Songwriting For Social Change: Creating Music with Purpose

Music is the heartbeat for social movements. It is a foundational cultural force that brings people together in the face of adversity.

In this class, you will learn how to write songs to inspire social change; within yourself and in the world.  You will join grammy-nominated music educator Steff Reed as he shares his creative process for writing music from a place of authenticity and purpose. Follow along with Steff as he:

• Breaks down the songwriting process into simple creative steps 
• Shares methods for authentically expressing your thoughts and feeling to create powerful music 
• Draws on historical examples of songs for social change and shares how you can learn from history’s most iconic artists

Using the basics of songwriting, composition and production, students will create original music that will serve as the score of their socio-political observation.

Whether you are a beginner musician looking to learn how to write songs, a seasoned songwriter looking to add more meaning to your music, or a creative person looking to add more meaning to your work, this class will have something for you!

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You will learn:

• Finding meaning for your music through freewriting
• Techniques and structures for songwriting
• Coming up with catchy melodies
• Writing lyrics that tell a story
• Writing your hook and title
• Re-writing and editing
• Recording basics
• Sharing your music to create impact

You will finish the class with a meaningful song that will resonate with people. Whether you want to share it with the world or use this process to infuse your creativity with purpose is up to you! 

Who is this class for?

This class is for anyone who wants to write songs with purpose, or anyone who wants to find ways to incorporate social change into their creative process. Prior knowledge and experience in music or songwriting is not necessary. We will be unpacking some of the fundamentals for beginners, as well as digging into concepts around purposeful musical expression which will be helpful for all levels.

Why is the class useful for all creatives?

The skills learned in this class are essentially a creative approach to problem solving.  It will be insightful for musicians, aspiring musicians, or just anyone who loves music and wants to learn about the craft.  It is also a useful creative process to learn for other types of artists looking to put more purpose into their work.

Materials/Resources

• Pen, Paper or Journal 
• Digital note-taking tool
• Computer 
• Instrument (guitar, piano, or anything else you have around)
• Speakers and Headphones 
• Recording Devise

Don't have an instrument?  Feel free to use this backing track to right your song over.

Looking for inspiration?  Check out Steff's playlist of Powerful Protest & Social Justice Songs

• Introduction
• Class Orientation
• Finding the Purpose
• Structuring the Song
• Finding Melody (Demonstration)
• Writing the Hook & Title
• Writing Verses
• Re-writing and Editing
• Recording & Production Basics
• Sharing Your Music
• Closing Thoughts