⭐️ This is a class for aspiring songwriters who want to learn or improve skills to write and produce their own original music. ⭐️

⭐️ WEEK 1 - INTRO / DEMONSTRATION ⭐️

🎸 To start things off I will be showcasing a recorded project of mine. I will discuss my workflow from an original idea to a fully produced recording.

⭐️ WEEK 2 - INTRO TO BANDLAB ⭐️

🎙️ Students will be given an overview of Bandlab. It will mainly be used to capture ideas and song sketches. This can be done with the built-in computer microphone. As we go over other topics in the next few weeks the students will be encouraged to keep exploring ways to utilize its potential before I go into more depth of its features.

⭐️ WEEK 3 - WHAT KIND OF SONGWRITER ARE YOU? ⭐️

📝 Songwriting comes in many shapes and sizes. Do you start with chords on piano or guitar? Do you start with lyrics.? Do you start with a melody in your head? What do you do from there? In this class, we will explore a few common ways songs are put together.

⭐️ WEEK 4 - SONG FORM ⭐️

🎼 From The Beatles to Billie Eilish there is still a common thread in how songs are constructed. Here we will analyze classic song forms as well as unusual examples. 

⭐️ WEEK 5 - CHORD PROGRESSIONS ⭐️

🎹 Being one of the foundations of songs, we will spend this week exploring chord progressions and their potential. We will be using our ears and some basic music theory to widen our understanding of how they work.

⭐️ WEEK 6 - MELODY ⭐️

🎶 In this class we will explore various melodies and why/why not they may not be effective. Like we did the previous weeks we will use our ears and intuition on how to make a melody as well as some simple music theory principles.

⭐️ WEEK 7 - BANDLAB PART 2 ⭐️

🎚️ This week will be a follow-up to using Bandlab for the songwriting process. We will take a closer look at setting things to a tempo and grid and how to program accompanying parts with MIDI and the piano roll built in.

⭐️ WEEK 8 - BEATS, PERCUSSION, RHYTHM ⭐️

🥁 Sometimes, in the first stages of the creative process, rhythm is likely to play an important role in your songs and arrangements. We will discuss recording organic sounds and programming MIDI in Bandlab.

⭐️ WEEK 9 - 11  - PROJECT DEMOS  ⭐️

✋ Students have the option of performing or recording a song. Students will also be encouraged to collaborate which Bandlab makes easy. This week we will look at some projects together and I will guide them on how to move forward. I will also be able to answer any questions that come up.

⭐️ WEEK 12 - FINAL PRESENTATIONS ⭐️

In this class, each student will showcase a recording or performance of their song.

***Some kind of experience in music is recommended but no experience in songwriting is required.***