Writing a Complete Song

4-Week Course

This class is offered online or in-person at PorchLight on April 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 7-8:30pm. Email Jennifer at jennifer@porchlightliterary for a zoom link

This hands-on, interactive course taught by Iowa City songwriter Brian Johannesen will guide you through the essential elements of crafting original songs. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, we’ll focus on helping you discover your unique creative voice, generate fresh ideas, marry lyrics and melody, and polish your work through editing. Each week offers focused lessons, practical exercises, and personalized feedback.

Week 1: Generating Song Ideas
The first week dives into unlocking what inspires you. You’ll explore various techniques to overcome writer’s block, capture those nuggets of inspiration in everyday life, and develop your initial song ideas. Exercises will include journaling prompts, word association, and exploring themes that resonate with you, helping you develop writable ideas.

Week 2: Marrying Lyrics and Melody
In this week, we’ll explore the dynamic relationship between lyrics and melody. Learn how to craft words within the confines of melody and rhyme scheme. Through guided exercises, you’ll experiment with different phrasing, rhyme schemes, and how these essential elements of song create a puzzle to help you tell your story.

Week 3: Finding Your Voice
Every songwriter’s voice is a combination of themselves and their influences. Week three is all about discovering yours. Through a series of exercises and reflection, you’ll analyze your influences and explore how to use those influences to create a style that is unique to you. You’ll work on word choice and developing an authentic sound that feels true to who you are as an artist.

Week 4: Editing and Polishing Your Song
In the final week, we’ll focus on the art of editing and refining your songs – How to simplify your story and “kill your darlings.” Learn how to tighten your lyrics, adjust melody and rhyme scheme for greater impact, and alter the structure of your song to achieve the most efficient and poignant final version. You’ll also explore techniques for reviewing and critiquing your own work, as well as receiving constructive feedback from peers to enhance your craft.

Instructor Bio: Brian Johannesen is an Iowa City singer-songwriter in the vein of John Prine, Guy Clark, and Steve Earle. Through a fingerpicking guitar style and a gritty, well-traveled voice, Johannesen.

This class is offered online or in-person at PorchLight on April 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 7-8:30pm. Email Jennifer at jennifer@porchlightliterary for a zoom link.