Songwriting with Justin Long

Write More Songs. Better.

Join Atlantic Records artist and Billboard-charting songwriter Justin Leighton Long for a 7-week journey that will break through your songwriting blocks and see you having more fun and writing more songs than you thought possible – even if you don’t play an instrument.

In this class, you will…

  • Find ways to generate lots of ideas quickly, even if you don’t know where to begin.
  • Accelerate your ability to write good lyrics without stressing out… even if you’ve slaved for hours over mediocre lyrics in the past.
  • Break through to finishing songs that are stuck… even if you’ve never been able to finish a song before.
  • Get the hang of letting go and just writing, even if you tried before and it was embarrassing.
  • Discover what makes great songs work, so you can make your songs better.
  • Make your songs more interesting with some easy music theory – even if you don’t know any yet.
  • Learn how to write a song even if you don’t know what a chord or a key is.
  • Explore fun ways to jumpstart your creativity, even if you feel like you constantly criticize yourself.
  • Realize how easy it is to write, even if you don’t play an instrument.
  • Uncover how to express what you’re really trying to say… even if you aren’t sure when you start writing.

Registration and Schedule

SCHEDULE

All Ages Class: 7 Mondays 6:30-8:30pm starting Sep 27, 2021
Teen Class (13-17):  7 Mondays 5-6pm starting Sep 27, 2021

LOCATION 
Online and in person at 3131 Walnut Street, Denver CO 80205 – Get Directions Here

FEES
Members:  $105 for 1-hour teen class, $210 for 2-hour all-ages class
Non-Members: $140 for 1-hour teen class, $280 for 2-hour all-ages class

REGISTRATION
Registration for this class is now closed.

Want to Schedule By Phone?

Call or email us if you have any questions or would like to schedule!

720-772-7505
[email protected]

Who This Class is For

  • Singer-songwriters
  • Singers who haven’t yet written songs, but would like to start
  • Lyricists who want to write with music collaborators
  • Instrumentalists

Instrument skills not required, although they can help.

This class is not for most rap and hip-hop artists, unless your goal is to improve lyrics and song structure.  This is not a production or beat-making class.

This class is also not for people with no musical experience.  You should be a singer, a lyricist, and/or an instrumentalist.

“This class was better than my college songwriting class!  I got one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written out of this class. I can’t wait to take this class again!”      – Sami Davis

Songwriting Myths

Myth:  You have to play an instrument to write a song.
Reality:  Nope!  Hit songwriter Jason Blume, for example, with 50 million album sales and hit singles on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and R&B charts, does not play an instrument.

Myth:  I’m too old to start writing songs now.
Reality:  Songwriting is a skill like any other that can be learned at any time in life.  In fact, the older you are, the more life experience you have to write about.

Myth:  You need to wait until you feel inspired or sad.
Reality:  Just like any other endeavor – creative or otherwise – good songs come from regular practice at the craft.

Myth:  Nothing interesting has happened to me, so I don’t have anything to write about.
You are a human being, therefore you have a history.  You have stories.  You have experienced universal human emotions.  You don’t have to have grown up differently from the norm or gone through tragedies in order to write songs people can relate to.  In fact, the most relatable songs talk about the things that most people have experienced.

Myth:  2-chord and 3-chord songs are boring.  I need to learn more music theory first, so can use more chords to make my songs interesting.
You don’t need lots of chords to make an interesting song.  Check out “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac – that’s a two-chord song.  Thousands of hits use 4 or fewer chords.

About Your Teacher

Justin LongJustin Leighton Long is a musician, engineer and record producer who has worked in various styles including blues, country, rock, rap and pop. Justin was a founding member, lead guitarist and songwriter for the band No Address. No Address released Time Doesn’t Notice on Atlantic Records, with their debut single “Sadie (When I’m Gone)” standing at #11 on the Billboard Radio charts for 22 weeks. No Address toured North America extensively and Justin’s compositions have been featured in feature films and television series, as well as continuing to maintain airplay around the world, (as a fun fact) recently reaching #1 on the college radio charts in Bosnia.

As a recording engineer and producer Justin has worked for bands signed to labels including Atlantic, Elektra, Immortal, Wind Up, Curb, Blind Bat, S-Curve, Victory, Blues Legacy and J Records.

https://performancehigh.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PH-square-avatar.jpg $100-$500