Songwriting Courses

This course will reinforce production concepts and expand upon prior skills developed in SW-181. Topics will cover a wide variety of useful tools for songwriters including drum programming, virtual instruments and software synths, mixing and FX processing, and utilizing Ableton's flex time tools. There will also be a focus on recording and processing vocals. This will cover correct mic techniques, comping, editing, tuning, and final processing and fx. Throughout the course students will also work with DAW specific features and shortcut keys to integrate into their workflows. 

This course will reinforce production concepts and expand upon prior skills developed in SW-191. Topics will cover a wide variety of useful tools for songwriters including drum programming, virtual instruments and software synths, mixing and FX processing, and utilizing Logic’s flex time tools. There will also be a focus on recording and processing vocals. This will cover correct mic techniques, comping, editing, tuning, and final processing and fx. Throughout the course students will also work with DAW specific features and shortcut keys to integrate into their workflows.

The Songwriter Spotlight course is an explorative songwriting class into the practice and path of a prominent songwriter. The featured songwriter may be a songwriter/performer, songwriter/producer, or songwriter/topliner. Topics of the course will include the study of the songwriter’s catalog; works that have defined their career; examination of songwriting tools and techniques they employ as part of their creator identity; and insights into crafting for a global audience. Every semester may feature a different songwriter or songwriter team. Students will have assignments to write original songs that employ the tools and techniques of the featured songwriter. 

Special Topics in Songwriting sections are advanced-level songwriting project classes, focusing on special topics at a depth beyond that possible in general songwriting classes. Topics may include: songwriting in specific musical genres and styles; new creative work inspired by analysis of work of seminal songwriters, artists, or groups; or professional areas of focus that demand specialized songwriting knowledge and technical skills. Each course section, taught by a specific faculty member in a given semester, will vary in scope and depth of coverage of the given topic area, and in the sequence and emphasis of semester projects. Students should consult the course description for the specific section and semester, available at berklee.edu/songwriting.

In this course, we will explore how music makers can use the latest AI tools to expand their craft, and how to avoid using those same tools in a way that hinders their craft. In addition, this course will also explore the impact of AI on the music industry (both helpful and harmful), and on the future careers of music makers, as well as the role of musicians and creators in a society with abundant access to music creation.

Throughout the course, students will be tasked with generating original lyrics, melodies, songs, and recordings in collaboration with AI. 

Whether you’re eager to unlock new creative possibilities, worried about how AI will disrupt your career, or believe AI should be banned from the industry altogether, this course offers a space to push boundaries, ask tough questions, and innovate. Imagine having an endless source of lyrics, melodies, and beats at your fingertips—what could you create? In Bots + Beats, you’ll gain hands-on experience with AI and other cutting edge technologies to elevate your music, while also exploring whether you should be doing it at all, and the legal and ethical implications it has to bring.

This course isn’t just for the tech enthusiasts. We’ll critically examine how AI affects the very essence of creativity, from the rise of voice cloning to the potential of deepfakes, and explore the cutting edge technologies of XR, Web 3, Blockchain, and the Metaverse. Whether you’re here to embrace AI, protect your craft, or resist its influence, Bots + Beats provides a platform for all perspectives. Join us as we navigate this new frontier together, shaping the future of music with informed, diverse voices.

This elective course reinforces and explores tools and techniques addressed in SW-211 and SW-212. It is designed to foster songwriting for artists, television, film, or other media platforms that demand original music. Targeted at an advanced level, this workshop centers on collaborative efforts while comprehensively exploring the creative process from diverse perspectives. Students are empowered to cultivate a wide range of skills and innovative approaches to songwriting. The participants are expected to submit lead sheets and multi-track demos as part of their coursework.

This course is required to take the Songwriting/Topliner focused Senior Seminar and Directed Study. 

The workshop-style course has been meticulously structured with the primary objective of expanding the knowledge around lyric writing. Centeral to the course is facilitating students' cultivation of their distinctive style and technique in the realm of lyric composition. The course's curriculum is an emphasis on the intricate aspects of prosody in both form and content, the dynamic interplay of lyric composition with musical accompaniment, as well as synthesis of tools and techniques acquired in preceding courses of Songwriting Foundations, Lyric Writing 1, and Lyric Writing 2. 

A study of the work of John Lennon, including musical analysis, lyric analysis, survey of his poetry and art, transitional periods, and the influence of his interest in surrealist and nonmusical events. Influences of Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono. Class presentations include audio and video clips.

This elective course facilitates the expansion of knowledge in songwriting thorough the analysis of successful songs in the music market place. Students will choose song and analysis will be done by individuals, small groups, and whole-classes. Analyses will require a description of structural elements of lyric (PENTAD), melody (motivic development), harmony (functional and non-functional), as well as descriptions of how these elements interact to serve the greater function of the song.  After analyzing the techniques used in each song, students will emulate those techniques in their own solo-written or collaboratively-written songs.

This course provides an introduction to the essential aspects of the business of songwriting. It covers a range of topics including copyright, publishing, revenue generation from songwriting, contractual agreements, and the management of collections through relevant organizations in the field. Moreover, the course delves into best practices for collaboration, networking, and establishing partnerships and teams. Students will develop an understanding of the interrelationships between various stakeholders in the industry, including creatives, managers, publishers, labels, and lawyers. Additionally, students will explore the utilization of songs as content for visual and social media platforms, recognizing the importance of adapting to the evolving landscape of the music industry. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the business aspects of songwriting effectively.

This project-oriented, workshop-style class presents varied models for songwriting collaboration, including differentiated roles for lyricist and composer (typical of earlier musical theater writing), the cowriting model prevalent in current Nashville-centered country songwriting, and emerging collaborative roles in production-driven contemporary genres such as pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Industry needs and realities are reflected in class projects. Students play varied roles in both in-class fishbowl and serious project collaborations, including writing to theme/on deadline and for specific industry artists and/or selected student vocalists. In-class cowriting sessions, partner projects, and technology-supported virtual collaboration are explored. The class also covers pragmatic issues essential in professional cowriting, including cowriter selection, decision-making and consensus, and contractual and business issues of coauthorship and copublishing.

Musical Theater Writing 1 explores the unique techniques and challenges of writing songs for the theater. Where music and lyrics must combine to define character and tell a story in which each song serves a longer narrative. Students gain experience in collaborative songwriting for dramatic situations and learn to integrate spoken and sung dialogue into musical numbers. This course reinforces skills attained in core songwriting major courses. Through the study of existing musicals and adapting existing dramatic works, students practice integrating song into dramatic form. Students also gain experience in collaborating with musical directors and performers who rehearse and present their songs.

This course is required to take the Songwriting/Musical Theater focused Senior Seminar and Directed Study.