Lyricist & Musician
"I think that the material that is meaningful in the long run, that has the greatest impact on people, is the material that avoids cliches. And it avoids picking a subject and abstractly filling in the lyrics for it without having any emotional impact behind it, without having any real feeling for the subject matter . . . To think up a unique subject is not enough. You still have to put it in some relevant human context."
- Todd Rundgren (from Songwriters on Songwriting)
"There are ways you can get out of whatever you've gotten into. You want to get out of it. It's bad enough getting into it. But the thing to do as soon as you get into it, is realize you must get out of it. And unless you get out of it quickly and effortlessly, there's no use staying in it. It will drag you down ... and when my mind starts thinking ... that's trouble right away."
– Bob Dylan (from Songwriters on Songwriting)
There's a wealth of terrific videos and articles online. Tip: check out Pat Pattison's videos...
Preserving the Natural Shape of Language 1 - 4
The workshops will help you develop your own method for writing lyrics. Currently, I'm teaching songwriting at SOPA, SRH University in Berlin.
Contact me for more information
- organising ideas
- writing tools
- plot development
- song forms and structure
- creating imagery
- figurative speech
- rhythm & rhyme
- editing tips
Music Basics is a comprehensive and concise little reference and study guide for music. The rudiments of music are explained in as few words as possible and in simple language. There are also exercises and practical suggestions for instrumental study. The book is specifically aimed at the needs of music teachers, high school music students and musicians seeking a thorough understanding of the basics of the musical language. Click on the icon above to have a look inside at Amazon.
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How to practice the quarter note triplet
Click on the link above to see a sample from the book.