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Song Sessions

Song Sessions are "rewriting" classes featuring one or two instructors, a student and their "finished" song. These sessions illustrate how applying the principles taught at Songwork can dramatically improve the impact of a song.

The student starts off the class by playing the current version of one of their songs. Then, the instructor(s) examines everything from melody issues to point of view to phrasing and story develoment. These opinions are given to suggest to the writer what they could do, not what they should do. The process is extremely useful for both participant and observers alike. All issues covered in these classes can be applied with striking results by almost any songwriter at any stage in their songwriting career.

About Journey of a Song Videos (scroll down to view)
In this series of videos, Steve Seskin conducts a "song session" on his own songs, taking a look at what each song illustrates and talking about changes he made and why. In the coming months, we will feature many more writers sharing their process, analyzing specific songs.

Song Sessions
Eclipse
0:37:14
In this song session we explore matching the length of your musical phrases with your lyric ideas.
Nobody Here to Blame
0:21:33
A real glimpse into just how much reworking and restructuring can be required to take a song from good to great
Take Me Back
0:30:25
Dramatic outcome from a few small phrasing changes.
Not Pretending
0:30:37
See how the principles used to rewrite "Not Pretending" might possibly be applied to your song in a revisionary mode.
I'll Keep Tryin'
0:33:10
Point of view matters.The listener must always know who you are and who you're singing to.
Invisible
0:41:59
Want to see how a song goes from "already good enough" to "you didn't think it could get that much better"? Watch how Michael Jade's "Iowa Girl" does just that.
Stepping Stone
0:42:12
Featuring Johnny Duke’s song “Stepping Stone,” Pat deals with issues of verse development, prosody, stable vs unstable verse phrasing, and using phrasing to make your chorus feel special.
What Livin's For
0:20:17
The concepts of ideas development, song form, motion creates emotion and phrasing.
Better Way
1:01:17
Consistency of point of view, setting, relationship between music phrasing, prosody, and more.
Amelia
0:49:42
Point of view, the importance of proper setting and phrasing.
Iowa Girl
0:39:27
Want to see how a song goes from "already good enough" to "you didn't think it could get that much better"? Watch how Bob Bradshaw's "Iowa Girl" does just that.
No More Runnin'
0:20:34
Sometimes the muse gives us really great stuff but in the wrong order.
Gone, Gone, Gone
1:09:10
A great look at melody and harmony principles!
Journey of a Song
Cactus in a Coffee Can
0:11:34
Moving time along quickly in a verse. Long distance lyric connection.
Everyone's Got a Mountain
0:12:21
Phrasing: Putting a sparse phrase in between two busy phrases. Hooks vs. payoffs and the power of one.
We Came Close
0:10:02
Prosody and chord substitution.
Before I Do
0:10:24
Leaving the hook out before the bridge. Reprising part of the 1st verse at the end of the song.