Hi Songwriters!
It's a new year -- time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and a perfect time to watch some amazing songwriting videos to get a new angle on your craft -- whether it's lyric writing, melody, guitar, voice, or recording. To help get you started, we've put together a list of some of the best videos by our amazing instructors.
Happy new year -- and happy songwriting!
Warmest wishes,
Diana
P.S. You can read past newsletters and check out other video recommendations on our newsletter archive page.
Our Instructors
Steve Seskin's concerts will have you wiping away a tear one minute and laughing out loud the next. He is an accomplished performer, producer, and recording artist who has made numerous albums including his 2014 release, Some Sunsets, recorded with Julia Sinclair.
Steve has written seven number one songs that have been featured on albums selling over 40 million copies. The Grammy-nominated "Grown Men Don't Cry" was recorded by Tim McGraw, and "Don't Laugh at Me," recorded by Mark Wills, was winner of both the NSAI and Music Row Magazine's Song of the Year contest. Steve's humor and approachability make any of his videos worth taking a look at. Here's a great place to begin:
Steve Seskin: Creativity and Inspiration (0:25:36)
Pat Pattison is a lyric writing and poetry Professor at Berklee College of Music, where he founded the songwriting department in 1980. The Berklee songwriting program has since developed into the most sought after songwriting major in the world.
In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries, Writing Better Lyrics, The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure, and The Essential Guide to Rhyming, Pat has developed five online courses for Berkleemusic.com: three lyric writing courses, one on poetry, and one on creative writing.
If you haven't checked out any of Pat's videos (why haven't you checked out Pat's videos!?) This is the place to start:
Pat Pattison: Object Writing (0:26:27)
Bonnie Hayes is a popular San Francisco-based songwriter, producer, musician, educator, and recording artist. She has written several well known songs including, "Have A Heart" and "Love Letter," recorded by Bonnie Raitt on the multi-platinum and multi-Grammy winning CD, Nick of Time. She has also had songs covered by Bette Midler, Robert Cray, Adam Ant, David Crosby, and Booker T and the MG's. If you want down to earth advice and clearly explained techniques and suggestions, check out Bonnie's videos.
Bonnie Hayes: Writing Emotional Songs, Part 1 (0:30:51)
Randall Williams is a cut capo virtuoso, songwriter, educator, author, world traveler, and musical entrepreneur. He has lived aboard a 20' sailboat he bought for $800, learned to sail by navigating his way through the Baltic and North Seas with only his guitar to keep him company, and written a book about about the experience. His book, The Sea Inside, opens on the North Sea before dawn -- with a tanker bearing down on his boat. These events and many more inspired his 2008 CD, Praying For Land. If you're Interested in exploring uncharted waters of open tunings and cut capos, Randall's your guy:
Randall Wiliams: Open Tuning and DADGAD (0:30:27)
Stephen Webber has played almost every kind of Western music, from classical piano to rock guitar, from bluegrass banjo to hip-hop turntables. For the last 25 years, he has also been a performer, record producer, recording engineer, an Emmy award-winning composer, a recording studio designer, DJ, author, and professor at Berklee College of Music. If you're thinking of doing recording of any kind in the next year, check out Stephen's videos. Here's a great place to start:
Steven Webber: Pre-Production, Arrangement and Instrumentation (0:32:09)
Steve Leslie is a Nashville-based songwriter, performer, music publisher, and a popular songwriting clinician. For nine years he was a staff writer at EMI where he had songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley, Rhonda Vincent, and Neal McCoy, to name a few. His jazz/guitar degree from Morehead State University and years of teaching private guitar lessons before heading to Nashville in 1992 make him just the man to listen to if you want new insights on writing music with the guitar.
Steve Leslie: Chords as Adjectives, Part 1 (0:36:40)
Andrea Stolpe is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, author, performing artist, and educator. Her songs have been recorded by Faith Hill, Daniel Lee Martin, Julianne Hough, Jimmy Wayne, and others. Andrea's book, Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling, explains how to apply her unique process for developing song ideas quickly, and how to stay in touch with your own artistic voice while writing for the commercial market. Looking for an overview of her techniques? Start here:
Andrea Stolpe: Writing Without Limits, Part 1 (0:18:39)
Jimmy Kachulis teaches Songwriting, Lyric Writing, and World Music at The Berklee College of Music. He conducts clinics nationwide, and has helped thousands of songwriters develop and maximize their skills.
He has written three books in The Songwriter's Workshop Series: Melody, Harmony, and The Pocket Songwriter. Both his books and courses are among the most successful at Berklee Press and Berklee Media - enriching the skills of writers worldwide. Learn more about his insights on harmony in this video:
Jimmy Kachulis: Advanced Harmony Ideas for Songwriters (1:19:34)
Steven Memel is a Los Angeles-based, internationally-acclaimed voice and performance coach, as well as an award-winning actor and director. He is also the creator of The Science Of Switching On, a unique system that enables him to achieve dramatic results with all performers.
Steven has worked with some of the most talented and successful people in the world of entertainment, including Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles, Jesse McCartney, actors Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Isabella Rossellini, and many more. If you've been thinking about spending some time with your vocals, you want to watch to Steven's videos.
Steven Memel: Breathing (0:36:21)
Have fun!
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Diana Korpi
Member Services
diana.korpi@songwork.com
