2006 Song School Schedule

• Sunday, August 13
• Monday, August 14
• Tuesday, August 15
• Wednesday, August 16
• Thursday, August 17
• Other things you need to know

Sunday, August 13th

2:00pm – Campgrounds Open

2:30-6:00pm – Student Check-in

Back to top

Monday, August 14th

8:00-9:00am – Student check in time

Visit us at the Blue Heron tent and pick up your packet, wristband, hat, official Song School laminate, and other goodies. There will be coffee, tea and muffins waiting each morning at 8:00 as well...

8:00am – Morning Movement & Stretching

Annie Wenz will help celebrate the morning by leading gentle yoga, tai chi & dance based movement, stretching & breathing exercises. No prior experience necessary. (Meet in front of silo.)

9:00am – Orientation

Official welcoming; we’ll cover logistics, put the program in perspective, introduce instructors, and get you prepared for the week. Please be there.... (Wildflower Tent)

9:15–10:15am – Opening Session; Song School Community Sing

“Walking thru the door is the only audition.” In this opening session, Billy Jonas will lead an all group harmonic convergence that will have all of us resonating in time and in tune for the week ahead. (Wildflower Tent)

10:30–12:30pm – Electives

1. Directed Writing with Paul Reisler - Twenty years ago, a friend gave me the best advice I've ever heard regarding songwriting.  He told me to get up every morning and write a song, complete it, and put it in a file folder and not look at it for 6 months.  Not a good song or a long song necessarily, just a song. Two years and several hundred songs later, I realized that I had not only learned a lot about the craft of songwriting, but a great deal about how to generate ideas and images and carry them through, how to dance around writers block and how to fool myself into approaching my writing in a fresh way each day.  We'll be writing in a very directed way that will give you the tools to write on a daily basis.  This is a multi-day workshop that is progressive.  We will not take new people after the 2nd day. (Mountain Lion Tent)
   
   

2.  “If you’re not failing every now and again it’s a sign that you’re not trying anything very innovative.” - Woody Allen

   The Art of Collaboration with Steve Seskin - This will be a 3-part class in the mornings through Wednesday. It is for people who have already taken Directed Writing with Paul reisler and are interested in co-writing and want to know more about and experience the process. Participants should sign up only if they're interested in doing all 3 days. On the 1st day we will talk about collaborating, the dos and don'ts, how to make your collaborator feel comfortable, best ways to find a good match for you and legal issues such as splits of copyrights. I will guide this effort with participation from students encouraged. Towards the end of day one we will break up into 10 pairs and begin the process of writing a song together. I will monitor the participants throughout the process. Day two will be spent writing as well. On day three we will take a look at what came out of these unions and hear the songs/ partial songs. We will talk in depth about the experience and discuss what each person learned from it. This class is limited to 20 people. – (Wildflower Tent)
   
   
3. Performance with Julie Portman: Session 1 - “Every song is a story. Every performer is a storyteller.”  When you think of your songs as stories and your performance as storytelling, you open a big door and free up a lot of creative juices. You get a whole new perspective on what you’re doing as a songwriter, singer and performer. These three performance sessions will look at the songs you sing and the way you deliver your songs through the lense of story. The sessions build on each other and combine exercises with plenty of opportunities to perform. You can come to one session or to all of them.
   Session 1 - Monday - Getting your arms around your story; singing it and telling it.
   Session 2 - Tuesday  - What is the story in your song? How do you get inside the story of your song?  Session 3 - Wednesday  - How do you get your story across to your audience? What story is the audience hearing?  (Festival Main Stage)
   
   
4. Rhythm Boot Camp –(Hummingbird Tent)
   
   
5. The Art of Musicianship – An in depth and relevant look at the musical big picture with Pat Flynn. Class participants will use their songs as a jumping off point for a detailed look at arrangements, accompaniment, embellishments and a survey of directions and choices available to the writer. A holistic approach will be the agenda as creative, pragmatic and technical issues will be addressed to form the total writer. (Trout Tent)
   
   
6. How to Sell Your Music Without Selling Your Soul - Terri Mazurek takes her social work background and blends it with her experiences as an artist manager and booking agent in this interactive workshop. She'll be joined by co-presenter Ellis - a performing songwriter who founded and runs her own record company- in offering a music business workshop that blends business saavy with values & ethics. Topics include finding your music mission, setting clear goals and outcomes, and developing a marketing plan.  The over-arching goal of this workshop is staying true to who you are while promoting yourself and your music with honesty and integrity. (Lizard Tent)
   
   
7. Mentoring (one-on-one) Sessions - Rebecca Folsom (Eagle Tent)

12:30–1:30pm – Lunch Break

• Songwriting signups
• Open stage signups (GREEN group - Monday; BLUE group - Tuesday;  RED group - Wednesday; YELLOW group - Thursday)  Sign up in the Blue Heron Tent (registration tent) starting at 8:30am.
• Also signup for afternoon mentoring sessions on Monday.

1:30-4:00pm – Creative Songwriting Groups: Session 1

The first of four daily songwriting sessions with instructors Issa, Pat Pattison***, Steve Seskin*, Vance Gilbert, Billy Jonas, Paul Reisler** and Moira Smiley****. This session lasts until 4pm. Instructors will meet at the same location (mostly) each day as noted below. The signup for these groups will take place at the Blue Heron Tent (registration tent) at 8:30 am. An additional offering will be included each day as well.

*PLEASE NOTE: Steve Seskin will offer; Lyric writing - We will cover many facets of lyric writing in this course including an examination of point of view, from simple first person to more complicated models like first person when it’s obviously not you, universal first person, and inventing a device to make it easier to tell a story. I like to think that there is a most powerful way to write every song. The trick is exploring the possibilities and choosing the best one. We’ll also look at how to combine emotion and imagery to create the most potent lyrics. We'll also talk about rhyme and how to use it to your advantage. (Hummingbird Tent)

**PLEASE NOTE:  Paul Reisler will offer: Creating Memorable Melodies - Are you a prisoner of your chord changes?  When was the last time you left a concert humming the chord changes?  The emotional power of the music lies in the melody, yet training in melody writing is a sadly neglected part of the contemporary songwriter scene.   This workshop is about melody and it's magical interaction with a lyric. There will be lots of techniques for building melodies from short motifs.  We'll explore what makes a melody memorable, how to make the music support the emotion of the lyric, how to control the forward movement of your song, discovering the music in the lyric, finding melodic inspiration and much more.  This is an active, participatory workshop that will give you lots of tools for developing your melodic ideas into memorable songs.  (Wildflower Tent)

***Please NOTE: Pat Pattison will offer: Tools and Strategies - Sharpen your lyric writing skills and discover the techniques that have helped Pat's students, including John Mayer and Gillian Welch, win Grammys and write number one songs. In this seminar, you'll learn how to craft more vivid lyrics by mastering the elements of structure and the process of building lyrical ideas into more compelling songs. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned writer, this course will help you put your lyrics together more effectively. (Bear tent)

****PLEASE NOTE: Moira Smiley will offer: A Wildly Versatile Voice - How to truly use all the colors in your voice.  Get the gritty, technical, sensual sense of how the voice can draw powerfully on vocal wisdom from traditional Irish to Bulgarian solo song, South African choral improvisation to opera recitative.  Learn - by singing - how timbres, ornaments and language can expand your own sound and pull you in new directions. - (Lizard Tent)

Songwriting Meeting Places
Issa - Mountain Lion Tent
Steve Seskin* - Hummingbird Tent
Vance Gilbert - Eagle Tent (backstage)
Billy Jonas - Trout Tent
Paul Reisler** - Wildflower Tent
Pat Pattison - Bear Tent
Moira Smiley*** – Lizard Tent

4:15–5:45pm – Electives

1. Embellishing Your Song - Bring your songs to this interactive workshop with Arthur Lee Land and learn new ways to embellish your song by adding tasty guitar fills, substitute chord changes, various picking and strumming approaches, alternate chord forms and inversions, varied capoed positions and more. (Blue Heron Tent)
   
   
2. “There are four steps to enhancing one’s creativity: The first is to think. Think about the values and principles that guide you in your business and personal life. Second is to believe. Believe in yourself. The third is to dream. Dream about something you want to do. And the last is to dare. Dare to make your dream a reality.” - Walt Disney
   Performance with Maggie Simpson - This workshop focuses on YOU as the brilliant expressive channel through which your songs and stories move. Maggie leads you through a unique interdisciplinary approach to performing, which is experientially based, and for many transformative. This guided series of "exercises" allows the performer to relax into a greater level of power, ease and presence on stage, while accessing a greater range and potency of expression. And it's fun too! (Eagle Tent - backstage)
   
   
3. Capo Envy - Obsessive Capo Disorder - Have you ever seen artists using multiple or partial capos and wondered "What on earth are they doing!?"  Chances are you've been stricken by partial capo envy.  This workshop will introduce the keys to understanding how to use both the Kyser "Drop-D" and "Shortcut" capos in standard tuning.  It's easier than it looks!  You will learn a simple way to use single or multiple partial capos to enhance your guitar sound and apply it to songs you've already written or songs to come using chords you already know.  Handouts will be provided and partial capos are available for use and purchase at the workshop.  There will also be time to share your discoveries and get feedback from Justin and the group.  Some guitar experience is necessary, but this workshop is open to beginners as well as seasoned players. With Justin Roth. (Bear Tent) 
   
   
4. If the Buddha Was a Songwriter: Compassionate Song Critique - Drawing on techniques learning through volunteering at a crisis line as well as experiences as Vipassana meditiation practitioners, Terri Mazurek and Ellis will offer a model for peer to peer songwriting feedback designed to encourage creativity and discourage criticism.  Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring: 1) a song they feel could be improved with some feedback; and a willingness to listen attentively and with an open heart.  All present will be asked to offer feedback using a specific model which emphasizes what works rather than what doesn't while offering clear suggestions and creative solutions.  (Festival Stage)
   
   
5. How to Listen to the Air - Many great songwriters mention that their songs come from “another place”.  They describe writing songs as a kind of mystical download that they let flow from spirit out onto their paper.  For these people, writing can be more like listening than thinking.  But what are they listening to?  Where did they find that radio station in their mind’s ear?  More importantly, HOW do they listen to the air and hear songs? In this session, singer/songwriter Anna Wolfe will teach methods that can help writers to tune in and write from “that other place.” (Hummingbird Tent)
   
   
6. Operating New Millennium Style – What does pre-determined pricing have to do with the music business? Join Issa for her take on operating in the music industry in the new millennium. – (Mountain Lion Tent)
   
   
7. Can It Be This Easy – The Art of Vocal Freedom (or Make a million dollars while you sleep, Stay young forever, and lose 10 pounds, all in this simple workshop!) Sometimes it only takes a few minor adjustments in focus and technique to create crucial and lasting change.  The voice is the barometer of the soul, and the instrument is you. Training your whole being to be awake, at ease, and working in synchronicity you gain access to your own authentic, balanced, passionate voice.  We will practice a very unique blend of traditional and non-traditional vocal technique, martial arts, yogic posture, Toltec and Taoist exercises.  Together we will embody lightness, agility, power, stamina, joy, depth, and relaxation in vocal resonance and personal presence.  With Rebecca Folsom. (Trout Tent)
   
   
   
   "All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life.” - M.C. Richards
8. Online Promotion: What It Is and Why You Need It - A step by step strategy for creating an internet presence for your music. Soup to nuts from selection of an Internet Service Provider and establishing an email account, all the way through creation and promotion of your WWW page. Special attention is paid to online promotional resources with lists to links for over 4000 music venues, hundreds of radio stations, and online concert calenders where you can promote your shows. Ample Q & A with opportunities for one on one consultation throughout the week.  With Alan Rowoth (meet at Blue Heron Tent)
   
   
9. Mentoring (one-on-one) Sessions - (Frog Tent), (Beach) Sign up at the Blue Heron Tent (registration tent) during lunch break.
   

6:00-7:30pm – BBQ By the River

The BBQ’s are open to all Song School participants and their registered guests only. Chef: Sean Reid. Please present your wristband as a meal pass. Please compost everything and clean up after yourselves! (Mountain Lion Tent)

7:30pm – Open Stage

GREEN group night; signup posted all day on table in the Blue Heron Tent. Song School instructor kick off. (Wildflower Tent) Please compost everything and keep the Planet beautiful.

Back to top

Tuesday, August 15th

TIP OF THE DAY...

If you have a Festival related question or problem, please let us know before class or during lunch break today so we can help you work out a solution before the Festival. Use message board as needed.

TO DO LIST

• Sign up for Songwriting Session 2
• Open stage (BLUE group) signup
• Mentoring session sign ups.
• All sign up sheets will be put out at 8:30am each morning in the Blue Heron Tent.

8:00am – Morning Movement & Stretching

Annie Wenz will help celebrate the morning by leading gentle yoga, tai chi & dance based movement, stretching & breathing exercises. No prior experience necessary. (Silo)

9:30-12:00pm – Morning Electives

1. Directed Writing with Paul Reisler - Twenty years ago, a friend gave me the best advice I've ever heard regarding songwriting.  He told me to get up every morning and write a song, complete it, and put it in a file folder and not look at it for 6 months.  Not a good song or a long song necessarily, just a song. Two years and several hundred songs later, I realized that I had not only learned a lot about the craft of songwriting, but a great deal about how to generate ideas and images and carry them through, how to dance around writers block and how to fool myself into approaching my writing in a fresh way each day.  We'll be writing in a very directed way that will give you the tools to write on a daily basis.  This is a multi-day workshop that is progressive.  We will not take new people after today. (Mountain Lion Tent)

2. “The last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.” - Victor Frankl

   The Art of Collaboration with Steve Seskin – I have written songs with 150 different co-writers. Many people I’ve only written one song with. It doesn’t always work. For some people it’s not an option at all. In this workshop, I’ll talk about the different aspects of co-writing, how to pick a co-writer that might be good for you, what to expect if you’ve never tried it before, and the protocol involved in approaching someone about co-writing. I’ll also cover how to make yourself and your co-writer feel comfortable so both of you can do your best work. Legal issues and royalty splits are also discussed in this workshop. You will have a chance to try a co-write during class as well. - (Lizard Tent)

3. Performance with Julie Portman; Session 2 - “Every song is a story. Every performer is a storyteller.”  When you think of your songs as stories and your performance as storytelling, you open a big door and free up a lot of creative juices. You get a whole new perspective on what you’re doing as a songwriter, singer and performer. These three performance sessions will look at the songs you sing and the way you deliver your songs through the lense of story. The sessions build on each other and combine exercises with plenty of opportunities to perform. You can come to one session or to all of them.
   Session 2 (Tuesday) - What is the story in your song? How do you get inside the story of your song?
   Session 3 (Wednesday) - How do you get your story across to your audience? What story is the audience hearing?  (Festival Main Stage)

4. It's Your Career… How to go about making a management plan that suits you and your goals in life - David Tamulevich will share many of his insights and experiences based on his 25 years in the music business to underscore how one’s management plan is the essential building block from which all else springs and serves to guide and define the type of career you will have in the business world.  David will discuss the careers and career choices of many artists he has worked with, including Greg Brown, John Gorka, Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeeler, among others. A Q & A session will be included. (Lizard Tent)

5. Voices As Instruments - What if you just your voice and your body to make melody and rhythm with?  Creating vocal parts that defy the tried and true is an exciting way to discover new roles for your voice (and your bandmates' voices).  Avoiding the cliche pitfalls of the "a cappella" use of voices-as-band-instruments, we extend the voice to be rhythm, loop, bass, harmony and high flying improvisation instrument. – with Moira Smiley  (Wildflower Tent)

6. Performance with Maggie Simpson and Rebecca Folsom - This workshop focuses on YOU as the brilliant expressive channel through which your songs and stories move. Maggie leads you through a unique interdisciplinary approach to performing, which is experientially based and for many transformative. This guided series of "exercises" allows the performer to relax into a greater level of power, ease and presence on stage, while accessing a greater range and potency of expression. And it's fun too! (Eagle Tent-backstage)

7. Take a Lead Break On Your Own Song: PART 1 - We will use chord changes from participant’s songs and Arthur Lee’s “Live Looping” technology to provide a framework for exploring soloing ideas. Topics covered in this workshop will include the concept of melody-based solos, hearing and singing what you play, as well as improvisational ideas based on single note lines utilizing major and minor pentatonic scales. This workshop will be taught on guitar but is open to all instruments as the soloing concepts and ideas apply to any lead instrument. (Blue Heron Tent)

8. The Art of Musicianship - An in depth and relevant look at the musical big picture with Pat Flynn. Class participants will use their songs as a jumping off point for a detailed look at arrangements, accompaniment, embellishments and a survey of directions and choices available to the writer. A holistic approach will be the agenda as creative, pragmatic and technical issues will be addressed to form the total writer. (Trout Tent)
   
   
9. Mentoring - will be available in half-hour time slots, to provide one-on-one feedback and tips on your songwriting or guitar-playing or singing. If you'd like to discuss your lyrics, please bring a copy of them if you have one.  Alan Rowoth (others TBA)

12:00-1:30pm – Lunch Break

1:30-4:00pm – Creative Songwriting Groups: Session 2

Your daily dose of songwriting with instructors Issa, Pat Pattison***, Steve Seskin*, Vance Gilbert, Billy Jonas, Paul Reisler ** and Pat Pattison****. Class ends at 4pm.

*PLEASE NOTE:  Steve Seskin will offer; Melody and Music - In focusing on melody writing, I teach from a place of writing melodies for lyrics. Prosody is the marriage of music and lyric. We will explore ways to determine if the overall vibe of the music feels right, and look at specific parts of songs in terms of choosing an appropriate melody that milks the emotion that the writer would like the listener to feel from the lyric. I will also talk about phrasing and accents. There is an important word in every sentence. We’ll look at choosing accent places that stress the right syllables and help drive home your point. Music can actually change the meaning of a lyric when used to its fullest potential. We’ll also discuss rhythm and range and how to use them effectively in songs. (Hummingbird Tent)

**PLEASE NOTE: Paul Reisler will offer Harmony and Chord Substitution - This workshop starts where Creating Memorable Melodies leaves off.  We’ll learn how to set chords to your melody, how to shade the emotion of the moment with a proper choice of chords, chord types and substitutions, using harmony to control forward motion, creating contrast in your song structure, and much more.  In addition, we’ll take one song and harmonize it in 8 different ways using different types of chord substitutions. Again, this is a participatory workshop that will give you specific techniques and inspiration to use in your music.  Previous participation in one of Paul Reisler’s melody workshops is strongly recommended. (Wildflower Tent)

***PLEASE NOTE: Pat Pattison will offer Writing from a Title - Starting with a powerful and effective song title, this seminar teaches you to build it into a completed lyric, including setting it to appropriate rhythm and tempo, using its stressed vowel sounds to brainstorm ideas, finding title placement, developing contrasting sections, and developing your ideas to recolor your title or chorus. These tools will make your writing process more efficient, and your lyrics more effective. This is how Nashville writers write a song every day--sometimes two! (Bear Tent)

****PLEASE NOTE: Pat Flynn will offer: Songwriting, Part 1 - Class will of course discuss and demonstrate the art of good songwriting, but also put the theory into practice by composing a song, as a class, by the end of the week. Class limited to 3 to 5 persons for two sessions. (Lizard Tent)

Songwriting Meeting Places
Issa - Mountain Lion Tent
Steve Seskin* - Hummingbird Tent
Vance Gilbert - Eagle Tent (backstage)
Billy Jonas - Trout Tent
Paul Reisler** - Wildflower Tent
Pat Pattison*** - Bear Tent
Pat Flynn**** – Lizard Tent

4:15pm – Creative Gap/Woodshed/Relax/Float/Enjoy   

Mentoring (one-on-one) Sessions

• Justin Roth (Hummingbird Tent),
• Moira Smiley (Lizard Tent),
• Rebecca Folsom (Frog Tent),
• Alan Rowoth (Beach)
• David Tamulevich (Blue Heron Tent)
• Anna Wolfe
• others TBD

8:00pm – Open Stage

Blue group night.  Sign up sheets on table in Blue Heron Tent.

Back to top

Wednesday, August 16th

TIP OF THE DAY...  

Pace yourself and enjoy!

TO DO LIST

Sign up for Songwriting Session 3, mentoring session signups; open stage (RED group). Sign up sheets out at 8:30am in the Blue Heron Tent.

8:00am – Morning Movement & Stretching

Annie Wenz will help celebrate the morning by leading gentle yoga,  tai chi & dance based movement, stretching & breathing exercises. No prior experience necessary. (Silo)

9:30-12:00pm – Morning Electives

1. Directed Writing with Paul Reisler - We'll be writing in a very directed way that will give you the tools to write on a daily basis.  This is a multi-day workshop that is progressive.  We will not take new people after Tuesday. (Mountain Lion Tent)
   
   
2. Collaboration with Steve Seskin – Continued from days one and two. Students will share there songs with each other today.
   
   
3. Performance with Julie Portman; Session 3 - “Every song is a story. Every performer is a storyteller.” When you think of your songs as stories and your performance as storytelling, you open a big door and free up a lot of creative juices. You get a whole new perspective on what you’re doing as a songwriter, singer and performer. These three performance sessions will look at the songs you sing and the way you deliver your songs through the lense of story. The sessions build on each other and combine exercises with plenty of opportunities to perform. You can come to one session or to all of them. Session 3 (Wednesday) - How do you get your story across to your audience? What story is the audience hearing?  (Main Stage)
   
   

4. “Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is.” - Will Rogers

   Vocal Improvisation - From a simple break (solo) in a song, to an extended, emotional improv to an incredible dialogue with other singers and musicians - here are some super fun, illuminating games and exercises and just plain supportive space for vocal improvisation. – with Moira Smiley  (Wildflower Tent)
   
   
5. Building a Team & Effectively Working with a Team – David Tamulevich will lead a session around creating and working with a professional team (record company, publicist, radio, management, agent, publishing) to further your career. He’ll help define what you need based on your management plan, how to work within your strengths and weaknesses, how to define responsibilities and how to evaluate progress or lack of it and what and when to do something about it. (Lizard Tent)
   
   
6. The Art of Musicianship – An in depth and relevant look at the musical big picture with Pat Flynn. Class participants will use their songs as a jumping off point for a detailed look at arrangements, accompaniment, embellishments and a survey of directions and choices available to the writer. A holistic approach will be the agenda as creative, pragmatic and technical issues will be addressed to form the total writer. (Trout Tent)
   
   
7. Uncovering the Mysteries of the College Market - This workshop will be facilitated by Terri Mazurek, a college agent who was voted "2005 Agent of the Year" by the National Association of Campus Activities, and Ellis, a performing songwriter who was nominated "Best Female Artist 2006" by Campus Activities Magazine. The discussion-based workshop will be geared towards touring musicians who are interested in learning about booking concerts on college campuses. Common questions that will be addressed include: "Should I invest in NACA?", "How do I get a showcase?", "How do I get a college agent?", and "Do I have to perform those noon-time concerts in the cafeteria?" - (Blue Heron Tent)
   
   
8. Mentoring - Alan Rowoth (Eagle Tent), Rebecca Folsom (Frog Tent) Others, TBA

12:00-1:30pm – Lunch Break

1:30-4:00pm – Creative Songwriting Groups: Session 3

Your daily dose of songwriting with instructors Issa, Pat Pattison, Steve Seskin*, Vance Gilbert, Paul Reisler** and Billy Jonas**.

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Nietzsche

*PLEASE NOTE: Steve Seskin will offer: Rewriting and Creativity - This class will focus on rewriting - how it differs from writing. We will explore songs that I’ve rewritten and why and then apply those techniques to a song from each student. We will examine all types of rewriting. Are you rewriting because the content is not serving the moment in the song, or is the problem the tone of how you put forth your idea? We’ll also look at how to know when a song is done and the wisdom of sticking to the task versus putting a song away for a while and giving it a rest. Many times I write more than I need to just to give myself choices. (Hummingbird Tent)

**PLEASE NOTE: Paul Reisler and Billy Jonas will offer: Rhythm and Groove. Rhythm and groove are perhaps the most important elements in your music for defining the musical style.  If you feel you have been writing the same songs over and over again, or that you want to be able to write in a wider variety of styles, this is the place to start. This is a highly participatory, fun workshop where we will quickly create melodies to different beats and use groove as an inspiration for both melody and lyric We’ll work on understanding the basic components of the rhythmic web that work together to create groove, how the groove changes the emotional experience of the song, the western and Indian systems of rhythm, and much more.  (Wildflower Tent)

***PLEASE NOTE: Pat Pattison will offer: Writing Lyrics to Melody - There's no use writing a great lyric and a great melody if they don't work together. An unfortunate setting of a word or phrase can sink the emot4:ion of the song, calling your listener's attention away from WHAT you are saying to HOW you are saying it. This seminar shows you how to get the most out of your lyrics by combining them accurately and effectively with melody. This is a "can't miss" seminar--it's bound to take your writing to the next level. (Bear Tent)

***PLEASE NOTE: Pat Flynn will offer Songwriting, Part 2. - Class will of course discuss and demonstrate the art of good songwriting, but also put the theory into practice by composing a song, as a class, by the end of the week. Class limited to 3 to 5 persons for two sessions. (Trout Tent)

Songwriting Meeting Places
Issa - Mountain Lion Tent
Steve Seskin* - Hummingbird Tent
Pat Flynn- Trout Tent
Vance Gilbert - Eagle Tent (backstage)
Paul Reisler & Billy Jonas** - Wildflower Tent
Pat Pattison - Bear Tent

4:15-5:45pm – Electives

1. Performance 201. - a class specially designed for students whom, over the last 9 years, have had at least one session with Vance in his Performance workshop or his Songwriting Through the Eyes of Performance workshop. Here's a place to dig even deeper into those stage and songwriting skills. Set list, pacing, patter, large room versus small room, off versus on mike singing, indoor versus outdoor venue, where to place a cover tune and other fine points will be practiced and examined. (Eagle Tent)
   
   
2. Performance with Maggie Simpson - This workshop focuses on YOU as the brilliant expressive channel through which your songs and stories move. Maggie leads you through a unique interdisciplinary approach to performing which is experientially based and for many transformative. This guided series of "exercises" allows the performer to relax into a greater level of power, ease and presence on stage, while accessing a greater range and potency of expression. And it's fun too!  (Hummingbird Tent)
   
   
3. Passing the Torch – Music can be such a powerful tool for creating peace, promoting wellness & a positive sense of community...from schools to
   festivals...from our own neighborhoods to neighborhoods & villages around the world. Hell-what's more fun that an entire group singing/dancing/playing together??? Join performers/activist/international travelers/educators Annie Wenz &Billy Jonas
   as they share songs, movement, exercises, chants... so that you too can pass the torch in your own community! Bring something to share. And we'll create something new too!  Great tools for teachers/community organizers.Annie Wenz (Wildflower Tent)TBD (Wildflower Tent)
   
   
4. Take a Lead Break On Your Own Song: PART 2 – This workshop is a continuation of Part 1.We will use chord changes from participant’s songs and Arthur Lee’s “Live Looping” technology to provide a framework  for exploring soloing ideas. Building on ideas presented in Part 1 we will be covering techniques to help you develope clarity in your phrasing such as Motif Playing, Question & Answer, Melodic & Rhythmic Repetition, Target Notes and Color Tones. Attendance in Part 1 is highly recommended but not a prerequisite. (Blue Heron Tent)
   
   
5. Grant Writing – Yes, there is money available for your touring dreams. Find out about what opportunities exist and how to go about writing a good proposal. With Siobhan Quinn (Mountain Lion Tent)
   
   
   

   “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” - Henry Thore

6. Song Critique – Bring your new or used songs for an interactive song session with
   Pat Flynn. Pat was the main songwriter for New Grass Revival and has written hits for others such as Peter Rowan and Garth Brooks. (Trout Tent)
   
   
7. Passport Required: International Touring Without a Record Label, Agent or Manager - Touring outside the USA presents some daunting logistical challenges. But it can also prove immensely rewarding, artistically, professionally and personally. This workshop with Mike Beck examines the nuts-and-bolts of touring internationally, including getting gigs, making contacts, transportation, P.A. and backline, financial realities of touring overseas, as well as strategies for maximizing your impact before, during and after your tour. Handouts include contact info for European and Asian venues, booking agencies and radio stations as well as a planning sheet and actual tour budget. (Bear Tent)
   
   
8. Mad Mission:  The Difficult Conditions of Co-Writing - Writing and performing on your own can be hard enough at times, working with another artist has its own unique challenges. This elective will help you develop a working relationship that really does work. We'll share what we've learned about: creating the writing space, deciding when to share, giving and receiving criticism, co-writing while thinking of the song as the 3rd person in the room. This workshop will give you tools to cultivate and maintain a supportive yet challenging writing environment between two artists. With Kathrin Shorr and Tim Burlingame.
   
   
9. Mentoring (one-on-one) Sessions - Moira Smiley (Lizard Tent), Alan Rowoth (Beach), Rebecca Folsom (Frog Tent), David Tamulevich (Blue Heron Tent),  Terri Mazurek, Anna Wolfe others TBA

8:00pm – Open Stage

Red group signup posted all day. Sign up sheets on table in Blue Heron Tent.

Back to top

Thursday, August 17th

TIP OF THE DAY...

Pick up your Festival wristbands. (Festival Box Office opens at noon.)

TO DO LIST

1. Sign up for songwriting session 4. All signups go out at 8:30am - Blue Heron Tent.
2. YELLOW group open stage signup.
3. Mentoring session sign ups.
4. Song School Vehicle Transition 12-1:30pm. Shuttle provided. All vehicles without passes must be off property by 1:30pm. (you know who you are...) 
5. Please fill out Song School evaluation & drop it off in the Wildflower Tent during BBQ and open stage and pick up a copy of the ‘06 class roster.

8:00am – Morning Movement & Stretching

Annie Wenz will help celebrate the morning by leading gentle yoga,  tai chi & dance based movement, stretching & breathing exercises. No prior experience necessary. (Silo)

9:30-12:00pm – Creative Songwriting Groups: Session 4

Final Songwriting session with instructors Issa, Pat Pattison, Steve Seskin*, Vance Gilbert, Paul Reisler**, Billy Jonas, and Julie Portman***.

*PLEASE NOTE: Steve Seskin will offer; The curse of the 2nd verse - Techniques to jumpstart things when you're stuck and the inspiration is seemingly gone. We will talk about how to keep the action moving along and continue to keep the listeners attention throughout the whole song. (Dragonfly Tent)

**PLEASE NOTE: Paul Reisler - Open Tunings or Kid Pan Alley? - Open tunings expand the creative possibilities for guitar.  They can create a fuller sound for a solo artist accompanying themselves or a unique foundation for a group.  While the experience of being lost in a new tuning can lead to some creative discoveries, an understanding of the tuning can lead you ever deeper into the music.  We'll develop a method of thinking about tunings, for knowing where your notes and chords are and for seeing how the tunings relate to each other in a logical way so that you are not relearning the instrument with each new tuning. (Wildflower Tent)

***PLEASE NOTE:  Pat Pattison will offer: Brainstorming techniques - Explore Object Writing in depth, learning the relationship between showing and telling and how to integrate your Object Writing with your Songwriting. Find out how to create powerful and effective metaphor, using simple exercises you can do on your own. Learn how to brainstorm more efficiently, working on several levels at once, using a rhyming dictionary and thesaurus as tools for exploring ideas. This seminar will open your mind and release your best ideas. (Bear Tent)

Song School classroom on the stage

****PLEASE NOTE Julie Portman will offer a Life Stories Workshop - A process of awaking memory and imagination so that we can have access to countless events in our lives and a way to transform them into a story.  This is an opportunity for you to write and tell your own stories. You will learn to listen to yourself and others in a new way. Renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung said that the reason for evil in the world is that people are not able to tell their stories. As human beings we need to connect memory and experience in order to create meaning, uncover themes and make sense out of what has happened to us. A powerful way of doing this is through the creative process of writing and sharing our stories. In these troubled times, Julie will help you give voice to your own unique story as well as discover themes you share with others. Working in a small group in a supportive atmosphere you learn to listen to yourself and to others with new purpose and understanding. Great subject matter for songwriting. (Lizard Tent)

Songwriting Meeting Places
Issa - Mountain Lion Tent
Steve Seskin* - Hummingbird Tent
Vance Gilbert - Eagle Tent (backstage)
Billy Jonas - Trout Tent
Paul Reisler** - Wildflower Tent
Pat Pattison - Bear Tent
Julie Portman*** - Lizard Tent

12:00-1:30pm – Lunch Break

Song Schoolers without festival vehicle passes must move cars out of the campground to free parking area. Shuttle provided – see Bill at front gate.

1:30-3:00pm – Electives

1. Directed Writing with Paul Reisler - In this final session, participants will perform material gleaned from the morning songwriting sessions. This session goes until 4:30pm if necessary. (Bear Tent)
   
   

2. “Creative force, like a musical composer, goes on unweariedly repeating a simple air or theme, now high, now low, in solo, in chorus, ten thousand times reverberated, till it fills earth and heaven with the chant.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

   Letting It All Go—A Vocal Workshop For Release, Balance, and Relaxation
   It has been a full week and by now you are probably a very saturated songschooler.  In this workshop we will let the music work for us.  There are vocal exercises that help you unwind, others that help you put the pieces together in a synchronized fashion, and others that soothe. We will go with the flow and vocalize for whatever release, regrouping, and relaxation is needed.    Individually, we will experience the release and ease of toning, and together we will experience the beauty and joy of joining voices. With Rebecca Folsom (Eagle Tent)
   
   
3. How to Find an Agent – In the final session with David Tamulevich, he’ll discuss how to evaluate the agents out there... and yourself…and what you need to do to get ready to present yourself to an agent to maximize your chances of finding  one..and ..what to do if you cannot find an established agent..with an eye on making your career attractive enough for an agent in the future. Bring along your press kits, touring history,  press releases, CDs, etc so we can go through and evaluate them in depth - (Lizard Tent) 
   
   
4. Performance 201 - a class specially designed for students whom, over the last 9 years, have had at least 1 session with Vance in his Performance workshop or his Songwriting Through the Eyes of Performance workshop. Here's a place to dig even deeper into those stage and songwriting skills. Set list, pacing, patter, large room vs small room, off vs on mike singing, indoor vs outdoor venue, where to place a cover tune and other fine points will be practiced and examined. (Wildflower Tent)
   
   
5. Verse Development - Solve “Second Verse Hell” quickly and easily by learning to what to look for in a title and how to develop the flow of ideas BEFORE you waste time writing a lyric that dead-ends is some dark alley. Learn how to advance your ideas so the song gains rather than loses interest as it moves forward. Find out how to create a chorus or refrain that can be repeated effectively without having to change the words each time. This seminar will save you time and channel your energies efficiently, allowing you to write more songs and better songs. With Pat Pattison. (Mountain Lion Tent)
   
   
6. Getting Started with Altered Tunings - Want to explore altered tunings but don't know where to start? This workshop with Justin Roth will explore ways to understand, compose in, convert songs to, and switch between altered tunings.  No need to be intimidated by too much music theory, we will learn a simple way to relate altered tunings to songs you've already written or songs to come.  Handouts will be provided to get you started with chord positions in different tunings.  In addition, other techniques will be introduced on how to approach the guitar to help enhance your solo guitar sound.
   (Blue Heron Tent)
   
   
7. Mentoring (one-on-one) - Moira Smiley (Hummingbird Tent), David Tamulevich, Mike Beck and others TBA, Sign ups posted in Blue Heron Tent at 8:30 am

3:15-4:30pm – Electives

1. Being a Sideman and Accompanying Others - You are sitting around the campfire and there is a beautiful ballad being delivered by one of your favorite artists...and right at the most tender moment, a break in the lyric occurs and a mandolin player sitting on the edge of the circle plays as many notes as he knows, hoping to add to the emotion of the song, basically causing a massive train wreck. Has this happened to you? Come to this workshop to learn how to be a sideman with the skills you have, find that starting place before any note has been played known as silence and come with your guitar to play one of your songs with a full band backing you. (Wildflower Tent)

2. Your Songs, Your Money And The Music Business: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You! – You’ve spent years honing your craft as a songwriter, and you’re ready to let the world hear from you.   And yet, you feel like you’re at the bottom of huge mountain.   Are you in shape to climb it?  How do you make money as a songwriter?  Did you know that you’re also wearing a music publisher hat when you write a song?   Do you know anything about mechanical income, performance income and synchronization rights?  How can you make your songs a viable source of income for yourself via film and TV usages?  In a casual discussion with industry professionals, you’ll learn some of the basics on music publishing plus how to take those steps to get inside, build relationships and make contact.  Get your questions ready for our speakers to answer, as much of this 90- minute elective will address your specific needs. ASCAP’s Brendan Okrent will lead the discussion, with guest appearances by some of our Song School instructors representing the other side of the desk. (Mountain Lion Tent)

3. Guitar Techniques - Play the upper reaches of the guitar neck without a net! Pat Flynn will offer a comprehensive and systematic way to work up the fingerboard, thus greatly expanding the range and options for the player. Scales and chord combinations will give you a fresh perspective on your music. Move out of your comfort zone of the first position and unlock your playing potential. (Hummingbird Tent)
   
   
4. Vocal Harmony and Arrangement – A wild and wacky exploration of the fundamentals of vocal harmony and background singing with  Moira Smiley, Rebecca Folsom and Vance Gilbert. Drawing on some of the traditions that inspire, but may be unfamiliar to us (folk Eastern Europe, Ireland, Inuit, S. Africa, medieval Europe and others that you bring to the table...), we break down vocal harmonies across cultural bounds.  Then we see how we can bring some harmonic surprises into our own songs (Trout Tent)
   
   
5. Funny?!?! - Annie Wenz leads a discussion & song swap about the art of writing & performing humorous songs.  Are you the only one laughing? Are you offending people? Or are you ready for Saturday Night Live? What to play (or not play) at what venues; Where to place your song in a set; (What if your mother’s in the audience); Timing, Delivery, Bombing Out, How much is too much?  Is there TOO MUCH? We'll see!  (Lizard Tent)
   
   
6. Directed Writing Songsharing with Paul Reisler - In this final session, participants will perform material gleaned from the morning songwriting sessions. This session goes straight on until 4:30pm or until everyone has a chance to share a new song. (Bear Tent)
   
   
7. Mentoring (one-on-one) Sessions - Sign ups  (Lizard Tent), Maggie Simpson, Mike Beck (Beach), and others TBA Sign up sheets on table  in Blue Heron Tent at 8:30 am.

4:45-5:30pm – Song School Graduation

Our final session will bring us all back together to join voices in song. Meet at the Wildflower Tent for a final memorable round of singing led by Billy Jonas.

6:00-7:30pm – BBQ by the River

The BBQ’s are open to all Song School participants and their registered guests only. Please present your wristband as a meal pass. Menu: BBQ Chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, tossed greens, baked beans, and pecan pie. Chef: Sean Reid. Soux Chef: Cece. Please compost everything!

Instructors will have books and CD’s for sale in tent as well.

7:30pm – Open Stage

YELLOW group signup posted all day. Sign up sheets on table in Blue Heron Tent.

Back to top

Other things you need to know about...

Songwriting Sessions

These daily sessions are designed to give you a variety of approaches to the songwriting craft.  It is strongly recommended that you sit with a different instructor each day as most instructors will repeat their basic lesson plan. Please note that Paul Reisler and Steve Seskin will offer different workshops each day as noted on the schedule, and Moira Smiley, Pat Flynn and Julie Portman will offer an additional workshop each day as well. The sign up sheets are mainly to help keep the class sizes reasonable and not to limit your access to an instructor. Keep in mind, if a class you want to take is large one day, chances are it won’t be the next.

Electives

Each day, a variety of elective classes are offered. Please note that some electives are only offered once, and some are offered multiple times during the week. A few electives require that you be in attendance for the initial session in order to participate later in the week. 

Mentoring Sessions

These sessions are offered as a way for participants to receive more personalized attention and help with specific questions. They can take the form of one-on-one or small group consultations depending on the desires of the instructor. Each day, sign ups and meeting locations for that day’s participating instructors will be posted in the Blue Heron Tent at 8:30am (registration area). On Monday, we will post sign ups during the lunch break.

Open Stages

The evening open stages are a chance to perform your original material for each other in the Wildflower Tent. Everyone is assigned a color on the back of their laminate which corresponds to an open stage night. Sign ups will be posted each morning at 8:30 in the Blue Heron Tent.

Message Board

The message board is located in the Blue Heron Tent (registration tent).  If you have messages for other participants, need festival or camping passes or have tickets to sell, this is the place to post your message.

The Song School Roster

A master copy of the roster will be kept at the registration area in the Blue Heron Tent. Check the roster on Monday or Tuesday to make sure your information is correct. We will make this updated roster available to all on Wednesday.

Evaluation Forms

Evaluation forms are in the back of your booklet. Please take the time to fill them out and hand in on Thursday during the BBQ or open stage to help us improve The Song School. Thanks in advance for your input! You can also mail in your evaluation to the address on the form.

Need to Make a Recording Of Your Song?

Song school participants may record songs this week in downtown Lyons. The Wrecking Room (24 Track Pro Tools Studio) will be offering a special song school rate of $50 to record a song (2hr slot). This includes  engineer mix master and audio files. Additional time costs $30/hour.  Backline instruments will be available as well as session drummer Brian McRae (Freddy Jones Band, Sally Taylor, Sherri Jackson) for drum loops or tracking.  The Wrecking Room is located @ 336 Evans St. (walking distance from Planet Bluegrass).  Please contact Brian or Greg McRae @ 303-823-5983 or 720-352-0125 or go to drumoverdubs.com for information on how to add real live drums to your songs.

Instructor materials and recordings available during the Thursday BBQ

Many instructors have books and recorded products available to purchase during the Song School. You may find the instructor during the week or wait until Thursday evening before and during the BBQ where instructor materials will be for sale.

Composting and Recycling

Planet Bluegrass has made efforts to reduce the impact the schools and festivals have on our environment. We are now composting and recycling over 60% of all festival waste! Help us by using our color-coded recycling containers in the campground and classroom areas. Remember, almost everything used at the Song School BBQ’s is compostable. Thanks in advance for your help.

Poison Ivy

Be on the look out for poison ivy in the trees around the river. Some other small areas may exist, so be careful walking through any high grass areas.

Video Cameras on the grounds

Some classes might be video taped at various times for our archives. If anyone does not wish to be on camera, please identify yourself to the cameraman if he shows up where you are. They will respect your request.

Food Onsite

We are pleased to once again have a food vendor, Bloomberries, on the grounds during the Song School for breakfast and lunch. They have great burritos and lunch items (see enclosed menu) as well as lattes and ice cream!

Back to top