Singer Songwriting

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

MUP-325-01, Singer- Songwriting, meets twice weekly for class instruction in songwriting. 

It is understood that the students in the class will enter with varying degrees of proficiency on an instrument or voice, and with varying levels of songwriting experience. The course is designed to challenge the student songwriters wherever they are on the path. Most instruction is in class, with outside writing assignments related to the class work. There is a necessary collaborative element to the course, in that students will present their draft songs to the group, give and receive feedback. As a result, attendance and participation is heavily weighted in grading. Every two unexcused absences result in the loss of one full letter grade. To be clear: a student may be able to write a good song, but if they don’t show up, they can still fail. (And note: grading in the course is not at all dependent upon the excellence of performance. It is about songs and songwriting.) 

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Practice songwriting as an individual as well as various co-writing situations.

• Listen to songs and learn from them.

• Improve and mature their lyrics, melodies, and chord structures.

• Understand the songwriting profession: writing for the job, for commission.

• Write beyond “inspiration.” Songwriting as a practice and discipline. Use of a lyric book.

• Have a Working understanding of various song forms.

• Have a Working understanding of various rhyme forms.

• Have a Working understanding of common chord progressions in Western music.

• Have a Working understanding of the “Nashville Number System.”

• Will understand Ethical considerations of copyright, use of artificial intelligence, etc.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Attendance/Participation -- individual and group	45%
Assignments/Lyric Book	35%
Final piece/performance	20%

Attendence is mandatory. Two unexcused absences will drop a full letter grade.

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
95%	A
90%	A-
87%	B+
83%	B
80%	B-
77%	C+
73%	C
70%	C-
67%	D+
63%	D
60%	D-
59% and below	F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendence is mandatory. Two unexcused absences will drop a full letter grade.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.