Online School of Music: Transformative Songcraft

Transformative can be defined as “causing a marked change”, and the goal of this class is to plant seeds of change by helping participants develop meaningful work. To

promote this goal we’ll look at how the best songs help both creators and listeners process life’s challenges and celebrate life’s pleasures.

Together we’ll study the work of others and develop our own abilities to write more meaningful words and music, creating inspiring narratives and characters who evolve in unexpected ways.

The point of view here is that songs can enrich our lives in deep and surprising ways, as the practice of conscious, skillful and thoughtful writing helps us live happier, more useful and more complete lives.

Together we will study topics including knowing why we’re writing, developing song structure, editing and critical thinking skills, writing about social justice issues, and building our personal writing practice. Along the way we’ll study songs by writers as varied as John Prine, Lucinda Williams, Sam Cooke, Woody Guthrie, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding, and in multiple genres including folk, Americana, blues, bluegrass, jazz, rock and soul.

About the instructor

C.B. Smith is a singer-songwriter and educator based in the Hudson Valley. He

has released two albums of original songs, with a third due in 2025. From

2010-2022 he led the Americana band C.B. Smith & the Lucky Devils.

“C.B. Smith’s songs ring true. There’s no higher compliment as far as I am concerned.” – Mary Gauthier, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and author of Saved by a Song.