, 2025
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Thursday, February 13th, 2025
Tuesday -
Doing the work!
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Homework - Where are you writing? When?​
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Building your resource -
1. Song Title List
2. Idea List
3. Develop your weakness
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- Show up to the easel
- Your writing space
- Obstacles
- Reviewing your repertoire
- what songs have you started? Finish those.
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- Habits to develop
- Carry a notebook
- Observe and listen
- Ask questions and be in your head
- Write, write, write!
- Read lots of books
- Make decisions
- Power through or let it rest
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Assignments:
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1. Find at least one song that is unfinished, either in your mind or in your writings and finish it this weekend.
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2. Notebook - Somewhere near the front of your notebook, make a list of songwriting topics you can draw on. (It is helpful to have this list in a Google Doc as well where you can access it from anywhere.) You need ten topics/ideas.
3. Somewhere in your notebook make list of titles that you can draw from for this class. (also helpful to have in Google Docs) Make a list of 20 titles.
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Thursday - [IN-PERSON @ SHMA] Workshop #2
- Bring a song that is incomplete
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Class Recordings
Week 3
“My advice for songwriters? Sit down and work at it! The more songs you write, the more good songs you’ll have." - Roger McGuinn
Tuesday, February 18th, 2025
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Thursday, February 20th, 2025
Tuesday - Form and Structure - Building a Worksheet
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- Charts
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Thursday - [IN-PERSON @ SHMA] - Workshop #3
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- Bring a completed song to share.
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Class Recordings
Tuesday
Passcode:
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Thursday
Passcode:
Week 4
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
Tuesday, February 25th, 2025
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Thursday, February 27th, 2025
Tuesday - Finding Inspiration - Creation - Discussion class
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Assignments -
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1. Free write for ten minutes using your non-dominant hand.
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Assignment - Make a list of five things that make you feel creative.
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Thursday - [ONLINE] - Section 1 Workshop
Bring a song written from Section 1 writing prompts
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Class Recordings
Meeting ID: 837 5337 6615
Passcode: 415298