The Songwriting School welcomed Guinness World Record Holder for Longest Continuous Freestyle Rap (24+ hours!) and author Romane Armand on Monday, November 13 for a night of rhyme. In his new rhyming dictionary, Book of Rhymes: A Laxative for Creative Constipation, Armand delivers the family-rhyming fruits of 14 years of creative labor, a paperback device for breaking through blocks. Armand explained that his love of rhymes is nearly as old as he is. As a child he struggled in school....
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THE GRAMMYS & THE SONGWRITING SCHOOL THE ROOTS songwriting student and Megadeath lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro (picture above, second from left) took home the Grammy for Metal Album of the Year! His brilliantly talented wife, Maria Ilmoniemi, is a ROOTS and Songmakers alum as well.ROOTS and Music Theory alum Dan Konopka's band OK GO lost the Best Video Grammy to Beyonce. Man, if we had a dime for every Grammy our students lost to Beyonce...The Professional Singer-Songwriter instructor and accomplished indie artist Nikhil...
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CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FALL CLASSES FROM OUR GUESTS     The Songwriting School of Los Angeles was honored to host two nights of discussions on the topic of Mastery. Watch the full video of each night below.  ALL ABOUT MASTERY, NIGHT 1 - 10/3/16: PAUL ZOLLO, PHIL CODY, MICHAEL SHERWOOD, JOY GRAYSEN Our guests on Night 1 included Phil Cody: 2-Time ASCAP Song of the Year Award Winner/#1 Writer, The Masters' Workshop Paul Zollo: Respected Author,...
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Want to be invited when Paul Zollo interviews an iconic songwriter like Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductees Jeff Barry or Chip Taylor, Grammy- & Oscar-Nominated Stephen Bishop, the great Neil Sedaka, or Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Member Mike Love? We do too! Sign up below to attend in person, tune in live online, or watch the archives. Note: Enter your e-mail address in the space provided and press ENTER or RETURN on  your device. Your address will be...
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How do you know when a song idea is worth pursuing? "It's gotta give me the chills," remarks Songwriters Hall of Fame 2016 Inductee Chip Taylor without a moment of hesitation. He recounts how he has learned to trust what moves him in this inspiring and fascinating conversation and performance with Paul Zollo as part of Songwriters on Songwriting, LIVE - Interviews by Paul Zollo. Chip Taylor is perhaps best known for writing the iconic "Wild Thing" as well as the...
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Watch our SUMMER KICK-OFF Event: ABOUT OUR FEATURED GUESTS: The Songwriting School of Los Angeles kicked off the Summer 2016 on Monday, July 11 with a thought-provoking night on the craft, performance, and business of singer-songwriters. Special guests (click the name to learn about the class each is teaching this Summer): Phil Cody, 2-Time ASCAP Song of the Year Award Winner/ #1 Writer (teaching Lyrics with Phil Cody, starting M 7/18 - offered for the LAST TIME!) Gaelen Whittemore, artist manager & publishing/licensing for...
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  (Above: LA's essential art museum LACMA turned its Rain Room exhibit into a memorial for Prince.) Remembering Prince By PAUL ZOLLO The world has changed. Profoundly. He was a miraculous musician of multitudes. As the world knows well, he was a miracle songwriter, a remarkably soulful singer and performer, and an astounding guitarist and virtuoso musician on almost every instrument under the sun. And under the purple rain. First time I saw him live was when he was one...
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The Songwriting School of Los Angeles was honored to host Grammy-Nominated #1 Hit Songwriter Shelly Peiken for a reading of her new book Confessions of a Serial Songwriter on Thursday 3/31/16. She performed seven of her songs, read excerpts from the book to give each song context, and answered questions from a room full of songwriters with candor, humor, and cutting insight born of extensive experience.  Watch the entire night below, in three parts. PART 1 PART 2 PART 3     "Confessions of a...
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The Songwriting School of Los Angeles is proud to offer two classes this week where you are welcome to observe class 1 of each as our guest, online or on-campus. Writing Commercial Hit Lyrics, with Platinum lyricist Mark Winkler, meets on Tuesday nights starting 2/9, 7:30pm Pacific (and on-demand online). Join us for Class 1 on Tuesday 2/9. The Modern Mindset Music Business Class meets for the LAST time on-campus this Winter 2016, starting Wednesday 2/10, 7:30pm Pacific. In Class...
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It takes confidence, clarity, and a sense of purpose to own your voice as a writer or as a singer. Platinum lyricist Mark Winkler and top LA vocal coach Michael Goodrich have some ideas on the topic, as each has worked to do just that, in their own professional creative lives and as teachers and guides to artists in a variety of genres. The two were generous enough to address our community in this Free event on Wednesday 2/3, 8pm, on-campus at...
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