Song Writing and Music Production

Perfect for both new songwriters finding their feet, and more accomplished songwriters looking to freshen up and expand their skills. In this class we will learn how to take even the smallest musical idea and nurture it into a fully-fledged and original song.

Over the weeks we will look at many aspects of song writing such as:

Song Analysis and Arrangement
Here we will dive in and dissect well known songs from popular artists across many genres and find out what it is that makes these songs so successful. We will learn about song form/structure and arrangement as well as common instrumentation and production techniques used to make these songs grab your attention.

We will explore common chord progressions and learn how to come up with our own unique riffs and melody lines that catch the listeners ear. We will also be looking at lyric writing and how to come up with lyrics that connect with the listeners on an emotional level.

Studio Skills
Today, the recording studio is more accessible than ever, with many home computers sold with free recording software included. Over the weeks, we will explore how this software can be used as a creative tool and will learn valuable skills such as programming, sequencing, sampling, and how to use microphones to capture the best sound and performance. You don’t necessarily need to play an instrument to write songs these days.

Live Performance (pre-production)
Using what we learn during the course we will continuously work on our own ideas both as individuals and as part of a group. We will adapt our ideas together in a focus group of sorts, to achieve the best possible outcome for each song. We will also play them together as a group, literally bringing them to life. Here we will learn various musicianship skills which are key to playing as part of a band.