21st Century Voice Lessons
for Contemporary Singers
Intro To Songwriting
Fall/Winter 2020/21
Singers usually approach contemporary songwriting from the "lyrics and melody first" perspective. How do you approach song structure? What makes a set of lyrics good? What considerations should you make for creating a catchy melody?
This 7-week course will introduce you to the basics of songwriting such as:
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song structure
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how to transform stories, feelings, and experiences into lyrics
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guidelines for writing lyrics and melody for verses, choruses and bridges
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types of rhyming schemes and tools
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using natural speech as a source for melodic ideas
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contrasting song sections both melodically and lyrically
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creating a catchy chorus (the "hook")
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building an emotional arc to each song
Professional lyricist Catherine Warner will be Rocío's co-instructor for this course. She is a songwriter, lyricist, singer and cellist whose lyrics have appeared on albums selling over one million copies. Her album Loss and Found was released in 2020.
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The course includes 5 group sessions and 2 on-on-one feedback sessions with the instructors. Class size is limited to 6 participants.
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Note: A follow-up course addressing how to add chord structure to a melody will be held in the future.