Songwriting as a Craft (Eric van Dijsseldonk)
Module code
M-JP-SWC
Curricular domain
Profile, extension and depth: Practical Theory Classes
Credits
3
Group size
4
Number of course weeks
16
Class duration
One 60-minute lesson every two weeks
Total contact hours
16 hours. If there are fewer applications for this subject than indicated in the description, it will typically proceed with proportionally less contact time (and accordingly more individual attention per student), but never with fewer than 3 students.
Study load
68 hours
Form / content / level
Prerequisites
Admitted to second year of Jazz & Pop or Composition for Film and Theatre. This subject can only be followed on-campus.
Competencies
Aims
Developing songwriting skills.
Relation to other modules
Related to arranging, composing modules.
Content
Songwriting can be a very personal form of musical expression, but it’s also a craft based on a long tradition. This class comprises all elements of that craft: lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythm, song structure etc. and especially the way they all work together. To be clear, this elective is about writing songs, not performing them.
If you already have some experience in putting words to music, and want to develop your songwriting skills, this course is made for you.
We will analyse classic popsongs, to find out how they work. Students will get several writing assignments and they will receive useful feedback on their songs from me, as well as from their fellow students in the group.
All this with the basic principle that a good song will stand straight in a simple arrangement (vocal with piano or guitar, for instance).
Mode(s) of instruction
Group classes.
Material & Tools
Your own material.
Student activity
Preparing a presentation.
Examination and assessment
Mode(s) of assessment
Assessment by the instructor at the end of each semester.
Criteria
Students should have mastered the elements described under Contents.
Pass requirements
The student has completed this module if being awarded a minimum grade of 5.5 at the end of the second semester.
Examination procedure
Students are assessed at the end of both semesters. Assessment at the end of the autumn semester is formative and expressed in terms of satisfactory/unsatisfactory. It indicates a student's progress in this module. No ECs are awarded and there is no resit. Modules can only be absolved, and ECs awarded, after the end of the spring semester. The end-of-semester assessments comprise evaluations of students' performance during the lessons.
Resit options
Module summary
This course will explore the developing and writing of originals.