Song Writing #1

Song Writing #1

You will be creating a music cd (or number of mp3s). You will need to create no less than six songs, each no less than two and a half minutes in length. These songs will require lyrics. As well, you will be responsible for creating the liner notes for your work.

Your assignment will be marked on the quality of the liner notes, as well as the quality of the lyrics / music in your songs.

What is Song Writing?

Well quite simply, it’s writing music. Your songs will require both instrumental accompaniment (be it a full band, or just an acoustic guitar. Even a synthesizer works well. Loop based music? Also good.) and written lyrics. The combination of those two elements will be classified as a song, for the purpose of this unit.

What will we be learning over the course of this unit?

1. Basic elements of song writing
2. Experimental music
3. Lyric writing: how to not be terrible
4. Recording and publishing in the digital age
5. Getting your music “out there”

start ‘er up

You have to create a cd, as well as liner notes. Now wait a second, just what are liner notes? Well, back in the day – before all these shifty series of tubes, known as the internet, came along – back before that man in Germany created a music encoding algorithm – music came, not for free, but for a cost. And it came on a plastic disk, or even plastic cassette. Now with these things, one would almost always get a little booklet.

Many times they were delightful and had pictures, and art, and even lyrics. There would also be jokes, and shout outs, or other such things hidden within these booklets. These booklets were called liner notes.

Some “See Dees” just came with a rectangle that had the cover art on it. These were upsetting, and did not justify the twenty five dollar purchase price. You do not want to emulate these.

Choosing song writing, you may find the liner notes is the most difficult part, as – in theory – you are already comfortable with music.

So what will your focus for this be?

You will need to choose a theme for your album. It’s important to note that albums are not just a random mashing of songs. Unless it’s a best of album – and those normally fall short. Especially in this digital age where MP3s make singles unnecessary.

So you will be thinking of what you want to say with your music. What you want your music to express. Please complete the following by the end of the class:

Album Topic: __________________________________________________

Detailed Explaination of what you’ll write about: ______________________

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Album Title: ___________________________________________________

Song ideas: ____________________________________________________

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