At the heart of any meaningful writing is observing and listening. And then trusting that you have a worthy, unique take on what you absorb.

The great wonder of songwriting is that it can be an unpredictable mix of mystery, crafting, discipline, and inspiration from Soul. During our time together, we'll go under the hood on examples of favorite songs from each of our own music collections. And learn together why we are drawn to these songs. In doing so, we'll give our ears a fun tune-up and build a foundational sense of songcrafting that may change the way we listen to music forever.

This course’s goal is pretty simple: offer a safe on-ramp for the songwriting novice as well as a lift to experienced songwriters. We’ll start writing with partners or in groups. And see where that takes us. Maybe you naturally lean toward lyrics or perhaps the music. That’s ok. Start there. Will you complete an original song before going home? Maybe. Doesn’t matter. You’ll certainly get launched in that direction.

Meet your Instructor

Jeff Robertson

Jeff is an award-winning songwriter and a longtime performer in multiple musical groups. He has written or co-written dozens of folk songs and church solos. As a college student, he produced a unique 2.5-hour concert of original music involving 15 students and faculty. Later, Jeff attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where he was immersed in jazz appreciation and arranging. He designed and taught a Principia College summer session course on deconstructing the popular song, elements of which he’ll bring to Creative Arts. During his years as a music booking agent, he served as judge and official showcase coordinator for the Midwest Folk Alliance conference. Soon after, he became director of the premier house concert website ConcertsInYourHome.com. Lastly, Jeff is designing a new approach to classroom music education for all levels that breaks free from traditional learning conventions.