Scarlet Keys

Professor

Affiliated Departments

Songwriting

skeys@berklee.edu

617-747-8455

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Scarlet Keys is a professor at Berklee College of Music and a former staff songwriter for Warner Chappell.

Keys’s songs have appeared on film and TV and garnered her a gold record. She has collaborated with artists such as Chris Stapleton, Eric Roberson, Melissa Ferrick, and local artist Sam Robbins.

Some of her students include: Lizzy McAlpine, Charlie Puth, Amy Allen, Ingrid Andress, and Betty Who.

Keys is the host of the What’s in a Song podcast and the author of The Craft of Songwriting: Music, Meaning, and Emotion, but most notably, she is a world-class parallel parker.

Courses Taught (4)

Songwriting 1

SW-211

Lyric Writing 1

SW-221

Special Topics in Songwriting: Genre, Artist, and Market Focus

SW-298

Directed Study in Songwriting

SW-398

Career Highlights

Staff songwriter for Warner Chappell
Live performances include the Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee; ESPN; Bass Masters Classic, New Orleans (Louisiana) Arena; and venues in Tennessee, California, and New England as featured pianist/vocalist
Her single "Gonna Dance" was recorded by jazz artist Anna Wilson
Charted on Billboard's jazz chart in 2008 with Anna Wilson's Christmas album Yule Swing; no. 1 single on British country chart with artist Lucie Diamond; no. 2 on the European country charts with single and title track to artist Lucie Diamond's record I Wanna Be Rich.
Released original jazz and blues CD Java Jam
Songs have appeared on Fox television and daytime television. Also written theme songs for national commercials, including Our Time and Zulily clothing. Movie placement in The Greening of Whitney Brown, starring Kris Kristofferson and Brooke Shields
Has collaborated or recorded with Denny Hemingson, Tim McGraw's musical director; Patricia Conroy, CMA award winner; folk artist Melissa Ferrick; Monty Powell, Golden Globe nominee; Blue Miller, guitarist and producer for India.Arie; Gretchen Wilson, Grammy Award–winning artist; Chris Stapleton; Steve Leslie; and Bob Bullock, engineer for George Strait and Shania Twain

Awards

Gold record for song "So Much Love to Make" recorded by Swedish artist Jill Johnson

In Their Own Words

"The thing I love the most about teaching is helping students discover themselves, helping them tell the stories of their lives through music, and encouraging them to grow as artists."

"I create an environment in the classroom that is relaxed, fun, and creative because although craft is an intellectual pursuit, creativity needs to run rampant. It’s like a child learning to walk; it needs to have the freedom to try things out, to play and discover itself."

"While focusing on the artistic endeavors of each student, I attempt to instill knowledge of the tools and awareness of commercial songwriting. This ensures a student will have the ability to reach as broad an audience as possible."