I looked for songwriting courses in previous years and found they were at the extreme ends of the market. Either you paid thousands of dollars to stay at five star hotels in Hollywood to meet top producers and professionals. Or you could pay peanuts to sleep in a sleeping bag in a location requiring a trek with a backpack to stay with teenagers in tents.
I succeeded in finding songwriting courses at Swanwick Writers' Summer School but these were not a regular feature.
In some of the courses you paired up. In others you got into groups of four or five.
1) My first tip: It's a good idea to sit near somebody you would like to meet or co-operate with.
However, be prepared for your favourite to leap up and cross the room to escape you and seek a more promising partnership.
2) Chat up the person you are sitting next to. Make a friend of them. That will increase your chances of having a willing partner.
3) Make a contact and exchange details. You may want to stay in touch if they move.
4 Be prepared to make a quick getaway if they are only accompanying a partner, walked into the wrong room by mistake, or they cough or sneeze all over you and your immune system is down, or they don't speak English and you don't speak their language and you are writing English language songs.
On the other hand, if they have a physical or professional handicap, and you can supply help, you might be able to team up with grateful and reliable partner.
How do you make a getaway? By moving to a seat nearer the front, leaving the room to go to the toilet or fetch a pen and turning via another door. Greeting another mere acquaintance like a long-lost friend. Being honest: 'Lovely to meet you. I'm looking to pair up with somebody from my town/city/country so we can write French songs/I'm looking for a composer/songwriter/guitarist/singer for duets. Here's my card. Thanks for yours. Hope you find a composer/singer - if I meet one I'll send them to you.'
It's often hard to decide whether to make one great friend by chatting the whole half hour or hour of a meeting or coffee break with one person, or circulate around a room meeting twenty.
If you do move on around a room and later feel bad about it, to be sure your potential friend didn't feel abandoned. Remember their name, and wave enthusiastically, greeting them by name, when you see them nearby. Introduce them to others. Follow-up by emailing them cordially.
Send out a newsletter in which you mention them warmly and mention their skills or endeavours enthusiastically.
After the course, do the homework, perhaps in a group with those on the course. If you don't want to share your best song, do another just to share and practise.
Have a dedicated songbook for handouts, notes, ideas, songs you start composing when the workshop plays demos.
You can prepare a notebook in advance with a series of pages at the start, middle or end, or in a divided lined notebook, the sort sold in large stationers and university bookshops used for schools and university coursework. Make an index at the front and head each page with any starter such as Title, opus 1 /....100, by (your name or pen-name or the famous song-writer); have a column on left or write or end with a ruled off ruler wide section for copyright notice or call to action such as email to course leader (email eg john smith@johnsmithsongs.com) / finish by November for songwriting competition deadline Dec 31.
Pack any previously written songs with which you need help, or to read out in class for comments.
Ask conference leader to point out the songwriting workshop leader. Find them over coffee in advance to ask questions such as: Will we need to bring anything; what books do you recommend; can you give us some advice on finding a composer.
Often a course leader has no idea of the people who will be on the course, and does not know whether to pitch at amateurs or professionals. Therefore they will be glad to have the chance to research answers to questions. You can then sit in the front row smiling or nodding and they will feel they have a friend in the audience.
Magazine Ads
A quick way to find courses in any subject is to buy or read at a library a magazine on your subject (writing, songwriting, painting, motorcycling, whatever). See advertisements and write ups. You will also find adverts for courses alongside your website searches.
Sometimes a course on your subject will be offered for partners on other more focused courses on other subjects. For example, the Fishguard, Wales, Writers' Holiday in the summer usually offers a painting course which is popular with non-writing partners and spouses.
Facebook And Forums
You can also check out on Facebook websites of courses you are attending (or courses you cannot attend) and put out an appeal such as:
'Hello, Swanwickers. I shall be attending this year and would like to meet a songwriter/ children's book illustrator/painter. / I shall not be able to attend this year (because of my broken leg/whatever/but would love to hear from somebody else stuck at home who would like to exchange songs/poetry/discuss plots. / I would like to swap ideas on selling online miniature illustrated songs and poems.'
Here's my latest research into songwriting courses and events.
songwriting.co.uk
imw.co.uk
If you can't or won't travel, or can't or won't pay for a course, look at Coursera.
coursera.org - work on the internet April 21-Jun 7. Join for free. 6-8 hours work a week.
As far as I can see, if you want to get a certificate you have to do three stepped advanced courses and a project for 3 x £32 but you can pay for two years upfront or pay for each course as you take it. They like you to do a basic music course first and songwriting second or third. I have managed signed up for the free songwriting course.
Useful Books On Songwriting
Instant Songwriting Musical Improv from Dunce to Diva by Nancy Howland Walker
Better Songwriting by Pat Pattison. The course leader's book for Coursera course on songwriting, available new and used and as an ebook from Amazon.
If you visit Nashville, Tennessee, USA, the museums and theme parks sell books on songwriting. If you have a friend going and they are likely to bring back a gift, or you are going and are looking for a gift, you might prefer a book to a tee-shirt.
If you are a general writer going into songwriting, print a business card or flyer with your contact details.
I succeeded in finding songwriting courses at Swanwick Writers' Summer School but these were not a regular feature.
In some of the courses you paired up. In others you got into groups of four or five.
1) My first tip: It's a good idea to sit near somebody you would like to meet or co-operate with.
However, be prepared for your favourite to leap up and cross the room to escape you and seek a more promising partnership.
2) Chat up the person you are sitting next to. Make a friend of them. That will increase your chances of having a willing partner.
3) Make a contact and exchange details. You may want to stay in touch if they move.
4 Be prepared to make a quick getaway if they are only accompanying a partner, walked into the wrong room by mistake, or they cough or sneeze all over you and your immune system is down, or they don't speak English and you don't speak their language and you are writing English language songs.
On the other hand, if they have a physical or professional handicap, and you can supply help, you might be able to team up with grateful and reliable partner.
How do you make a getaway? By moving to a seat nearer the front, leaving the room to go to the toilet or fetch a pen and turning via another door. Greeting another mere acquaintance like a long-lost friend. Being honest: 'Lovely to meet you. I'm looking to pair up with somebody from my town/city/country so we can write French songs/I'm looking for a composer/songwriter/guitarist/singer for duets. Here's my card. Thanks for yours. Hope you find a composer/singer - if I meet one I'll send them to you.'
It's often hard to decide whether to make one great friend by chatting the whole half hour or hour of a meeting or coffee break with one person, or circulate around a room meeting twenty.
If you do move on around a room and later feel bad about it, to be sure your potential friend didn't feel abandoned. Remember their name, and wave enthusiastically, greeting them by name, when you see them nearby. Introduce them to others. Follow-up by emailing them cordially.
Send out a newsletter in which you mention them warmly and mention their skills or endeavours enthusiastically.
After the course, do the homework, perhaps in a group with those on the course. If you don't want to share your best song, do another just to share and practise.
Have a dedicated songbook for handouts, notes, ideas, songs you start composing when the workshop plays demos.
You can prepare a notebook in advance with a series of pages at the start, middle or end, or in a divided lined notebook, the sort sold in large stationers and university bookshops used for schools and university coursework. Make an index at the front and head each page with any starter such as Title, opus 1 /....100, by (your name or pen-name or the famous song-writer); have a column on left or write or end with a ruled off ruler wide section for copyright notice or call to action such as email to course leader (email eg john smith@johnsmithsongs.com) / finish by November for songwriting competition deadline Dec 31.
Pack any previously written songs with which you need help, or to read out in class for comments.
Ask conference leader to point out the songwriting workshop leader. Find them over coffee in advance to ask questions such as: Will we need to bring anything; what books do you recommend; can you give us some advice on finding a composer.
Often a course leader has no idea of the people who will be on the course, and does not know whether to pitch at amateurs or professionals. Therefore they will be glad to have the chance to research answers to questions. You can then sit in the front row smiling or nodding and they will feel they have a friend in the audience.
Magazine Ads
A quick way to find courses in any subject is to buy or read at a library a magazine on your subject (writing, songwriting, painting, motorcycling, whatever). See advertisements and write ups. You will also find adverts for courses alongside your website searches.
Sometimes a course on your subject will be offered for partners on other more focused courses on other subjects. For example, the Fishguard, Wales, Writers' Holiday in the summer usually offers a painting course which is popular with non-writing partners and spouses.
Facebook And Forums
You can also check out on Facebook websites of courses you are attending (or courses you cannot attend) and put out an appeal such as:
'Hello, Swanwickers. I shall be attending this year and would like to meet a songwriter/ children's book illustrator/painter. / I shall not be able to attend this year (because of my broken leg/whatever/but would love to hear from somebody else stuck at home who would like to exchange songs/poetry/discuss plots. / I would like to swap ideas on selling online miniature illustrated songs and poems.'
Here's my latest research into songwriting courses and events.
songwriting.co.uk
imw.co.uk
If you can't or won't travel, or can't or won't pay for a course, look at Coursera.
coursera.org - work on the internet April 21-Jun 7. Join for free. 6-8 hours work a week.
As far as I can see, if you want to get a certificate you have to do three stepped advanced courses and a project for 3 x £32 but you can pay for two years upfront or pay for each course as you take it. They like you to do a basic music course first and songwriting second or third. I have managed signed up for the free songwriting course.
Useful Books On Songwriting
Instant Songwriting Musical Improv from Dunce to Diva by Nancy Howland Walker
Better Songwriting by Pat Pattison. The course leader's book for Coursera course on songwriting, available new and used and as an ebook from Amazon.
If you visit Nashville, Tennessee, USA, the museums and theme parks sell books on songwriting. If you have a friend going and they are likely to bring back a gift, or you are going and are looking for a gift, you might prefer a book to a tee-shirt.
If you are a general writer going into songwriting, print a business card or flyer with your contact details.
Update 2022
This link popped up on my screen
https://welcome.online.berklee.edu/general-download-berklee-online-songwriting-handbook.html?pid=6963&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=bol-gen-google-adwords-songwriting-handbook&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhqaVBhCxARIsAHK1tiPTBmhNnaEJdFndwXVaioDBd_MyyW3VowpMM4oiZM8rLtebBKDs0wwaAhgkEALw_wcB#?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=bol-gen-google-adwords-songwriting-handbook&utm_content=
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