🎶 Hello darkness, my old friend

🎶 Near, far, wherever you are

🎶 At first, I was afraid, I was petrified

🎶 Mamma Mia, here I go again

Humming a tune yet?

What is it about MUSIC? We respond with so much emotion, so much vigor, so much heart.  

Let’s tap into that enthusiasm and use it for learning!

At Brave Writer®, we recognize that teens have much to say and that songwriting is a wonderful outlet for a young writer's biggest ideas and feelings.  

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Strike up the band! 

Music and lyrics—the bread and butter of the budding songwriter—provide the perfect motivation for writing. 

We’ll use the elements of poetry to examine the importance of powerful association and vivid vocabulary in songwriting. 

Critical thinking skills will be engaged as teens:

  • Gain an introduction to poetry and songwriting analysis
  • Explore the importance of song structure
  • Wield the power of syntax and diction in their songwriting
  • Bridge the gap between poetry and music, honing their skills at crafting metaphors and analogies
  • Explore protest songs through time
  • Write their own original songs

The focus of this class is on songwriting, but teens who love poetry will also find themselves at home!

Specific readings and activities will give students the chance to engage with songwriting in a way that is affirming, encouraging, and nonjudgmental. 

Embrace the HARMONY between music and writing today! No experience or musical training necessary! 

In this class, we read song lyrics and listen to songs that address a wide variety of perspectives and may include time-bound references. Please be aware that you may experience strong reactions to what you see or hear. By using text as a teaching tool to foster understanding and growth, we have the opportunity to discuss these evolving ideologies.

We encourage you to consult our song soundtrack to determine its appropriateness for your family and to prepare to have discussions on these topics with your students as they participate in the class.

Week by Week

Week One

Poetry and songwriting share many characteristics. Students examine language in poetry and song, and how literary devices strengthen songwriting.

Week Two

Students explore song structure by determining common song elements and patterns. Students then practice keeping the structure of an existing song in place and applying new lyrics.

Week Three

Students take a historical look at protest songs and receive advice on how to deepen the experience of listening to and writing original protest songs.

Week Four

This week, students pull together everything they learned about rhyme and rhythm, literary devices, protest music, and song structure to create an original piece.

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:
$239.00 per student
Recommended Ages:

13 - 18

Class Size:
25 students
Class Length:
4 weeks
Class Type:
  • High School

Select from the available class dates below to register for that session:

–
Sarah Kerr   Register

Word on the Street

This class was a great way for me to start being able to share my songs with others. Both the teacher and my classmates’ feedback were not only uplifting but insightful in how I could improve my songwriting. 

Kate, 14

[This class] focuses on the poetic side of songwriting, and it can really help with other things than songwriting, like writing stories, poems, and some creative essays!

Emily, 16

I have always wanted to write songs but I never knew where to start. I feel like I have learned some valuable techniques and a way of thinking that makes sense. Honestly I’m so glad I took this class. It was eye opening. 

Graham, 17

The steps that we went through made writing a song flow SO easily! I was really surprised with how fast I came up with verses after I listed words and then words that rhymed with them. 

Taylor, 15

More Information

Sample class login

Want to see how our classroom works? Test drive a sample class complete with real class readings, assignments, and instructor comments!

Follow these instructions:

  1. Navigate to class.bravewriter.com. If you are a current student, you’ll need to log out in the upper right corner before proceeding.
  2. Log in using these credentials:
    Username: [email protected]
    Password: Brave1
  3. Next, you will land on our Family Dashboard. You'll find a Parent icon and a Student icon to represent classes where the parent or the student is the primary participant. Click on Parent to view parent participation classes. To find classes with direct student-instructor interaction, click on Student.
  4. Click on the class name of interest and start reading posts!
How Our Classes Work Download a class summary
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