Songwriting Lessons in Tybee Island. Amazing Teachers.

Here's a little about me: I play sax for the band Fungus Amungus. I also play sax/piano in several bands in Hilton Head. I have previously been band/chorus director at Battery Creek, EP High, St Raphael Academy and a lot of schools in MA. I play piano, sax, drums, trumpet and other instruments... I have performed on stage with members of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers, and I have opened for Violent Femmes, Spin Doctors, Rusted Root, Michael Franti and many more...

I have been a songwriter for 5 years. Songwriting is often thought to be about writing about your life. It can be, but in fact some of the most prolific song lyrics have been written without any real story behind it. What writers such as The Eagles, Michael Jackson, John Mayer, Nirvana, etc used was their ability to project the feelings of those around them into their song for inspiration. Their imagination, life experiences, and repetition guided them to write lyrics that wouldn’t even be how they normally speak. Through my lessons, I will talk you through my process, we will go over exercises I use to help me overcome “writers block” and talk about what makes a good song. Your homework will include listening to lyrics and analyzing them. We will play rhyme games to improve improvisation, and I can even help with current lyrics you’re working on. If you’ve ever wanted to write songs but didn’t know where to start, sign up and let’s get started!

Students learn the craft of songwriting and learn about basic music theory, sight reading, guitar, technique, song form, and performance. Learn about chords, rhythm, melodies and basic songwriting skills. Students explore a variety of different styles of music

Hi! I have 3 years experience teaching voice and songwriting to students of varying ages and skill levels. Lessons with me are tailored to each individual and their goals. Areas we can work on include but aren't limited to breathing technique, placement, dynamics and control, sight-singing, ear training, music theory, arrangement, and audition preparation. We can work on all this through singing your favorite songs and styles of music! I aim to make lessons fun and enjoyable while still focusing on achieving your goals! I am so excited for us to get started!

I am first and foremost a singer/songwriter. I can help you discover all the possible song structures and song parts, sure, I have studied it deeply and earned a songwriting certificate from UCLA. But mostly I can help you dig deeper and find what you really want to talk about, what the story you want to talk about really is. By doing that I will then be able to show you different technical ways to tell that story, to build the melody that will help tell that story and also help you with chord progressions and music harmony.

Songwriting was a discipline I learned through years of experimentation on my own path. I have written hundreds of songs and played them in every venue from street corners to major festivals. Having studied songs from all through history and across cultures, I have gathered a very deep base of knowledge about how to reach people and how to unify your own creativity into a creation that could reach millions of people. I write a YouTube show and blog about songwriting, so this is an area I feel I am on the cutting edge with.

In lessons you can expect...

-Musical study: I teach many formulas for finding new ideas and expressing them in a song
-Career coaching/collaboration: songwriting is a collaborative art form between writers, performers and marketers. A team is needed to give a song the best chance it can have at reaching new audiences.
-Performance training: connecting the ideas in your head to the audience requires dedication and a balance between writing and practice. I am