Looking for a songwriting teacher/mentor

June 21, 2017 6:46 AM

TL;DR: After a few years of writing songs here and there, I've started writing more consistently. I'm looking for a teacher/mentor, but I don't know if the one I've chosen is the right one for me. Help?

I'd written a few songs here and there when I started playing the ukulele, but this year I made the resolution to start writing a song a week and posting what I've written to YouTube. (I'm in a few online open mics and write to their themes.) Someone posted a link to Dylan Laine's tutorials in the ukulele subreddit, and her video about how to write a song in an hour has helped me write my first few songs.

Although I knew she was churchy, I signed up for her Patreon because I figured a good source was a good source. When I signed up, I got her general welcome-to-Patreon email where she mentioned that she would not work on any songs with "mature themes". I know a few of my songs are a bit on the dark side, and one of the songs I most want to edit is inspired by a kids' book about a little boy who likes to wear dresses. I don't know if she's going to be the best songwriting mentor for me.

I'm looking for a teacher/mentor with whom I can check in each week and work on specific goals (writing riffs, editing lyrics, and adjusting melodies so they don't all sound the same being the big ones). Apart from how useful Dylan's Patreon videos were, I liked that I could check in with her once a week with my goals and I could get guidance related to them.

There's a songwriting circle that meets in Boston on a night when I have a standing commitment. I've attempted to work with songwriting teachers and haven't had the best success; additionally, $10/month is more in my budget than $20/lesson.

What should I do?

posted by pxe2000 to Media & Arts (1 answer total)

I am reading Art and Fear, and it's really good. One of the first things it goes into is how artists (including us musicians of course) leave college/uni and often find themselves cast into this open space, with very little in the way of peer review. Imagine - you've probably worked for years in the company of at least a dozen or two other people doing a similar thing to you, collaborating, competing, and with one or many teachers and unofficial mentors around. The book talks about how difficult it can be to create, or to create your best work, without that network.

So I guess I'm mentioning that because maybe you don't need just one mentor? I think you need to get yourself a network, and I mean down as well as up the chain. Teaching music has taught me tons about what I know and where my blank spots are. Don't just look upwards, try and find ways to pass what you have back down.

But for the "up the chain" people - get yourself to songwriter open mics, and when you hear someone you admire ask them if you could buy them a beer sometime in exchange for a chat about music. I have done this before and yes ok sometimes it ends up with creepy weirdos thinking they're on a date, but it has also led to ongoing collaborations which have really enriched what I feel capable of. Also get yourself online, post stuff you're working on for comment (hint, hint), and leave feedback on other people's work, closing the circle and, again, building your network downwards. You might find one person who can do what you're looking for how you want, but if not, consider building a network instead.
posted by greenish at 9:31 AM on June 21, 2017 [3 favorites]