Have you ever heard a song that became stuck in your head? Why do you think that happened? It was probably because the melody was catchy! In this class, you will learn what makes a melody memorable and how to write it in musical notation.

The first class is about melodies. You will listen to several different songs from different pop genres and identify what makes them memorable. The second class focuses on writing. You'll look at musical notes, practice copying a common popular tune, and begin writing your own melody. For the third class, you will continue to work on your melody as we talk about the differences between verses, the chorus, and the bridge. For the last class, you will finish up your melody and we'll talk about ways to record it.

The sample songs for this class are "I See the Light" by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, "Thunder" by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Alexander Grant, and Jayson DeZuzio, "I'm a Believer" by Neil Diamond, and "Hot Air Balloon" by Adam Young. We will listen to them online.