HYBRID PROGRAM: IN-PERSON AND STREAMING ONLINE

Broadway Songwriting Unlocked

Andrew Gerle, musical theatre creator, Broadway pianist, author, and educator

Join multiple award-winning musical theater composer/lyricist and educator Andrew Gerle for an in-depth look at the art of writing songs for musicals and musical films. The talk will begin with the fundamentals of songwriting, how songs function in musicals, the forms they can take, and the jobs they must fulfill. Then, he will lead the class in writing a new song from scratch using input from the audience. Subjects to explore will include character and what defines it, what songs are easier or harder for actors to play, the role of rhyme, linguistic and musical registers, and the magic of metaphor, plus an introduction to melodic structure.

No musical experience or training is necessary, just an open imagination! The class itself will be the final subject: the art of collaboration. How do artists from different backgrounds and styles come together to create one show successfully, and how and why do they often fail?

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)