Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriting Workshop

Transcription

1 Note to students: While this syllabus is posted to give you an overview of the course, it is subject to change. Should you have further questions, please contact the UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies program at (310) or via at Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriting Workshop Instructor Mark Winkler Contact Information To be announced General Information Description Of interest to beginning as well as more experienced songwriters, this course offers a supportive and inspirational writing workshop environment. Instruction focuses on three equally important and interrelated aspects of songwriting: form, theme, and content. Each week, students perform practical exercises and write lyrics to strengthen their songwriting skills. Exercises are designed to broaden rhyming patterns and add specificity and color to songs. Hit songs by such writers as The Beatles, Ne-Yo, John Mayer, and Joni Mitchell provide templates for commercial lyric writing. Ultimately, each participant's lyrics are evaluated by the hit song formula: to entertain, to tell the truth, and to connect with your audience. Course Goals To master the different songwriting forms. To learn different types of rhyming. To learn how to hook your listener in faster and keep them listening. To make your songs truly reflect what you want to say. Materials Required Texts and Materials [insert information here] Recommended Texts and Materials 1.The Craft of Lyric Writing- Sheila Davis- Writer s Digest 2. If They Ask You, You Can Write a Song- Al Kasha 3. Tunesmith- Jimmy Webb- Hyperion 4. Lyrics- Oscar Hammerstein- Hal Leonard [Course #] Syllabus Page 1

2 5. Reading Lyrics- Robert Gottleib and Robert Kimball- Pantheon 6. 6 Steps to Songwriting Success- Jason Blume- Billboard Book Course Schedule Week Topics Notes 1 Mark Winkler background and bio Get to know students, what they want from course Top Five Tips - Overview Rhymes, Song Forms Song discussion/critiques: Favorite top 10/any genre lyrics/ songs students bring in 2 Play current song in top 10 and discuss Go thru 6-10 on Top Ten Tips Review rhyming and song forms, rhyme schemes Discuss Titles: Talk more about titles in depth Go through titles students have brought in o Pick out good titles o discuss what makes a good title o techniques for finding good titles Word Clusters: Do word cluster for title in front of class 3 Play current song in top 10 and discuss Discuss Song Form in Depth Identify and label various forms o song sections o Talk about what each section must accomplish Title placement Writing the dreaded second verse Lyric writing exercise- Penny Lane - Re-writing the Beatles: Play song, go over form, rhyme scheme Lyric for title chosen Misc. rewrites 4 Play song from current top 10 and discuss Laundry List songs Play examples of old and new Laundry List Songs Discuss methods/techniques Re-write Cole Porter s You re the Top in Class Song discussion/critique HW: kcome up with 10 titles: 1. Include at least 4 picture titles among the ten 2. Bring in songs with Masc and fem rhymes HW: Write lyrics for title chosen Write word cluster for three titles chosen HW: Dreaded 2nd verse assignment Penny Lane re-write HW: Laundry List Song: Choose from three different songs [Course #] Syllabus Page 2

3 Week Topics Notes Dreaded 2nd verse Assignment Penny Lane re-write 5 Grade mid-term in class, answering all questions Song discussion/critique: Laundry List song Lyric Writing Exercise: Listen to the Colors 6 Lyric Writing exercise Writing the Picture : Tell them my Tropical Nights story Show Picture Play song and pass out lyric sheets Have them pick picture to write lyric about Guest Lecturer (to be announced) Their background Lecturer s talk on Magic Moments: The Unexpected Note or Chord Putting great chords to class/student melodies Questions from class Song discussion/critique With guest lecturer Song based on Love of My Life/ My First Love Listen to the Colors 7 Play current Top ten song and discuss Writing songs to an existing melody: Stories about my adventures writing to instrumentals Play song where I wrote lyrics to the melody Guest Lecturer/ Their background Lecturer s talk 8 Guest Lecturer Write the Picture Misc. re-writes Their background Lecturer s talk Song Discussions/Critique Lyric to existing melody Misc. rewrites Play great lyrics I have found Joni Mitchell Stephen Sondheim Ed Sheeran MID-TERM: Reviewing form, rhyme, top ten tips HW: Song based on Love of my Life/My First Love Bring in hit song and one of your songs Listen to the Colors HW: Write the Picture HW: Write lyric to existing melody I will provide three songs Re-write Write the Picture Song HW: Write another song from their ten titles Re-write one of their earlier assignments [Course #] Syllabus Page 3

4 Week Topics Notes 9 Test/ Do you know these Songwriters Performers? ( ) Must write a lyric in style of performer/songwriter not known Go to Wikipedia to research writer/performer Play their songs on Youtube or spotify Write another song from their ten titles Re-writing one of your earlier assignments 10 Guerrilla Songwriting in class Put songwriters into teams of two Pick assignment not already done In class write the lyric/song Song in style of Performer/songwriter not known 11 Review of course Songwriting Tips, Song Forms, Rhymes, stresses and Length of lines Questions from the class The Interview Song: Writing songs based on interviewing people Play example for class Guerilla Songwriting assignment with class partner Discuss ASCAP and BMI sites and venues to play and network 12 Grade final in class, answering all questions Song discussion/critique Play Final Song - Interview song Presenting Best Lyrics of Class Closing Remarks HW: Write a lyric/song in style of Performer/songwriter not known HW: With Partner, finish the song started in class Go to BMI and ASCAP websites HW: Final Song Interview partner in class and write a song based on interview FINAL TEST Expectations & Grading Grading Breakdown Grading Criteria Description Percentage of Final Mid-Term Exam 20% Final Exam 25% [Course #] Syllabus Page 4

5 Assignments 35% Attendance/Punctuality 10% Participation 10% TOTALS: 100% Grading Scheme Grade Percentage Letter Grade Pass/Fail % A Pass 80-89% B Pass 70-79% C Pass 60-69% D Fail >59% F Fail A grade of C or better is considered a passing grade. Certificate students must take 400 level courses for a grade. Please note that ALL COURSE GRADES ARE FINAL. Course Policies Information about Incompletes The interim grade Incomplete may be assigned when a student's work is of passing quality, but a small portion of the course requirements is incomplete for good cause (e.g. illness or other serious problem). It is the student s responsibility to discuss with the instructor the possibility of receiving an I grade as opposed to a non-passing grade. The student is entitled to replace this grade by a passing grade and to receive unit credit provided they complete the remaining coursework satisfactorily, under the supervision of and in a time frame determined by the instructor in charge, but in no case later than the end of the next academic quarter. At that time, the Registrar will cause all remaining Incompletes to lapse to the grade "F". Note: Receiving an I does not entitle a student to retake all or any part of the course at a later date. Academic Honesty Policy Academic dishonesty covers behavior in cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication of information. These behaviors are not tolerated. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the UCLA Extension Student Conduct Code and the official statements regarding cheating and plagiarism at: Services for Students with Disabilities In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, UCLA Extension provides appropriate accommodations and support services to qualified applicants and students with disabilities. These include, but are not limited to, auxiliary aids/services, such as note takers, audiotaping of courses, sign language interpreters, and assistive-listening devices for hearing-impaired individuals, extended time for and proctoring of exams, and registration assistance. Accommodations and types of support services vary and are [Course #] Syllabus Page 5

6 specifically designed to meet the disability-related needs of each student based on current, verifiable medical documentation. Arrangements for auxiliary aids/services are available only through UCLA Extension Disabled Student Services at (310) (voice/tty) or by at Please request such arrangements with at least five working days advance notice. All assistance is handled in confidence. Accommodations must be preapproved. Requests for retroactive accommodation will not be accepted. [Course #] Syllabus Page 6