Renowned musicians from the classic rock era impart wisdom on the path to success and the challenges encountered during this process, in an engaging UCLA course.
David Leaf, an award-winning filmmaker and biographer, shares his insights on great songwriting in his course "Songwriters on Songwriting" at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. This unique course, one-of-a-kind in the UC system and possibly the planet, offers students a holistic view of songwriting, integrating biography, innovation, and emotional connection.
Leaf's approach emphasizes the importance of emotional depth, storytelling, and legacy in songwriting. Great songs, according to Leaf, often combine authentic emotional expression, narrative storytelling, musical innovation, and a sense of redemption or transformation. This balance between technical skill and heartfelt content, Leaf suggests, is what creates a lasting impact and reflects the enduring legacy of the artist’s work.
Guests in the course include 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 industry veterans, despite their different origin stories, have spent a "life in song" and share the qualities of devotion, dedication, discipline, and determination.
The course aims to inspire students and teach them that people of different backgrounds achieved their dreams by never giving up on them. Rejection is a part of the daily lives of the guests, who learn from their failures and become better and more successful artists. The course's guiding principle is that guests model success for students.
Getting songs heard is a challenge in today's digital age. While online platforms make it easy to share music, getting industry attention remains a hurdle. Leaf advises students to play their songs, find peers who want to perform them, and submit their work to music publishers, managers, and bookers. Additionally, using social media skills to market oneself is crucial for getting songs heard.
Listening to music, co-writing songs, and writing songs can also make a student a better songwriter. Examining the work and lives of people like Burt Bacharach, Mike Posner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Jon Platt can provide students with insights into the music industry and professional songwriting.
In conclusion, David Leaf's course at UCLA offers aspiring songwriters a unique opportunity to learn from industry veterans, understand the key elements of great songwriting, and be inspired to pursue their individual dreams.
- David Leaf's course at UCLA, focusing on education-and-self-development, intends to foster personal-growth among aspiring songwriters by teaching them the principles of great songwriting, including emotional depth, storytelling, and legacy.
- The course emphasizes the importance of learning from successful songwriters, such as members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and Grammy Award winners, who share their experience, devotion, and determination for achieving lasting success in the music industry.
