The history of music education over the past 100 years has centered on traditional band, choir, and orchestra models. Yet music education has always secured a prominent place in the curriculum when it captures the musical imagination of the masses, and research has shown that more and more students are seeking alternative opportunities to engage with music. Songwriting is a 21st Century curricular offering that considers who we are as a society--our desires, our goals, our passions. Most often, songwriting occurs in Modern Band classes that are beginning to pop up all around North America and many parts of the world. This book provides curricular support for those efforts as we look to the present and future of music teaching and learning.

There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song. Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick—it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together—and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.

The Must-Have Guide for Songwriters Writing Better Lyrics has been a staple for songwriters for nearly two decades. Now this revised and updated 2nd Edition provides effective tools for everything from generating ideas, to understanding the form and function of a song, to fine-tuning lyrics. Perfect for new and experienced songwriters alike, this time-tested classic covers the basics in addition to more advanced techniques.Songwriters will discover: • How to use sense-bound imagery to enhance a song's emotional impact on listeners • Techniques for avoiding clichés and creating imaginative metaphors and similes • Ways to use repetition as an asset • How to successfully manipulate meter • Instruction for matching lyrics with music • Ways to build on ideas and generate effective titles • Advice for working with a co-writer • And much more Featuring updated and expanded chapters, 50 fun songwriting exercises, and examples from more than 20 chart-toppings songs, Writing Better Lyrics gives you all of the professional and creative insight you need to write powerful lyrics and put your songs in the spotlight where they belong.

In Writing Worship: How to Craft Heartfelt Songs for the Church, the Christian songwriter will explore the depths of the heart, immersing in relationship with God before learning practical worship songwriting skills. Award-winning songwriter Krissy Nordhoff helps lyricists and musicians sharpen their skills in starting songs, adding dimension, removing distractions, maintaining momentum, and co-writing. Songwriters and worship leaders are challenged to trust the Lord with their gifts as they put their new skills into practice. They also have access to: Links to video with examples A songwriter personality assessment Podcast episodes for every songwriter personality Access to special downloads, including a leader’s guide for group learning and an audiobook with extra content from Krissy

The classic collection of candid interviews with the greatest songwriters of our time, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Patti Smith, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, and dozens more This expanded fourth edition of Songwriters on Songwriting includes ten new interviews--with Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Lou Reed, and others. In these pages, sixty-two of the greatest songwriters of our time go straight to the source of the magic of songwriting by offering their thoughts, feelings, and opinions on their art. Representing almost every genre of popular music, from blues to pop to rock, here are the figures that have shaped American music as we know it.

Give Your Songwriting a Competitive Edge This book takes you on the songwriter's journey from the first inspiration for a song to the collection of worldwide royalties. Experienced songwriters Pat and Pete Luboff point out the stumbling blocks you'll encounter along the way, and how to turn them into stepping stones to songwriting success. In 101 fun and easy-to-read chapters, you'll find tips on: • building solid, marketable song structures • creating the perfect lyrics accompanied by moving melodies • forming productive and profitable collaboration ventures • producing effective demos that you can pitch • tracking your royalty collection You'll also discover how new technology is changing songwriting and how to use that to your advantage. Plus, you'll get insider tips on traveling to and living in the songwriting centers of the country–Los Angeles, New York City, and Nashville. Everything you need to live and succeed at the songwriter's life can be found in this great resource.

Author Jennifer MacKay focuses on songwriting from a craft standpoint. Because the lyrics themselves are only one part of songwriting, she also covers melody, tempo, and rhythm, and explains how this can differ between genres. A few key influential singers and songwriters are discussed along with the general craft.

Your greatest desire is for your original songs to be recorded, released, and broadcast. But do you have a realistic plan to make this dream your reality? Author and hit tunesmith Rand Bishop draws from 40 years of on-the-job experience while visiting with some of the most-honored song crafters of the last five decades, unveiling a long-term strategy for building a career composing hit songs. The lessons, essays, quotations, and profiles in this book reveal how a Song Dog becomes Top Dog.

Now newbie songwriters can learn the craft—and sing their own praises online Beginning songwriters can hit the right note by starting out with the basics in this guide, including: • How to create melodies • How to create many different harmonies • Techniques using deliberate rhythm and stylistic changes • How to enable one's songwriting to grow and evolve • How to deal with songwriter's block • The best places to upload one's work for maximum exposure and opportunities

Infuse your lyrics with sensory detail! Writing great song lyrics requires practice and discipline. Songwriting Without Boundaries will help you commit to routine practice through fun writing exercises. This unique collection of more than150 sense-bound prompts helps you develop the skills you need to: • tap into your senses and inject your writing with vivid details • effectively use metaphor and comparative language • add rhythm to your writing and manage phrasing Songwriters, as well as writers of other genres, will benefit from this collection of sensory writing challenges. Divided into four sections, Songwriting Without Boundaries features four different fourteen-day challenges with timed writing exercises, along with examples from other songwriters, poets, and prose writers.