Songwriting with Brian Eno

“I'm looking forward to the chance to properly articulate some ideas about the creative process that have been fermenting over the last 50 years. To be able to do this with some fresh young minds and imaginations was a chance that I couldn’t refuse." - Brian Eno

We are pleased to announce that Brian Eno will be leading School of Song’s January 2025 songwriting workshop. A selection of topics we'll cover:

• The Role of Surrender: Many of life's peak experiences come in moments of surrender. We’ll explore surrender as a larger life practice to cultivate a more present, curious, and playful state of consciousness that is conducive to writing songs.
• Avant Gardening: What happens when we allow ourselves to experiment at the furthest reaches of our imagination? We’ll discuss how making time for discovery separate from our songwriting practice can yield a rich harvest.
• Creating a Compelling Sonic World: Male bowerbirds spend the majority of the day creating elaborate and beautiful nests, all with the singular hope that a female might feel compelled to fly through. In music, we can build a sonic ‘nest’ to capture ourselves and compel us to sing over it.
• Oblique Strategies: Creativity loves limitations. We’ll use constraints and games that put ourselves in unfamiliar situations that, in turn, stimulate our creative minds to seek new and radical solutions.
• Should Music Still Be Called Music: In an age of samplers, recording studios, and keeping up with the continual development of technology, is music still the same art form or is it something completely new?

Course Logistics

• Workshop is taught over Zoom on the following dates:
  • Lectures: January 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th (Sundays)
  • Q&As: January 8th, 15th and 22nd (Wednesdays)
  • Song-Shares: January 11th, 18th and 25th (Saturdays)
• The Sunday lectures are at 12p (noon) PT and will last about 75 minutes (except for on January 5th -- class will be 2 hours). The Wednesday Q&As are at 12p (noon) PT. Song-share options are 11a, 3p, 6p and 11p PT.
• If you can't make the live class, you can still participate by watching the recordings of lectures (sent out after class).
• You'll write 4 original songs using the techniques and perspectives Brian presents in lecture.

Signing up with a friend + Gifting

Sign up with a friend to receive a 20% discount by clicking here. Note: no refunds on discounted orders.

If you'd like to gift this workshop to a friend, buy them a Gift Card instead.

If you'd like to sign up for yourself AND gift this workshop to a friend and you'd like the 20% discount, read the instructions here.

FAQ:

Q: When is the deadline to sign up?

The deadline to sign up is Saturday, January 04 at 11:59pm (PT).

Q: What musical experience should I have?

A: People across all musical levels will be able to gain something from the course. However, it will be helpful to be comfortable playing a few basic chords on any instrument of your choice.

Q: What if I’ve never written a song before? Can I still participate in this workshop?

A: Yes! As with any new skill, just starting is usually the hardest part. This workshop will provide the structure and accountability we all need to get started and follow through, for beginners and old guard writers alike.

Q: Is there an enrollment cap?

A: Nope! This is a lecture-style class with open enrollment. The song shares will be participatory with breakout rooms of 3-4 people.

Q: Will Brian give me feedback on my songs?

A: Due to the class size, we cannot guarantee that you’ll get Brian's feedback on your songs. However, our teachers are active on our song sharing platform and may leave comments on students’ submissions.

Q: I can't make the lecture times for some (or all) of the classes. Can I still participate?

A: Yes! We send out the recordings of lectures at the end of each class day, so you can watch the lectures on your own time.

If after the first class you feel the course is not a good fit for any reason, you are welcome to a refund on the rest of the course classes. We are unable to process refunds after the second class.

Questions? Email us at hi@schoolofsong.org.