All about the song

An in-person workshop for songwriters and singer/songwriters of all styles with some previous experience, who wish to explore song possibilities and refine their craft.

To avoid disappointment, please book your place on the course 72 hours prior to its commencement.

Each week, you will be given a writing brief to undertake and bring to the next session. This could be using narrative, character, or place to generate a song lyric with appropriate musical form or structure. We will then critique these songs-in-progress in the following week’s class and give supportive and useful feedback, with guidance from the tutor. There will be solo writing briefs and opportunities for co-writing, collaborating with other participants in the group.

We will also discuss and deconstruct examples of successful popular songs drawn from the many different genres of popular music, to see what they can teach us about our own writing processes. There will be attention given to producing effective lyrics and musical structures, with techniques, exercises and suggestions for improving these.

All in all, this is a highly practical, hands-on, and participatory workshop for the craft of songwriting. Come prepared to pitch in, experiment, collaborate, share ideas, and make the best songs you can. It’s not about the “star-maker machinery”, as Joni Mitchell put it in “Free Man in Paris”. It’s not about X Factor. It’s all about the song.

Fees

£370

Goldsmiths offers a 15% concession rate on short courses to Lewisham Local cardholders, Students and Goldsmiths Alumni.

Booking information

Please note our short courses sell out quickly, so early booking is advisable.

Location

On campus

Enquiries

If you have any questions about this course please contact shortcourses (@gold.ac.uk).

For information on our upcoming short courses please sign up to our mailing list.

Disability Support

We are committed to providing reasonable teaching adjustments for students with disabilities that may impact on their learning experience. If you require adjustments, please contact us at shortcourses@gold.ac.uk so we can respond to your requests as soon as possible.

Tutor information

Steve Anthony

Steve Anthony has been leading this workshop at Goldsmiths since 2003. He is an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has performed at venues and festivals across the UK, including Ronnie Scott’s, The Vortex, The Troubadour, Wilton’s Musical Hall, Crossrail Roof Garden, Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe, among many others. Steve records and performs with arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Roger Cawkwell, who also taught at Goldsmiths for many years, and has also worked with John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, John McCloughlin, Mike Gibbs, and other luminaries of popular music.