UNM Songwriting Class, Fall 2017, Art of the Song Performance Space
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UNM Songwriting Class, Fall 2014, Albuquerque Press Club
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For information on the "Songs from the Rez: Songwriting Retreat on the Navajo Nation" for 2018 please visit this link, here. Songwriting 1 is open to all UNM students regardless of major and is also open to community members. The next Songwriting 1 class will be offered Fall 2018, and auditions will be held in April 2018. Auditions consist of playing one original song and one cover of your choice with an accompanying instrument.
My interest in music and language finds its expressive outlet in songwriting. In teaching songwriting, my role is more of a facilitator than teacher, and the focus is on helping songwriter's to find their own voice--literally and symbolically--and to dig for what my songwriting mentor, Mary Gauthier, calls the "emotional truth" of a song. Thus, these classes focus more on effective and meaningful self-expressions and connection with others through song, rather than learning how to write a "hit" song per se.
Together with my colleague, David Bashwiner, I am creating a Songwriting Curriculum at the University of New Mexico. Songwriting 1 introduces students to the basic building blocks of writing songs and includes weekly songwriting and journaling assignments. This course also takes students into elderly care facilities, where students help the elderly to write and perform there own songs through a program called "Life Songs."
Songwriting 2 focuses on expanding one's songwriting and performance skills, but also guides students through the recording studio process. By the end of Songwriting 2, student will have a professional "demo" of at least one original song. Songwriting 2 also has a social justice and co-writing focus, where students work with incarcerated communities to teach the songwriting skills they have learned over the course of two semesters to others.
My interest in music and language finds its expressive outlet in songwriting. In teaching songwriting, my role is more of a facilitator than teacher, and the focus is on helping songwriter's to find their own voice--literally and symbolically--and to dig for what my songwriting mentor, Mary Gauthier, calls the "emotional truth" of a song. Thus, these classes focus more on effective and meaningful self-expressions and connection with others through song, rather than learning how to write a "hit" song per se.
Together with my colleague, David Bashwiner, I am creating a Songwriting Curriculum at the University of New Mexico. Songwriting 1 introduces students to the basic building blocks of writing songs and includes weekly songwriting and journaling assignments. This course also takes students into elderly care facilities, where students help the elderly to write and perform there own songs through a program called "Life Songs."
Songwriting 2 focuses on expanding one's songwriting and performance skills, but also guides students through the recording studio process. By the end of Songwriting 2, student will have a professional "demo" of at least one original song. Songwriting 2 also has a social justice and co-writing focus, where students work with incarcerated communities to teach the songwriting skills they have learned over the course of two semesters to others.
Listen to performances from UNM Songwriting Students, Art of the Song, Fall 2017
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With Songwriting Students at Löftadalens Folkhögskola, Åsa, Sweden, Fall 2016