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All the tips and tricks of songwriting: will be suitable for non-musicians too.

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]When my first band Bullfrog failed to set the world alight I decided to forget about being a rock star and become a songwriter. It took me a year to make the transition. I took a day job as the glass and china packer at Fenwick in Newcastle (a job I loved). Evenings and weekends I wrote songs, recorded demos and I studied the art of songwriting. During lunchtimes at Fenwick I read a thick book (pictured) about music, I didn’t read a book about songwriting: I studied music. Sure enough, in a year I became a professional songwriter and record producer and I left the glass and china behind.

The first songs I wrote were pretty rubbish. However, I worked at it and eventually I must have got it right cos I’ve sold hundreds of thousands of records around the world. I’ve since written songs for Celine Dion, Sheena Easton, Elkie Brooks, The Hollies, The Searchers, Tygers of Pan Tang, Baby Ford, Colin Blunstone, Elaine Page and Chris Farlowe, Bruce Ruffin, Middle Of The Roadand many more.

I studied the masters: Lennon/McCartney, Goffin/King, Bacharach/David. I’ve also worked with several renowned producers who have pushed me to re-write and re-write to perfection. I will explain how the songs above were written and explain the inner workings musically and lyrically. I’ll also throw in some of the lessons I learned from the masters. This will be part theory and partly anecdotal but it will be light and enjoyable. I will pitch this so it works for non-musicians as well as would be songwriters. I’ll be sure to toss in some humour too. I’ll even share some of those early (sometimes hilarious) songwriting attempts.

Initially, I’ll run these on Tyneside and Teesside but perhaps further afield eventually.  It will be £5 per person, please use the form below to express an interest.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][us_single_image image=”2698″ size=”tnail-1×1″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_gallery ids=”2709,2710,2711,2712,2713,2714″ columns=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_cform receiver_email=”stmedia@gmail.com” message_field=”shown”][/vc_column][/vc_row]