2009 Schedule
The preliminary 2009 schedule is now available as a downloadable pdf [ Download 425k PDF File here ].When you register in-person (on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning) you will receive a printed version of the final schedule in your Song School folder, so there is no need to print this out. But it will give you a peak at the variety of electives and pacing for this year's Song School.
Special Note for Mary Gauthier's Class
In the meantime, please note this special description for Mary Gauthier's songwriting class:
For this class, I want you to read Brenda Ueland’s book If You Want To Write. Use a highlight marker to underline the parts of the book that speak to you, keeping in mind that this is a book you will return to for years to come. Study Ueland's book like a textbook, it will help you understand what great writers do.
When I teach songwriting, I like to explore WHY we write, and discuss our motives behind the impulse to write songs. Understanding why we write will make us better writers. In the arts, and particularly in songwriting, the WHY is every bit as important as the HOW.
I see songwriting as a generosity, an impulse to share with other people a truth or feeling that we have had. Songs are our gift to the world, and to do it well requires honesty. Honesty, in our life as well as I our art, is a matter of respect. It shows respect for our listeners as well as for ourselves. Disingenuousness, shallowness, posturing, or lies, debase the songwriter, and ultimately the only way to become a better writer is to become a better person. Better in the sense of being more open, more honest, and less self-centered. I see songwriting as a service, much like a ministry. Whatever you write will reveal your personality; who you ARE will show through in your writing. We will discuss this.
When we write with the proper motives, our love can show us how to write beautifully. I believe songwriting is spiritual work, and for me it is a spiritual practice. I will use my own experiences as a writer and recording artist to highlight the lessons I hope to teach, or at least discuss. I don’t think spiritual lessons are easily taught, and certainly not in a short class, but a lively discussion of these truths can be beneficial.