Go Back To School with Songwriting U!
August 4, 2020 | Courtesy of PopBlitz Magazine
With so many students gearing up to take classes online this fall, there is no better time to discover the music in you by enrolling for a virtual lesson at Songwriting University. We talked to founder, Michael Blanton to get the scoop!
What began a couple of years ago with two Nashville songwriters, was launched officially in December of 2019. The company was born with the mission of offering all want-to-be songwriters around the globe an opportunity to develop their craft by writing with established Nashville Songwriters.
Students can sign-up for a two-hour session on Zoom to work with successful songwriters from their faculty. They also offer a subscription service for $9 a month to watch master classes and experience their songwriting curriculum.
And this is not all they have to offer. Songwriting U just wrapped up their inaugural competition, announcing a grand prize winner of $10K on July 31. The company received such a great response from the community that they will be announcing the next competition launching in mid-August. With five genre submissions last month, they hope to add more in the future.
There are currently over 21 faculty writers on board, all with different levels of commercial success in different genres. They just added Suzie McNeil (Steven Tyler’s band) and Eliot Sloan (Blessed Union of Soul). How cool is that?
In this unprecedented time of uncertainty, Songwriting U remains very optimistic about the future. The company has a mission to honor the heart and soul of Music City, the songwriters. “Without great songs, there are no artists,” says CEO Michael Blanton. Their goal is to find the next generation of songwriters, not age-specific. “There may be a 70-year-old banker in Toledo, Ohio who use to love playing music, and today he or she can once again explore their dormant desires by collaborating with legit, successful songwriters from Nashville” he adds.
Covid-19 has hit hard, but Blanton believes now is the perfect time to start creating. He says, “Like most of us, our lives have been turned upside down, but this is indeed a digital creative innovation that allows anyone to explore their heart’s desire in songwriting. Even if you are stuck at home, or in an apartment and need to unleash your creative heart, you can find help through working with good collaborators.”
When asked what advice he would give to aspiring songwriters, he believes Nashville is strong in music due to the great collaborations that happen every day here. “Everyone needs a community to grow, even a brilliant pianist like Elton John needed his Bernie Taupin. I would encourage all songwriters not to look back and say, I wish I would have chased my music more.” Now you can do that without leaving your home-town, or your home, and explore your writing passions.
We want to leave you with one final thought from Blanton. “Here is a crazy idea for all the families that are home! Why not try to co-write a song about their whole experience of being at home, the good and the bad. Why not create a memory from your experience by working with a songwriter at Songwriting University. You don’t have to be master to co-write a song with legitimate writers. Our faculty will help you take one thought or one sentence and can grow that into a memory of a lifetime, maybe even a hit song. “
Check out the website at Songwritingu.com and start to unleash the music in you today!
