More about Song-Writing Classes and Resources

Some people, like Taylor Swift, are just prodigies. They just never seem to run out of words to put down on paper, and what ever they write always seems to sound heavenly.

But for most people, a little training in your desired profession can't hurt, even if your desired profession is to be a songwriter, and you've already got six notebooks full of lyrics.

So if you miss the deadline for GRAMMY Camp, or perhaps you're already out of high school and it's too late, don't worry. You still have plenty of options.

First and foremost, there are colleges, like the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Berklee has several online classes that teach songwriting and other forms of creative writing.

Both BMI and ASCAP offer workshops. BMI offers a songwriters' workshop in Nashville, and there is no charge, although it probably fills up well in advance. In New York, they offer a jazz composer's workshop and a musical theater workshop. BMI 101 -- a one-hour overview course that discusses performing rights and other necessary information, is available in Los Angeles and New York.

ASCAP has programs around country music, rhythm and soul, Christian and film scoring.

There also are a variety of independent venues, including The Songwriting School of Los Angeles, Songwriting Lessons Online, SongU.com, and TakeLessons.com.

Remember that classes and workshops are also great places to network. You can meet both experienced professionals as well as other classmates with whom you might find a connection and want to work with.

Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley met at Belmont University. They started playing together and today they are one of the top acts in country music: Florida Georgia Line. Never underestimate the power of meeting people!

So, if you're interested in making a career out of songwriting, first and foremost, start writing. But secondly, consider taking a course or two. You could come away some very valuable information you would not have gotten otherwise. And you may also come away with some very valuable partnerships that never would have happened if you hadn't been in the right place at the right time.

Good luck!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

The Deadline for Grammy Camp is March 31st!

If you have a high school student -- or if you are a high school student -- who is dedicated to music and is very talented, you might be interested in GRAMMY Camp.

It sounds like a wonderful opportunity. Country singer Maren Morris went to GRAMMY camp and now she is a successful country singer and songwriter!

But the deadline is March 31st for the 2017 summer session so you need to act fast:

Here's the information from their website:

GRAMMY Camp is a 5-day nonresidential summer music industry program for high school students interested in having a career in music. Hosted by Belmont University in Nashville and USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, students from across the country apply for one of the eight offered career tracks. GRAMMY Camp faculty of music professionals as well as guest industry professionals provide valuable insight to give the campers the best chance at achieving success in their chosen career.

Join one of our info sessions where GRAMMY staff will be available to answer your questions on an informational conference call.
Tuesday, March 14 at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST GRAMMY Camp: General Info and How to Apply
Thursday, March 16 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST GRAMMY Camp: A Parent's Perspective
Monday, March 20 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST GRAMMY Camp: General Info and How to Apply

RSVP to reserve your spot in the call-in: Email grammycamp@grammy.com

2017 GRAMMY Camp Dates & Locations:

GRAMMY Camp Nashville – Tuesday, May 30 - Saturday, June 3, 2017

GRAMMY Camp Los Angeles – Tuesday, July 18 – Saturday, July 22, 2017

Financial assistance is available for students who need it.

Check out all of the possible career tracks below or download a printable version:

Audio Engineering

Electronic Music Production (LA only)

Songwriting

Performance - Vocal

Music Journalism (LA only)

Video Production & Motion Graphics (LA only)

Music Business (LA only)

Performance - Instrumental

Good luck to all those high schoolers who get in! And for those who don't, don't give up! Keep working at it!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

A Must Read: "We Were the Lucky Ones" by Georgia Hunter

Georgia Hunter was 15 years old when she found out that her grandfather was a Jewish holocaust survivor. With a fervor that I can only liken to someone who finds out they are adopted and then can't sleep until they know who their biological parents are, Georgia sets off to find out more about the one-fourth Jewish heritage that, until her 15th year, she didn't know she had, and in the process uncovers a tapestry of amazing, incredible stories of her family's past sewn together with boundless strength, optimism and faith.

Georgia's journey took her to France, Poland and Brazil to speak to relatives first-hand who were able to tell her about family members and the incredible situations they survived.

The entire process, from making the decision to write We Are the Lucky Ones to finishing the manuscript and seeing it published, took her 9 years.

I had the pleasure of hearing Georgia speak recently at the Darien Library.

She chose to weave her story into a novel, so that she could bring past family members to life in a very arresting and colorful way.

This amazing book can be found on Amazon.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.