Songwriting Classes
Unlock your creative potential with the Centre for Music Performance’s Songwriting Classes! These classes are led by industry professionals, focussing on skills a diverse range of genres from acoustic, to jazz, to Hip-Hop. Each weekly session will teach you the technical skills to develop your composition and your sound.
These skill based workshops will allow you to expand and develop your understanding of songwriting, blending in a range of musical influences.
You’re welcome to participate regardless of your level of songwriting experience – we welcome beginners as well as those with more experience.
These sessions will be held in Faculty of Music.
Spaces are limited for each session, with sign-ups opening in the week before the session.
To find out more and sign up, please visit the CMP Hub.
22nd January 2024
Week 1
Lyric focusing and Songmaps with Jonathan Whiskerd
In this practical session, we will explore some of the key conventions underpinning narrative content and structure in popular song lyrics. We will experiment with established techniques and approaches and consider how these can be used to generate and redraft our work.
29th January 2024
Week 2
Cross-Cultural Influences with Asha Parkinson
A session looking at ways to respect non-Western musical traditions when trying to integrate them into our compositional style, and how to balance between notation, chord symbols, and open-ended stuff in composition and improvisation.
Students are welcome to bring their own instruments for a practical element to this class
5th February 2024
Week 3
Songcraft and Integration with Shane Beales
12th February 2024
Week 4
How much notation? Notation within genres with Asha Parkinson
Students are welcome to bring their own instruments for a practical element to this class
19th February 2024
Week 5
Beat Making class
26th February 2024
Week 6
Informal Sharing Platform
Come with any song ideas, from any genre, no matter how far they are along, for a friendly informal sharing session. This casual feedback session allows you to meet other songwriters here at Cambridge, and gain friendly advice for making you new songs.
