JUNE 6 - 10 We launch The Wood and Stone Retreat Workshop Retreat Series with a Songwriting and Performance workshop. We've extended the registration deadline to May 15th AND, if you get a friend to sign up we'll take $100 off your tuition. Here's a bit about the instructors:
FREEBO:
Freebo is probably best known as a folk-rock-blues icon for his amazing career as a fretless bass and tuba player (Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, CSN, Maria Muldaur, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Loudon Wainwright lll, Neil Young, Spinal Tap, and many more). "I will be sharing everything I know about songwriting, performing, finding the courage to be the artist you've always wanted to be, guitar playing, singing....you name it! If I know it and you want to learn it, I'll do my very best to help you get to your next level as a musical (and human) being." Freebo will explore the creative process, how we are born with pure creative potential, how we’re gradually put in a non-creative box by family, friends, and society, and how we can reclaim our inner child and achieve the creative goals of which we’ve so often dreamed. He will also give you specific tools and hints for your songwriting, song-arrangement, and performing, all within the context of honoring your special gifts and giving yourself permission and the courage to become the artist/musician you’ve always wanted to be.
TODD WRIGHT: Master of the pop hook, Todd understands the importance of stripping an idea down to what matters most and making it exciting. He's written hundreds of songs on his own as well as with writers all over the globe and has had songs cut by Celine Dion (Columbia), Audre Mae (Sideone Dummy Records), Lisa Lois (Sony), Pat McGee (Kirtland), Chelsea Lee (Atlantic), Junior Doctor (Universal) and more.
"My goal is to take you through my process in writing an effective pop song.
We'll listen to and dissect examples of songs I believe to be brilliant without being overdone. Every time I write a song my goal is to strip it down to it's core and keep it as simple as possible without losing it's intelligence or integrity.
The world of pop music is overwrought with "dumbed-down" compositions built to appeal to a Lowest Common Denominator mentality. While I unapologetically love a good "dumb" pop song, my belief (and goal) as a writer is that you can write smart pop and appeal to the masses, you just have to trick them into not knowing how clever the song is. Lyrically we'll explore quirky rhyme schemes, concepts and building the story. Musically we'll draw the line from the Bay City Rollers to Elvis Costello, from 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' to 'Call Me Maybe'. It can be done and we'll have fun trying to make it happen!"
WYATT EASTERLING: Wyatt will share his knowledge gained spending decades at the top of the food chain in Publishing & A&R, and having song cuts with major Country artists Dierks Bentley, Joe Diffie, Billy Joe Royal, Neal McCoy, Sons of the Desert, hilljack, and more.
"When I think of the term “craft†I’m reminded of the Arts and Crafts hour at summer camp or the local YMCA. At first I found the idea of acknowledging songwriting as a “craft†just shy of blasphemy. How could something as magical as a hit song be assembled like so many blocks stacked on top of each other?
When I moved to Nashville and began co-writing with my betters I began to see that indeed there is a method to the magic. Song by song I learned that there are many different styles of songs just like there are many different styles of houses, and just like a house, they all had the same basic structure:Foundation/Hook: A solid place to build on. Floor/Verse: A place to put the furniture. Walls/Chorus: Holds it up/pulls it all together. Fireplace/Bridge: (Not all houses need a fireplace). Roof/Melody: A house isn’t a house without a roof any more than a song can be a song without a melody. Whether you want to build a castle or a cabin you have to learn how to set the first stone. We will cover that ...and then some! So, whether you’re a writer wishing to build a castle to stand for all time or pitching a tent that packs up neatly, we will walk through the process of constructing a well built song."
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