Popular musicians from the rock era discuss the lessons they've learned on the path to success and their encountered setbacks in a well-known UCLA course
UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Offers Unique Songwriting Course
David Leaf, an adjunct professor at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, is offering a one-of-a-kind songwriting course titled "Songwriters on Songwriting." This course, available online, is designed to inspire aspiring songwriters and provide them with key lessons for success.
Leaf's course emphasizes the importance of narrative and emotional resonance in songwriting, techniques for melody and lyric creation grounded in music theory, navigating the music industry realistically, and drawing inspiration from historical and cultural musical knowledge.
The course encourages students to submit their songs to music publishers, artist managers, and anyone else who books music to increase their chances of being heard. It is essential for students to understand that getting songs in front of the public today is easy with the internet, but getting industry attention remains a challenge. The way songwriters get their songs heard today is through playing them and finding peers who want to sing or perform them.
Leaf's class is unique in that it features guests such as seven members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Grammy Award winners, and other legendary and contemporary songwriters. These guests model success for the students, with the goal being for students to learn that they can achieve their dreams by never giving up on them.
One of the guiding principles of the course is the importance of understanding music history to write great music. Leaf, an award-winning filmmaker-biographer with a 30-plus-year career, brings this perspective to the course, having worked on documentaries like "The Night James Brown Saved Boston" (2008), "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" (2006), and "Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In" (2001).
Leaf's students describe his class as inspiring, motivational, and a unique contribution to American cultural history. The course does not primarily aim to make students better songwriters, but to inspire them to devote themselves to their individual dreams, whatever they might be. Finding and pursuing one's passion is what turns dreams into life.
The music school also offers a separate class in popular songwriting in the music industry minor taught by Alan Elliott, which focuses on improving songwriting skills. Rejection is a common experience for the guests, who have learned to accept it as part of their daily lives, learn from their failures, and grow from them to become better and more successful artists.
In conclusion, the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music offers a unique songwriting course that provides students with a comprehensive approach to songwriting development, integrating songwriting techniques with practical industry insights. The course is designed to inspire students to pursue their passions and dreams, and its guests model success for the students, reinforcing the idea that with dedication, discipline, and determination, anyone can achieve their dreams in the music industry.
- Students enrolled in David Leaf's course at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music can expect to learn about the combination of education-and-self-development and entertainment, as the course not only focuses on improving songwriting skills but also offers guests from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Grammy Award winners, and other notable songwriters, creating an environment for inspiration and learning.
- Leaf's course encourages students to explore various aspects of their lifestyle, including music, as they are encouraged to submit their songs to music publishers and performers, learning the importance of playing their songs and finding peers who can help their music get heard in the industry.
