What do you need to start producing your songs at home?

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We encourage all young songwriters to develop a knowledge of production as it opens up a new creative dimension to songwriting across different genres and helps to enhance the impact of a song.

It’s important to note that you do not need incredible production skills and a top mix in order to submit a successful song to The Young Songwriter competition, many of the best songs ever written would still be just as good whether they were produced fully or just played on one instrument!  Here are some useful ideas to start recording and producing your songs at home.

What do you need to start producing your songs at home?

Here are some examples of home studio setups, with 1 being the most simple and 5 being the most complex.

  1. The most simple – recording yourself performing your song using either the voice memo app on your phone or a tape recorder to capture the raw performance as it sounds in the room.
  2. Using a USB microphone with your computer to capture your performance, possibly adding a few simple effects after the fact to enhance the recording.
  3. Using music production software/a DAW to record the individual parts of your song separately. For example, a USB microphone and an adaptor/cable to connect a guitar/keyboard/MIDI keyboard directly into your computer, resulting in multiple recorded tracks that will be mixed together.
  4. Music production software/DAW using an audio interface, allowing for multiple instruments/voices to be recorded at once either by plugging microphones into the XLR inputs or jack leads into Hi-Z inputs. This can be combined with multiple virtual instruments controlled via MIDI in the DAW.
  5. A full studio setup, including 16 or more input channels, giving you the ability to record several instruments with multiple microphones, including live drums, live piano, guitar amps and strings, at the same time. This setup may also include a MIDI interface in order to control several synths and/or drum machines at the same time. This would also usually be accompanied by a monitoring setup that allows for multiple headphone mixes for different musicians.

Some of the most well known brands for home studio setup audio interfaces include Focusrite, Universal Audio, M-Audio and Presonus. The pros and cons will depend entirely on your needs, but it’s a good idea to research every bit of kit as thoroughly as possible as they all have their own unique selling points. As for microphones, the most well known brands are Shure, Rode, AKG, Audio Technica and Sennheiser. As with the audio interfaces, it’s a good idea to research microphones, and it may be more important as different microphones work better for different sources. A microphone that is good for vocals, may not be great for mic’ing a guitar amp, for example.

Why use a USB microphone?  The first step up from using your phone to record voice memos would be a USB microphone. These range in price and quality, but typically will sound better than a phone microphone or standard computer microphone. You can use it to record the different parts of your song in separately, then mix them together in a DAW, which brings us to the next question…

Why use a DAW?  A Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW, is a piece of software that allows for the recording, layering and processing of audio files. It is the heart of most modern setups, and DAWs are a cheaper, efficient alternative to expensive large format mixing consoles. Some bigger studios may still use traditional style consoles, but many will still record into a DAW via an audio interface instead of recording to tape.

Why use an audio interface?  Audio interfaces have many benefits over USB microphones or plugging a microphone directly into your computer. First of all, they are dedicated units that are built to record audio at a high quality without introducing unwanted noise or artefacts that you might get when using USB microphones. Most interfaces also have independent gain controls so you can set the gain of your microphone and get a comfortable level using a physical control on the interface itself. Audio interfaces can also have multiple inputs, something which isn’t usually possible (or is very difficult) without using one, so they increase the possibilities of your studio with each extra input. Lastly, most interfaces use XLR and jack inputs, that allow you to easily plug in a variety of instruments or microphones, including guitars, keyboards, drum machines. If the interface has a phantom power feature, it means you don’t have to have an extra phantom power supply for your microphone.”

We’re looking forward to helping you start your journey as a young producer and develop your production skills.  Click here for song production & recording workshops dates and the various 121 sessions we offer.

Songs in different genres to inspire you!

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We’ve created a playlist full of inspiring songs across different genres for broadening young people’s knowledge of popular music.  Have a listen and more information on each song is shown below.

Click here for the Spotify playlist

Click here for the YouTube playlist

POP

I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston (1974)

“I Will Always Love You” was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton, who achieved commercial success with it, reaching the top spot of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart not once, but twice. She also wrote arguably her best known song, “Jolene”, on the same day. It is a traditional love song and the lyrics reflect that!

Whitney Houston’s version was recorded for the film “The Bodyguard” in 1992. It is considered to be a pop song with elements of soul and R&B music. The tempo is 134bpm and it is in the key of A major.

Love Story – Taylor Swift (2008)

“Love Story” was written and recorded by Taylor Swift, and she co-produced it with Nathan Chapman. It was the lead single from her second album. The song was inspired by the storyline of Romeo & Juliet but also a situation that Swift was in herself with a love interest and her family. She took inspiration from the plot of Romeo & Juliet but changed it to a happy ending, instead of the tragedy ending of the original.

It is one of the best-selling pop singles in the United States. The tempo is 120bpm and it is in the key of D major.

Thriller – Michael Jackson (1984)

“Thriller” is one of the best-selling singles of all time, and was written by English songwriter Rod Temperton. It has a very theatrical theme, as Jackson was a huge fan of film. It was originally titled “Starlight” but after some discussion with the production team (including Quincy Jones) the title eventually ended up being “Thriller”.

The closest genre is disco/funk. The tempo is 120bpm and it is in the key of C# minor.

Crazy in Love – Beyonce ft Jay-Z (2003)

“Crazy in Love” was written by Rich Harrison, Beyoncé Knowles, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) and Eugene Record (included as a writer of the original song the song samples, “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)” by The Chi-Lites.

It is a pop song with elements of hip hop, funk and R&B. The tempo is a moderate 110bpm and it is in the key of F major and D minor (the relative minor of F major).

We Found Love – Calvin Harris ft Rihanna (2011)

“We Found Love” is a song recorded by Calvin Harris and Rihanna, but was written and produced solely by Calvin Harris. The song mainly revolves around the main hook “we found love in a hopeless place”, and Rihanna’s vocal is fairly relaxed, contrasting with the high energy beat.

It is considered to be in the electro house/pop genre. The tempo is 128bpm and it is in the key of F# major.

Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (2018)

“Shallow” was written as the lead single from the soundtrack to “A Star is Born”, which stars both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. It was written by Lady Gaga, Andrew Wyatt (Miike Snow), Anthony Rossomando (Dirty Pretty Things) and Mark Ronson. It is a love song written about the relationship between the two leads in the film.

It is considered to be a pop/rock power ballad. The tempo is a moderate 96bpm and it is in the key of G major.

Leave Right Now – Will Young (2003)

“Leave Right Now” was written by Eg White (who has been on the judging panel for several Song Academy Young Songwriter competitions!) and performed by Will Young. It is reportedly written about unrequited love and was one of Will Young’s most successful songs.

It is considered a pop song. The tempo is 84bpm and it is in the key of F# major.

Bad guy – Billie Eilish (2019)

“Bad guy” was written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell. The theme of the song is Eilish talking to her partner and taunting him for being a ‘bad guy’. The lyrics are tongue in cheek and the vocal is almost spoken.

It is considered to be an electro pop song. The tempo of the first half is moderately fast at 132-138bpm and the second half slows down to 60bpm.

Losing You – Solange (2012)

“Losing You” is a song recorded by Solange Knowles (Beyoncé’s sister!) and written by Solange and Dev Hynes. The song is described by Knowles herself as “eclectic with ‘80s references and African percussion influences”. It received almost universally positive reviews from music critics and is Solange’s most popular tune to date.

It is considered to be a dance pop song. It is at a tempo of 114bpm and is in the key of C major.

Shape of You – Ed Sheeran (2017)

“Shape of You” is a song written by Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid, but the original songwriters of “No Scrubs” by TLC are also credited due to certain similarities in the songs. It was the best selling song of both 2017 and the decade in the UK, and peaked at number one in 34 countries.

The song is considered to be pop with influences from dancehall and tropical house. It is at a moderate tempo of 96bpm and is in the key of C# minor.

Someone Like You – Adele (2011)

“Someone Like You” was written by Adele and Dan Wilson for Adele’s second studio album “21”. It is a song about heartbreak and the end of a relationship, and Adele’s coming to terms with it. The song contains only a piano and a vocal, and was critically acclaimed, especially after a performance at the Brit Awards that pushed the song to the number one spot in the UK.

It is considered a soul/pop ballad. It has a slow tempo of 68bpm and is in the key of A major.

Get Lucky – Daft Punk ft Pharrell Williams (2013)

“Get Lucky” is a song written by Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams. It won “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards and is one of the best selling singles of all time.

It is considered a disco/pop song, and it has a tempo of 116bpm, composed in the key of F# minor.

Round Round – Sugababes (2002)

“Round Round” is a song written by Sugababes (Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range), as well as one of our very own Young Songwriter competition judges Miranda Cooper, alongside Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa Cowling. It also includes a sample from “Tango Forte” by Dublex Inc. who are also credited as writers.

It is regarded as one of the songs that changed the direction of British pop music, with “Sound of the Underground” by Girls Aloud (another Miranda Cooper co-write) sharing that accolade. It originally started with a drum track that Brian Higgins had that Miranda Cooper sung a chorus from one of her unreleased songs over.

It is considered to be a dance/pop song at a tempo of 127bpm, and written in the key of F# minor.

Hands Up – Merk & Kremont ft DNCE (2018)

“Hands Up” is a song written by Young Songwriter competition judge Emily Phillips alongside Merk & Kremont, Simon Says!, Eugenio Maimone, Joe Jonas, BullySongs, Josh Record & Ant Whiting.

It features DNCE, with their singer Joe Jonas singing the song. It is an energetic and upbeat pop song with disco and rock elements and has been certified platinum.

It is considered a pop/rock song and has a tempo of 108bpm, written in the key of E minor.

Heal – Tom Odell (2013)

“Heal” was written by Tom Odell, one of the judges of the Young Songwriter competition. It is about wanting to heal from past experiences and needing someone (or something) else to take it away for you. It’s a heartfelt piano ballad.

It is considered to be a pop song at 110bpm, written in the key of Bb minor.

Happiness – McFly (2020)

“Happiness” is a song written by McFly (Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter, Harry Judd and Tom Fletcher) with Jason Perry, Jordan Cardy (aka Rat Boy) and Oberdan Oliveira.

It is an upbeat, happy sounding and soulful pop tune with a big chorus. The intro and chorus are built upon a bright sounding brass sample that reoccurs throughout the song, reinforcing the major, happy sound to the song.

It is considered a pop song. It has a tempo of 106bpm and is in the key of F major.

ROCK

Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye ft Kimbra (2011)

“Somebody That I Used to Know” was written by Wally de Backer (Gotye) and also credits Luiz Bonfá for the use of a sample from his 1967 song “Seville”. It also interpolates the first few notes from the nursery rhyme “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. Lyrically it is about becoming distant with a romantic partner that you used to be close with.

It is Gotye’s most successful song and has been certified multiplatinum in ten countries, having sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.

It is considered to be an art pop song. It has a tempo of 129bpm and is in the key of C major.

Tempted – Squeeze (1981)

“Tempted” is a song by the band Squeeze, written by Song Academy judge Chris Difford alongside Glenn Tilbrook. It has been synced in films, adverts, TV series and video games, including adverts for Heineken and Burger King as well as in the video game Rock Band.

Chris Difford wrote the lyrics to the song in a taxi on his way to the airport when he started to write down what he saw. It has been covered by many great artists and still receives airplay today.

It is considered a pop rock song, played at a tempo of 95bpm and in the key of F# minor.

Mr Brightside – The Killers (2003)

“Mr Brightside” is a song written by Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. It was released in 2003 and was fairly successful, but its 2004 rerelease was when it really became popular.

Lyrically the song is about a paranoid man suspecting his partner of being unfaithful, and only has one verse that is repeated. In July 2019, the song had spent a combined total of 209 weeks in the top 100 chart, and it is a staple of many DJ and cover band sets across the world.

It is considered to be an alternative rock song. It has a tempo of 148bpm and is in the key of Db major.

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (1975)

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a song written by Freddie Mercury, it is considered by many to be the greatest rock song of all time and has been downloaded or streamed over 1.6 billion times.

It is unusual for a hit single as it doesn’t feature a chorus, and moves between contrasting sections that dip into several genres including progressive rock, opera inspired sections, hard rock and progressive pop.

It is considered to be a rock song. The tempo and key changes and modulates throughout.

Paranoid Android – Radiohead (1997)

“Paranoid Android” is a song written by the band Radiohead. The lyrics were written by the band’s singer Thom Yorke after a night he had spent in a Los Angeles bar.

It is comprised of four distinct sections that were edited together using tape, and the original version was over fourteen minutes long. It was eventually edited down to around six and a half minutes long after cutting out an organ solo.

It is often mentioned in lists of the best rock songs ever. It is considered to be an alternative rock song, both the tempo and the key changes throughout.

Counting Stars – One Republic (2013)

“Counting Stars” was written by Ryan Tedder whilst waiting for a studio session with Beyoncé. He said it was inspired by a song that had an “indigenous folk sound” that “struck him like lightning”. Lyrically the song is about the stresses of life and how to deal with them whilst laying awake at night.

It is considered to be a folk/pop song with the tempo starting at 104bpm before riding to 122bpm. It is written in the key of C# minor.

Friday I’m In Love – The Cure (1992)

“Friday I’m In Love” was written by Perry Bamonte, Boris Williams, Simon Gallup, Robert Smith and Porl Thompson.

It is upbeat and happy sounding despite starting as a slower song. After writing it, Robert Smith convinced himself that he had inadvertently stolen the chord progression and melody, so he called around and played the song to as many people he could, none of whom confirmed his suspicions, reassuring him that it was his own melody.

It is considered an indie/alternative rock song and has a tempo of 136bpm. It was recorded in D major, but the studio version sounds slightly higher after Robert Smith forgot to turn off the vari-speed on the tape.

The Chain – Fleetwood Mac (1977)

“The Chain” was written by Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, and is the only song on the Rumours album that credits every band member as a writer.

The song is made up of “previously rejected materials” and was spliced together from various other songs using tape during the recording process, which one of the reasons all of the members are credited as writers. Despite the method in which it was created, it still has a basic rock structure with distinct sections.

It is considered to be a folk/country/hard rock song. It has a tempo of 150bpm and is played in the key of E minor.

When Doves Cry – Prince (1984)

“When Doves Cry” was one of two songs written by Prince after being asked by the director of the “Purple Rain” film, Albert Magnoli, to write a song that would fit with a particular scene that dealt with parental difficulties and a love affair.

It was Prince’s first Billboard Hot 100 number one hit. The arrangement of the song is unique in that it does not feature a bass line.

It is considered to be an experimental pop/rock song. It has a tempo of 120bpm and is in the key of A minor.

Stuck in the Middle with You – Stealers Wheel (1973)

“Stuck in the Middle with You” was written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, performed by their band Stealers Wheel.

It is written about a music industry cocktail party and is a parody of Bob Dylan’s musical style, it is often wrongly attributed to Dylan. The song was used in the 1992 Quentin Tarantino film “Reservoir Dogs”, which introduced the song to a whole new audience.

It is considered to be a country/folk rock song. It has a tempo of 124bpm and is in the key of G major.

Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd (1979)

“Comfortably Numb” is a song written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters for their band, Pink Floyd. It is one of their best known songs, in particular for its two guitar solos.

The lyrics are part of the concept of the album, The Wall, and are about an embittered and alienated rockstar who is being medicated in order to perform at a show, inspired by Waters’ experience during a Pink Floyd show in 1977.

It is considered to be a progressive rock song. It has a tempo of 127bpm. The verses are in the key of B minor, whilst the chorus has been described as using a modal interchange of that key’s relative major, D major, and Mixolydian of D.

Wonderwall – Oasis (1995)

“Wonderwall” is a song written by Noel Gallagher for his band Oasis. It is arguably the band’s most popular song and according to Noel “it’s a song about an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself”.

It was recorded at the iconic Rockfield Studios in Wales, Liam Gallagher sings the lead vocal.

It is considered an alternative/pop rock song. It has a tempo of 87bpm and is in the key of F# minor.

If We Were Vampires – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

“If We Were Vampires” is a song written by Jason Isbell.

He wrote it after his wife convinced him to stop watching TV and write a song, as he was due to go into the studio soon. He said he knew the song would be very moving for people when he realised how moving it was for himself the first few times he tried to play it to people.

It is considered an alternative country/Americana song. It has a tempo of 97bpm and is in the key of F Major.

When the Sun Goes Down – Arctic Monkeys (2006)

“When the Sun Goes Down” is a song written by Alex Turner for his band Arctic Monkeys. It starts off with a simple guitar and vocal arrangement and suddenly develops into a harder rock full band sound, before reverting back to the guitar and vocal arrangement of the intro for the song’s outro.

The lyrics address difficulties of the people living in a deprived area of Sheffield, and reference the song “Roxanne” by The Police.

It is considered to be an indie rock song. It has a tempo of 168bpm and is in the key of B minor.

Johnny Got a Boom Boom – Imelda May (2009)

“Johnny Got a Boom Boom” is a song written by Young Songwriter competition judge Imelda May. It was the lead single from her second studio album “Love Tattoo”.

It launched Imelda May into mainstream success after a “Later… with Jools Holland” performance. Imelda May explained in an interview that the song was born out of boredom, and that she was in another band but wanted to write her own material.

The song is considered to be a rockabilly song. It has a tempo of 110bpm and is in the key of A minor.

Loner – Yungblud (2019)

“Loner” is a song written by Dominic Harrison (aka Yungblud) Karl Michael, Matt Schwartz and Robbie McDade. It has a very anthemic, alternative feel, and showcases Yungblud’s grungey yet pop sensibilities, with huge hooks and a confident, snarling vocal performance.

It has a traditional band sound with modern production, it utilises distortion and big drum sounds to bring energy and fullness to the song.

It is considered to be an alternative/indie song. It has a tempo of 99bpm and is in the key of Db major

HIP HOP/RAP

Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio ft L.V. (1995)

“Gangsta’s Paradise” is a song written by Artis Ivey, Jr., Larry Sanders and Doug Rasheed, but Stevie Wonder is also credited for the use of a sample from his song “Pastime Paradise” from “Songs in the Key of Life”.

The song has various religious overtones including Bible passages and choral vocals. The first few lines of the lyrics were freestyled by Coolio, and he said the rest came very quickly in one sitting. He also claims that divine intervention played a part and he was a vessel for the song.

It is considered to be a hip hop/gangsta rap song. It has a tempo of 80bpm and is in the key of Ab major.

Own It – Stormzy ft Ed Sheeran & Burna Boy (2019)

“Own It” is a song written by Michael Omari (aka Stormzy), Ed Sheeran, Fred Gibson and Damini Ogulu. It is the second collaboration between Stormzy and Ed Sheeran after their song “Take Me Back to London”.

The lyrical themes revolve around “empowering and uplifting a female love interest” using wordplay and the production has a dancehall feel.

It is considered to be a hip hop/rap song. It has a tempo of 104bpm and is in the key of G major.

Man Don’t Care – JME ft Giggs (2015)

“Man Don’t Care” is a song written by JME and Giggs, it utilises impressive wordplay and rhythm to deliver the vocal over a simple beat that loops throughout.

The lyrical theme revolves around being successful and being the best at what you do, effectively taunting any opposition.

It is considered to be a grime song. It has a tempo of 140bpm and is in the key of E major.

One Dance – Drake ft Wizkid & Kyla (2016)

“One Dance” is a song written by Aubrey Graham (aka Drake), Paul Jefferies, Ayodeji Balogun, Noah Shebib, Errol Reid, Luke Reid, Kyla Smith, Corey Johnson and Logan Sama. This includes writers on the original song “Do You Mind (Crazy Cousinz Remix)” that was sampled by producer Nineteen85 for the bridge of “One Dance”.

It is Drake’s first dancehall single as a lead artist, following his feature on the single “Work” with Rihanna. The lyrical theme is about love and relationships in the context of being in a club or dancing with a love interest, with the vocalists each singing from a different perspective.

It is considered to be a dancehall song. It has a tempo of 104bpm and is in the key of Bb minor.

Down with the Trumpets – Rizzle Kicks (2011)

“Down with the Trumpets” is a song written by Jordan Stephens, Harley Alexander-Sule (a Song Academy judge!), Dag Nabbit, Darren Lewis, Iyiola Babalola and Will Davies.

The song utilises a bed of samples and beats supporting a strong rapped lyric for the verses and a simple repeated hook for the chorus.

It is considered to be a hip hop/rap song. It has a tempo of 115bpm and is in the key of E minor.

Milkshake – Kelis (2003)

“Milkshake” is a song written by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, otherwise known as The Neptunes. It is Kelis’ highest charting single to date and the lyrics utilise euphemism and playground style wordplay along with a simple, catchy melody to bring the whole song together.

It is considered to be an R&B/dance song. It has a tempo of 113bpm and is in the key of C# minor.

Take What You Want – Post Malone ft Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott (2019)

“Take What You Want” is a song written by Austin Post (aka Post Malone), John Osbourne (aka Ozzy Osbourne), Jacques Webster (aka Travis Scott), Louis Bell, Andrew Watt and Billy Walsh.

It is a fusion of modern trap style music and guitar based rock, reminiscent of the sounds of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne’s band. The lyrics explore a relationship where one person has let the other person down, and describes the resulting feeling of defeat and sadness.

It is considered to be a trap/rock/hip hop/rap song. It has a tempo of 140bpm and is in the key of C# minor.

It’s Like That – Mariah Carey ft Jermaine Dupri & Fatman Scoop (2005)

“It’s Like That” is a song written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal and Johntá Austin, with additional credits going to Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels and Jason Mizell for the use of a Run-DMC sample.

Lyrically, the song is about wanting to relax and have a good time, without giving into stress or hard times. It combines ad libs and rap sections with Carey’s sung vocals.

It is considered to be a hip hop song. It has a tempo of 86bpm and is in the key of Ab minor.

Jump Around – House of Pain (1992)

“Jump Around” is a song written by Lawrence Muggerud and Erik Schrody. The beat was originally produced for Cypress Hill, but rapper B-Real didn’t want to record it at that time, Ice Cube was also offered the beat but turned it down, before it was finally taken by House of Pain.

One of the most recognisable parts of the song is the “squealing” noise that occurs in almost every bar. The exact origin of the sample has not been confirmed but there are rumours as to where it came from.

The song is considered to be hip hop. It has a tempo of 107bpm and is in the key of E minor.

Old Town Road – Remix – Lil Nas X ft Billy Ray Cyrus (2019)

“Old Town Road” is a song written by Montero Hill (aka Lil Nas X) and Klowa Roukema (aka YoungKlo). It features a prominent sample of a banjo from the Nine Inch Nails song “34 Ghosts IV”, resulting in a writing credit for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Billy Ray Cyrus collaborated with Lil Nas X on the remix after Lil Nas X tweeted saying he wanted Cyrus on the song.

It is considered to be a country rap song. It has a tempo of 68bpm and is in the key of G# minor.

Yeah – Usher ft Lil John & Ludracris (2004)

“Yeah” is a song written by Christopher Bridges (aka Ludacris), James Phillips (aka LRoc), Jonathan Smith (aka Lil Jon), LaMarquis Jefferson, Patrick Smith and Sean Garrett.

It is considered the first song to mix mainstream R&B with southern crunk music, with lyrics revolving around clubbing and nightlife, the simple hook underlines an undeniable chorus.

It is considered to be an R&B/crunk song. It has a tempo of 105bpm and is in the key of G minor.

Stop Killing the Mandem – Novelist (2018)

“Stop Killing the Mandem” is a song written by Kojo Kankam (aka Novelist). It is very politically motivated and describes the struggles faced by black people through an epidemic of violence on London’s streets. The title came from a sign that Novelist had painted for a Black Lives Matter march.

It is considered to be a grime song. It has a tempo of 140bpm and is in the key of Db major.

Intergalactic – The Beastie Boys (1998)

“Intergalactic” is a song written by The Beastie Boys (Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz and Adam Yauch) alongside producer Mario Caldato, Jr.

The song received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1999, and reached number 5 in the UK charts. It is a good example of The Beastie Boys’ trademark style of hooks mixed with rapped verses where each member takes turns to do their own verse.

It is considered to be a hip hop/rap song. It has a tempo of 104bpm and is in the key of E minor.

Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill (1998)

“Doo Wop (That Thing)” is a song written by Lauryn Hill. It was her debut single, and has received widespread critical acclaim. Lyrically, the song is said to serve as a warning to African-American men and women who are caught in “the struggle”. The lyrics also promote egalitarianism between the sexes.

The musical style is heavily influenced by the soul and doo-wop genres.

The song is considered to be a hip hop/doo-wop/R&B song. It has a tempo of 100bpm and is in the key of A major.

If you know any musical & creative young people who’d like to develop their songwriting talent and connect to kindred spirits, ask them to check out our songwriting clubs and holiday workshops!

Message to Teachers

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Why is songwriting so beneficial to your pupils?

We believe that songwriting and music can transform the lives of young people by helping them find their voice. Young people are growing up in a competitive, fast changing & potentially isolating environment, which can cause various pressures and lead to issues with their mental health. Through songwriting young people can communicate their thoughts and feelings and connect to others. This creative and therapeutic process helps young people discover & develop their identity, overcome challenges, feel empowered by speaking up and advance their creative and social skills.

In this age of technology and social media, generation Z may feel their voice isn’t getting heard. They want to speak up about issues that affect them and the songs they write have the potential to spark debate and shape their future at school and beyond.

Here are some of the transferable skills that songwriting develops in young people

 Number 1 is the skill of being creative, which means perceiving the world in new ways, finding hidden patterns, making connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and generating solutions or providing a commentary. Playing with words and music is the perfect vehicle for doing these things, songwriting is like going to the mind-gym and the more you practice the more creative you are!

Number 2 is the skill of communicating powerfully. Our young songwriters practice communicating their thoughts and feelings in an engaging way. The increased confidence and self-belief empowers young people to speak up and share their voice with their friends, their community and the world. It helps them develop their identity and find their place in the world.

Number 3 is the skill of listening, taking on new ideas and thinking from different perspectives. It encourages critical listening and thinking, which is useful in many other areas.

Number 4 is the skill of giving feedback to your peers and taking on board feedback. We encourage the act of sharing constructive feedback, as well as taking feedback and learning how to use it to potentially improve your work or skills.

Number 5 is the skill of collaboration from writing songs with their peers. Building on other people’s ideas and working together to create a song which they are all happy with is a very crucial skill.

Three Steps to Get Started with Student Songwriting

These are a few steps to get started with your learners:

Step 1 ― Creating a strong concept and an engaging title
Listening to some songs in different genres is a good step for students to get a feel for the style of song they’d like to write and the topics they want to speak up about. This list of songs is a great place to start.

One of the key components, and biggest challenges, of songwriting is trying to express common, relatable feelings in an original and interesting way. The more inventive students can be when describing feelings or experiences (for example, the pressures and joys of growing up and living in our society), the better. These are two exercises students can try when starting a song:

• Have students select five things in their bedroom (chair, window, guitar, books, etc.) and then turn them into interesting song titles. For example: Bed – Safe Haven, Chair – Where I’ll Stay, Guitar – Broken Strings, Books – Read All About It.
• Encourage students to find a quote they like ― For example, “It is never too late to be what you might have been,” “an obstacle is often a stepping stone,” or “to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing,” and use that as the main concept to build around.

Step 2 – Getting started with writing
Thinking of their object or quote, encourage students to focus their senses on it and write freely for 10 minutes non-stop. Anything goes. All seven senses should be involved in the process: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, organic (awareness of inner bodily functions, e.g. heartbeat) and kinesthetic (your sense of relation to the world around you. For example, when the train you’re on is standing still and the one next to it moves, your kinesthetic sense goes crazy!)

After this 10-minute writing exercise, have students think more about the lyrics they’ve written and write some rhyming couplets. Remember that lyrics have a rhythm and using different rhyming schemes can help to shape the lyrics and make songs more engaging. The best two rhyming schemes to start with are A-A-B-B and A-B-A-B.

Once students’ rhyming couplets have been written, they can now count the syllables in each line. If they count the syllables while tapping their foot (creating a tempo), they’ll notice that they’re naturally creating a rhythm. This can be extremely helpful when working out a melody and figuring out how long the song’s lines are going to be.

Next, ask students to think about creating some metaphors with the words that are connected to their song to give it a unique twist. They can write a list of five interesting adjectives, then a list of five interesting nouns, thinking about each combination and writing some sentences. Then, a list of five nouns and five interesting verbs, and repeat the process of thinking about combinations, and so on. Once students have loads of lyrical ideas, they can organise them into different sections to build the song’s story.

Suggested Song Structure:
• Verse 1 — Introduces the song’s message and sets the scene (four lines, A-A-B-B or A-B-A-B)
• Pre Chorus — Link between the verse and chorus, builds up both melodically and lyrically (two lines, A-A or A-B)
• Chorus — Main message of the song, catchiest part and most memorable part of the song (four lines, A-A-B-B or A-B-A-B)
• Verse 2 — Continuing the explanation of the song, solidifying the message and introducing new imagery; lyrics change, melody stays the same as verse 1, possibly with a few small changes to keep it interesting (four lines, A-A-B-B or A-B-A-B)
• Bridge or Middle Eight — A contrasting section that brings the song to a new level and adds depth; rhythmically and melodically the song changes, looking at the message from a different viewpoint (four or eight lines, A-A-B-B or A-B-A-B)
• Chorus — Repeat (can add hooks to the outro of it)
• Outro — The closing passage. It can be instrumental or vocal

Step 3 ― Creating a chord progression and adding a melody
It’s at this stage when we put music together with the lyrics. Sometimes this may involve students playing instruments, but technology is also hugely beneficial in modern music-making. Soundtrap is a recommended tool for student songwriters to add instrumental parts and beats.

Chord progressions are the foundation of pop music. A chord is a collection of notes played at the same time, and a chord progression is when a series of chords are played in a sequence. There are three main chord progressions for songs in popular music:
• I, IV, V (Which is C, F, G when played in the key of C Major)
• I, V, VI, IV (C, G, Am, F in C Major)
• I, VI, II, V (C, Am, Dm, G in C Major)

Once you become familiar with these progressions, you’ll find yourself hearing them again and again in popular songs. For the next step in songwriting, each student should choose a key for their song and select one of the three chord progressions. They can play the chords and improvise different melodies for the lyrics. It works well to have different chord progressions for the verses, chorus, and bridge of the song. If students are using Soundtrap, they can test out many options.

Taking it to the next step
Once students get started with their songwriting, it’s hard to stop. Encourage them to continue exploring and trying new ideas. And, if they feel really strongly about what they’ve created ― and want to continue developing the idea more, they can enter the 2021 Young Songwriter competition, which brings together students from around the globe. When students find their voice through song, they are excited to make sure it’s heard.

Mark the date!  We’d love all your creative & musical pupils to enter their original songs into The Young Songwriter 2022 competition.  The entry period is 1st February to 31st March 2022.  It’s an inspiring opportunity for them to work towards, with a star-studded judging panel including Tom Grennan, Miranda Cooper, Tom Odell, Plested and Janet Devlin.  As well as getting their songs heard by some of the best songwriters and key players in the music industry and connecting to our vibrant community of young songwriters, they have a chance of winning some fantastic prizes.  Prizes include a recording studio session with a top producer in London, £1,000 worth of Yamaha equipment, IK Multimedia Total Studio 3.5 Max, a Focusrite Scarlett Solo Gen 3 Studio Bundle and a signed Tom Odell and Tom Grennan album!

The Young Songwriter 2021 album – out now!

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Star Judges included Fraser T Smith, Tom Grennan, Miranda Cooper, Tom Odell, Eg White, Emily Phillips, Iain Archer, Hannah V, Calum Scott, Michelle Escoffery, Eg White, Dan Gillespie Sells & Janet Devlin

Song Academy is delighted to announce the release of The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2021 Album on Spotify, Apple Music and many other distributors through AWAL (Artists Without A Label). The album includes 27 tracks from the winners and selected finalists of the 2021 Young Songwriter competition, which attracted outstanding young talent from 8-18 year olds around the world.

The Song Academy Young Songwriter (SAYS) competition champions youth creativity, giving them a golden opportunity to get their songs heard by a star-studded judging panel, get recognition for their creative talents, connect to other young songwriters and win some incredible prizes.  SAYS21 attracted 1,031 high quality entries from around the world.

The Young Songwriter 2021 album on Spotify

Artists/songwriters featured on The Young Songwriter 2021 album

227 by Aleks Kostov
All It Takes by Hetta Falzon
Clapham Junction by Joe Lever
Colourful by Evangeline Durupt
Did I? by Isla Campbell
Drowns Me Out by Taia Thompson
Express Yourself by Song Academy
Fireflies by Lily Criddle
Girl In The Dress by Lois Brooks
Golden Days by Lily Carroll
Graffiti On The Wall by Alexis Gail Roley
Honey, by Clara Freeman
How To Be Vulnerable by Emily Semple
Illusion by Johnny Beau
Laying on Mars by Benjamin Frere
Lost Myself by Jo MacKenzie
My Friend in Miami by Venice and Belle Herrera
People Like You by Pip Lewis
Right To Be Loved by Song Academy
Sing It Out by Song Academy
Stardust by Kelty Parker
Talk by Benjamin Magro
Talks Too Much by Leona Mae
Teardrops by Nelly Bingham
The Astronaut’s Song by Michael Abimanyu Kaeng
Voices by Macy O’Neill
We’re Not Lonely Anymore by Lexie Carroll
Who am I? by Tamara Yasin

If you know aspiring young songwriters or musical young people who’d like to write their first song, please encourage them to check out https://www.songacademy.co.uk/says22/ for all information about The Young Songwriter 2022 competition.

Perfect Christmas presents for aspiring young songwriters & musicians

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Christmas presents that make a difference.  Our new Christmas gift vouchers give the unique and long-lasting gift of songwriting to musical young people.

Whether it’s Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift, young people love their music and being pop stars.

Song Academy gift vouchers are perfect presents from grandparents, aunts uncles & godparents.  They give a unique experience which is both fun & creative and builds long-lasting musical, lyrical, production & social skills.  We help musical & creative young people to write their best songs yet, building their confidence and helping to get their creative talents recognised.

Vouchers are both for young people who are already writing their own songs and wanting to develop their talents and those who are musical & creative and would love the idea of writing their 1st song!

When your child’s grandparents, godparents or uncles and aunts ask ‘ what does Matilda want for Christmas?’  you can answer ‘a Song Academy gift voucher’!

Click here for all Song Academy Christmas gift voucher options.

What You Need To Know About The Young Songwriter 2021 Live Showcase

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Award winning young songwriters and VIP guest artists impress a packed audience at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill.

The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2021 live showcase celebrated the power of songwriting, music and young people.  The Young Songwriter 2021 finalists songs were selected for their originality, creativity and music bravery.  As well as being exceptional young songwriters they all performed like professional artists!

A special thank you to Josh Shea and Cassa Jackson for compering the showcase with great style.  Also a massive congratulations to The Song Academy band for helping to bring the songs to life on stage. Thank you again to The Young Songwriter 2021 sponsors,  Yamaha, Focusrite, Kobalt, PRS for Music, ICMP and Soundtrap, for supporting this year’s competition.  Plus a big thank you to the SAYS21 star-studded panel of judges, including Fraser T Smith, Tom Odell, Calum Scott, Tom Grennan, Chris Difford, Michelle Escoffery, Miranda Cooper, Eg White, Emily Philips, Sacha Skarbek, Hannah V, Dan Gillespie Sells, Sodajerker and Janet Devlin.

A highlights video of the showcase is shown below.  Photos can be seen on our Facebook page (SongacademyUK).  The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2021 album will be released shortly.  Follow our social media channels to hear the latest news first!

THE YOUNG SONGWRITER 2021 SHOWCASE PERFORMERS

1ST HALF

TALKS TOO MUCH, LEONA MAE, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

FIREFLIES, LILY CRIDDLE, 2ND PLACE SAYS21

TEARDROPS, NELLY BINGHAM, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

ILLUSION, JOHNNY BEAU, 3RD PLACE SAYS21

DID I? ISLA CAMPBELL, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

VOICES, MACY O’NEILL, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

WISH I DIDN’T CARE, CASSA JACKSON, VIP GUEST ARTIST

MARBLE ARCH, CLARA FREEMAN-TAYLOR, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

HOW TO BE VULNERABLE, EMILY SEMPLE, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

GIRL IN THE DRESS, LOIS BROOKS, WINNER SAYS21, 8-12 YEAR CATEGORY

HOME, SOPHIE GRIFFITHS, VIP GUEST ARTIST

2ND HALF

TALK TO ME, THE SHEAS, VIP GUEST ARTISTS

FANTASY, GILSKA, VIP GUEST ARTIST

NO PLACE, WILL MASSIE, WINNER SAYS20, 8-12 YEAR CATEGORY

LIGHTS OF THE SKY, LILITH BEE, WINNER SAYS20, 13-18 YEAR CATEGORY

LAYING ON MARS, BENJAMIN FRERE, 3RD PLACE SAYS21

DROWNS ME OUT, TAIA THOMPSON, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

CLAPHAM JUNCTION, JOE LEVER, TOP 10 FINALIST SAYS21

WE’RE NOT LONELY ANYMORE, LEXIE CARROLL, 2ND PLACE SAYS21

ALL IT TAKES, HETTA FALZON, WINNER SAYS21, 13-18 YEAR CATEGORY

EXPRESS YOURSELF, SONG ACADEMY

Background on Song Academy Song Academy was founded 12 years ago, we’re dedicated to the future of music & the wellbeing of young people aged 8-18. We enable young people to express themselves and have their voices heard. From their first song to developing their first album. We nurture young writers, artists, musicians, producers & creative thinkers, empowering young people at a formative time of their life. We believe that songwriting and music can transform the lives of young people by helping them find their voice and find their tribe.

Song Academy stands for the craft and art of songwriting in its purest form, enabling young aspiring songwriters to aspire to the very best melody, lyric, structure, concept, harmony, mood and impact a song can have. It’s a supportive community where young people feel brave and can express themselves, celebrate individuality and be themselves. The benefits from this unique community are far reaching, especially the positive boost to mental health.  Song Academy songwriting programmes include clubs, workshops, song feedback, birthday parties and The Young Songwriter competition.

The Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is the leading songwriting competition for young people aged 8-18, worldwide.  It’s a golden opportunity to get your songs heard by a star-studded panel of judges, stand out & connect to a talented tribe of like-minded young songwriters.  The Young Songwriter 2022 competition is open for entries from 1st February to 31st March 2022, for 8-18 year olds worldwide. Get your songs ready!

SONG ACADEMY.  The platform for young songwriters.  Find your voice.  Find your tribe.

The Young Songwriter 2021 Live Showcase

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Save the date! It’s under 2 weeks to go!

The Young Songwriter 2021 live showcase will be held on Saturday 25th September, 7 – 9:30pm at The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, Notting Hill, London W11 2AY.  The Young Songwriter 2021 competition winners, finalists and Song Academy alumni making waves in the music industry will be performing their original songs live at The Tabernacle – a fabulous venue in Notting Hill. We’ve missed our live events and this one is set to be the best yet!

The showcase celebrates young people and the power of songwriting to help young people find their voice and find their tribe, making an exciting creative future.

We are delighted that the showcase will be compered by two young creative stars – Joshua Shea and Cassa Jackson.  Josh Shea is a talented actor, director, musician and songwriter, as well as a past Young Songwriter finalist.  He was young newt in Fantastic Beasts and Devin in The Royals.  He’s recently launched a musical duo with his sister, Esther ‘The Sheas’.  Cassa Jackson is a talented singer songwriter, musician and past Young Songwriter finalist.  Her tracks have exceeded 4 million streams on Spotify. She’s supported The Jacksons on tour and in a couple of weeks is supporting JLS for their hotly anticipated comeback tour. Playing in arenas all around the UK including the 02 four times!

The Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is the leading international songwriting competition for young people aged 8-18.  This year attracted a record 1,031 high quality entries. Sponsors of this year’s competition are Yamaha, Focusrite, Kobalt, PRS for Music, ICMP and Soundtrap.  The SAYS21 star-studded judging panel included Fraser T Smith, Tom Odell, Calum Scott, Tom Grennan, Chris Difford, Michelle Escoffery, Miranda Cooper, Eg White, Emily Philips, Sacha Skarbek, Hannah V, Dan Gillespie Sells, Sodajerker and Janet Devlin.

To book your seats at this unique event send an email to contact@songacademy.co.uk. £20 for seats at tables in the stalls (8 person tables and 10 person tables). £15 for seats in the gallery. All seats have an excellent view of the stage. Limited availability so we suggest you book soon. E-tickets will be sent out the week before.

ARTISTS PERFORMING

1ST HALF

TALKS TOO MUCH,  LEONA MAE

FIREFLIES,  LILY CRIDDLE

TEARDROPS,  NELLY BINGHAM

ILLUSION,  JOHNNY BEAU

DID I?  ISLA CAMPBELL

VOICES,  MACY O’NEILL

WISH I DIDN’T CARE, CASSA JACKSON

HONEY,  CLARA FREEMAN-TAYLOR

HOW TO BE VULNERABLE,  EMILY SEMPLE

GIRL IN THE DRESS,  LOIS BROOKS

HOME, SOPHIE GRIFFITHS

INTERVAL

2ND HALF

TALK TO ME, THE SHEAS

FANTASY, GILSKA

NO PLACE,  WILL MASSIE

LIGHTS OF THE SKY, LILITH BEE

LAYING ON MARS,  BENJAMIN FRERE

DROWNS ME OUT,  TAIA THOMPSON

CLAPHAM JUNCTION,  JOE LEVER

WE’RE NOT LONELY ANYMORE,  LEXIE CARROLL

ALL IT TAKES,  HETTA FALZON

EXPRESS YOURSELF, SONG ACADEMY

We hope to see you there!

Background on Song Academy Song Academy was founded 12 years ago, we’re dedicated to the future of music & the wellbeing of young people aged 8-18. We enable young people to express themselves and have their voices heard. From their first song to developing their first album. We nurture young writers, artists, musicians, producers & creative thinkers, empowering young people at a formative time of their life. We believe that songwriting and music can transform the lives of young people by helping them find their voice and find their tribe.

Song Academy stands for the craft and art of songwriting in its purest form, enabling young aspiring songwriters to aspire to the very best melody, lyric, structure, concept, harmony, mood and impact a song can have. It’s a supportive community where young people feel brave and can express themselves, celebrate individuality and be themselves. The benefits from this unique community are far reaching, especially the positive boost to mental health.

Exclusive opportunity to e-meet Plested – Tuesday 7th September at 6pm

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We’ve teamed up with YouTube Music to create an exclusive opportunity to meet Plested & ask him questions about his songwriting & experience in the music industry.  Plus you’ll learn how to get the most from the YouTube platform and be inspired by performances from a couple of talented young songwriters.

Phil Plested, who performs as “Plested” is a singer/songwriter from Croxley Green, Hertfordshire. He began writing songs at school (Rickmansworth) and was scouted at a talent show and signed to Island Records. He’s spent the past several years penning songs for some of pop music’s biggest names, including Lewis Capaldi (“Hollywood” and the UK and US Radio #1 “Before You Go”), Little Mix (the UK Top 5 single “Touch”) and Kygo (“Remind Me To Forget” ft. Miguel & “Lose Somebody” ft. One Republic). Phil most recently co-wrote “Leave Before You Love Me” for Marshmello x Jonas Brothers as well as the Anne-Marie & Niall Horan duet “Our Song”. He is in the studio with Lewis Capaldi, Dermot Kennedy, Niall Horan & Clean Bandit to name a few.

This online event on Tuesday 7th September, 6pm to around 7:15pm is for aspiring young songwriters aged 8-18 worldwide. Limited places available. To reserve your place (it’s free to attend) send an email to contact@songacademy.co.uk

New song production & recording workshops launched!

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We’re super excited to announce the launch of our new song production & recording workshops and 121 sessions!  Although we focus on the art of songwriting, we believe that it’s important for young songwriters at a minimum to learn how to make their recording sound clear enough to hear the individual parts – the listener doesn’t want to miss out on hearing your amazing lyrics!

We encourage all young songwriters to develop a knowledge of production as it opens up a new creative dimension to songwriting across different genres and helps to enhance the impact of a song.

It’s important to note that you do not need incredible production skills and a top mix in order to submit a successful song to The Young Songwriter competition, many of the best songs ever written would still be just as good whether they were produced fully or just played on one instrument!

Check out our production & recording workshops and opportunities for 121 sessions, for those who are new to producing & recording their songs, and opportunities for more advanced young producers.

What do you need to start producing your songs at home?

Here are some examples of home studio setups, with 1 being the most simple and 5 being the most complex.

  1. The most simple – recording yourself performing your song using either the voice memo app on your phone or a tape recorder to capture the raw performance as it sounds in the room.
  2. Using a USB microphone with your computer to capture your performance, possibly adding a few simple effects after the fact to enhance the recording.
  3. Using music production software/a DAW to record the individual parts of your song separately. For example, a USB microphone and an adaptor/cable to connect a guitar/keyboard/MIDI keyboard directly into your computer, resulting in multiple recorded tracks that will be mixed together.
  4. Music production software/DAW using an audio interface, allowing for multiple instruments/voices to be recorded at once either by plugging microphones into the XLR inputs or jack leads into Hi-Z inputs. This can be combined with multiple virtual instruments controlled via MIDI in the DAW.
  5. A full studio setup, including 16 or more input channels, giving you the ability to record several instruments with multiple microphones, including live drums, live piano, guitar amps and strings, at the same time. This setup may also include a MIDI interface in order to control several synths and/or drum machines at the same time. This would also usually be accompanied by a monitoring setup that allows for multiple headphone mixes for different musicians.

Some of the most well known brands for home studio setup audio interfaces include Focusrite, Universal Audio, M-Audio and Presonus. The pros and cons will depend entirely on your needs, but it’s a good idea to research every bit of kit as thoroughly as possible as they all have their own unique selling points. As for microphones, the most well known brands are Shure, Rode, AKG, Audio Technica and Sennheiser. As with the audio interfaces, it’s a good idea to research microphones, and it may be more important as different microphones work better for different sources. A microphone that is good for vocals, may not be great for mic’ing a guitar amp, for example.

Why use a USB microphone?  The first step up from using your phone to record voice memos would be a USB microphone. These range in price and quality, but typically will sound better than a phone microphone or standard computer microphone. You can use it to record the different parts of your song in separately, then mix them together in a DAW, which brings us to the next question…

Why use a DAW?  A Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW, is a piece of software that allows for the recording, layering and processing of audio files. It is the heart of most modern setups, and DAWs are a cheaper, efficient alternative to expensive large format mixing consoles. Some bigger studios may still use traditional style consoles, but many will still record into a DAW via an audio interface instead of recording to tape.

Why use an audio interface?  Audio interfaces have many benefits over USB microphones or plugging a microphone directly into your computer. First of all, they are dedicated units that are built to record audio at a high quality without introducing unwanted noise or artefacts that you might get when using USB microphones. Most interfaces also have independent gain controls so you can set the gain of your microphone and get a comfortable level using a physical control on the interface itself. Audio interfaces can also have multiple inputs, something which isn’t usually possible (or is very difficult) without using one, so they increase the possibilities of your studio with each extra input. Lastly, most interfaces use XLR and jack inputs, that allow you to easily plug in a variety of instruments or microphones, including guitars, keyboards, drum machines. If the interface has a phantom power feature, it means you don’t have to have an extra phantom power supply for your microphone.”

We’re looking forward to helping you start your journey as a young producer and develop your production skills.  Click here for song production & recording workshops dates and the various 121 sessions we offer.

 

How to win The Young Songwriter 2022 competition

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Every year we get asked the questions “what type of song should I enter into The Young Songwriter competition?” and “do you have any songwriting tips?” so we thought we would put together some ideas and guidelines to help you write a winning song!

We believe the key way to raise your songwriting game is practice – write more and more songs and get feedback on how you’re doing.  Take on different ideas and challenges.  Write songs on your own and collaborate with others who have different skills sets to spark ideas off each other.

As well as running The annual Young Songwriter competition, we inspire many aspiring young songwriters throughout the year and help make sure their songs are the best they can be by offering an insightful song feedback service, weekly online and in-person songwriting clubs in term-time and online/in-person holiday workshops throughout the year.  Being part of a vibrant community helps to raise everyone’s songwriting level.  In addition, across our social media platforms we offer songwriting tips and challenges to accelerate your songwriting progress.

The main things that we listen out for when judging The Young Songwriter competition entries are originality, captivating melodies, evocative lyrics, a coherent structure, a catchy chorus, emotive performances, clever use of rhyme, invention, a sense of anticipation, and strong concepts.  The songs can be in any genre.

It’s important to say at the outset that songs which break all the rules and defy any expectation can be the biggest hits of all! Therefore, in as much as there are so called ‘rules’, feel free to bend and break them if you feel inspired to!

The power of songwriting is that no matter what inspired the songwriter to write a song, the listener interprets the song in their own unique way, and finds strength from the message and connection.

Here are some elements of the songwriting process which we think are important:

Have a strong theme/concept

One of the key components, and biggest challenges, of songwriting is trying to express common, relatable feelings in an original and interesting way. The more inventive you can be when describing your feelings or experiences (for example, the pressures and joys of growing up and living in our society), the better. It’s a great way to boost self-respect and self-identify through song, and to talk about issues you are passionate about in an engaging way.

Young Songwriter competition entries cover a huge spectrum of topics, from personal experiences and feelings, to wider issues involving the writer’s communities, or even the entire world. Looking back on prior years, a popular theme was the state of the planet and awareness of environmental issues such as climate change. Another theme that came up a lot was mental health, with songs exploring anxieties, depression, drugs, death and high expectations. We also received many entires that explored the need be who you are, embrace your individuality and go for your dreams. Many songs took a stand for equality and freedom from barriers. Love and heartbreak always feature highly in Young Songwriter entries, with many different spins: we broke up, we’re breaking up, we’re about to break up, we’re not going to break up, I wish I could break up with you, we didn’t break up, I wish I had someone to break up with. Also, songs about the pain of toxic relationships and unrequited love.

But not all songs have to be dramatic and poignant – many people wrote songs about aspects of everyday life, like nature, sunlight, boredom, society, the stars, anything! Through lyrics and harmony the seemingly banal can sometimes be lifted onto another plain. It is great to be able to find inspiration in ordinary things, and it’s an amazing skill to be able to present those things in a way that people find exciting.

Come up with an interesting song title

A song title is almost like a book cover, so make it interesting! Compare a heartbeat to a flashing light or the feeling of losing fear by roaring it away – the more inventive the concept around the ordinary, the better. Think of recent hits Dark Horse, Wrecking Ball, Pompeii – interesting titles and concepts talking about everyday feelings to do with fear, love and empowerment. It can also be a good way to start a song, having a strong title that sets the theme of the song can inspire more lyrics around it!

We’ve had many interesting song titles in The Young Songwriter competition past entries, including; Biting Into Ice, Concrete Sheets, Sneaks & Geeks, Dead Plants, Like Lava, T-shirt, Packet Full Of Noodles, Armour, Paperclips, Shine in the Darkness, Blue Fingertips, Burnt Peaches, Lies In Makeup, Sungrazer, Hijacked By Parasites, Reset, Little Alchemy, Dopamine, Me Myself and I, Mrs Ocean, Keyboard Warrior, Battlecry, Muddy Clear, Growing Gills, Swim Against The Stream, Muddy Boots & Messy Hair, Ode To Ego, Painting With Colour, Helvetica, Puppeteer, Head Full Of Clouds, Same Blood, Mindless Town, Can’t Buy Forgiveness, Cat And Mouse, Fading Rainbow, The Taste Of Dust.

Have a good song structure

Here’s an example of a great song structure:

Introduction — An opening passage, either instrumental or vocals without lyrics

Verse I — Introduces the song’s message and sets the scene

— 4 to 8 bars long

Pre Chorus — Link between the verse and chorus
— Builds up both melodically and lyrically

— 2 or 4 bars

Chorus — Main message of the song
— Catchiest part and most memorable part of the song (normally includes a ‘hook’)
— Most dynamic part of the song

Verse II — Continuing the explanation of the song

— Solidifying the message and introducing new imagery

— Lyrics change, melody stays broadly the same as verse 1, but you can tweak it a bit to keep it interesting!

Bridge or Middle Eight — A contrasting section that brings the song to a new level

— Rhythmically and melodically the song changes

— Looking at the message from a different view point
— Can build up tension leading up to the climax of the song

Chorus — Repeat (can add hooks to the outro of it)
Outro — The closing passage. It can be instrumental or vocal

Write engaging lyrics

Young Songwriter finalists write lyrics that show the listener a scene unfolding rather than simply telling the listener how they feel. American songwriter Jason Blume, who has had hits with Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, says whilst there are no rules to songwriting, there are tools to help you craft that perfect hit. And all you need is a simple AID – action, imagery, detail.

Action:

Use verbs (action or doing words) to help illustrate what is going on in your song. For example, instead of saying ‘I miss you and I’m sad’, try and show what missing someone and being sad looks like :

  • ‘I wipe the tears falling from my eyes’
  • ‘I clutch a tear stained picture of you’
  • ‘I drove by where we first met’
  • ‘I couldn’t walk through the door where we said our last goodbye’

The action words are ‘wipe’ ‘clutch’ ‘drove’ ‘walk’.

And instead of saying ‘I love you’ or ‘I’m in love’, why not show what a person in love does?

  • ‘I wrote our names inside a heart, engraved upon a tree’
  • ‘I hand picked and carried home 100 flowers for you and put a vase in every room’
  • ‘I sing your name like a favourite song’

The action words are ‘wrote’ ‘picked’ ‘carried’ and ‘sing’.

Write a list of action words down before starting on your next song and try and use at least 5 of them in your next song to show what your feeling.

Imagery:

Blume says ‘whilst you cannot see heartbreak you can see the images and actions that convey that a person is heartbroken’:

  • ‘She fell to her knees, laying flowers on his grave’
  • ‘He kisses her photo’
  • ‘His tears hit the floor like a waterfall of pain’

The images are ‘knees’ ‘flowers’ ‘grave’ ‘photo’ ‘tears’ ‘floor’ ‘waterfall’. Blume also states that by including ‘tangible items’ and nouns in your lyrics like ‘furniture, clothing, a car, a house, a specific place, food’, you enable your audience to enter your song.

Along with your list of action words, try and write down a list of images and every day nouns to try and include in your next song.

Detail: 

This is the third part of AID that will help you to show your listener what is going on in your song. This time we’re searching for adjectives (describing words) and adverbs (describing verbs) to help the listener visualise your song more clearly. For example, if we were to go one step further with some of our examples from the Imagery section above and add a bit more detail to the floor, or the grave, you have something like this…

  • ‘She falls to her knees on the cold, muddy ground and lays white lilies on his grave’
  • ‘He tenderly kisses the photo of their wedding day in his old rocking chair’
  • ‘His bitter tears slowly hit the wooden floor of his kitchen, like a cascading waterfall of pain’

Even with a few additional adjectives and adverbs, the scenes are much clearer to visualise; you can hear the creak of the old rocking chair, you can taste the bitter tears that fall onto the floor and see him in the kitchen, you can feel the cold muddy ground that she falls to – instantly you have transported your listener directly into the scene of your song, as if they are there with the singer, watching over what is happening.

So next time you’re stuck for lyrics, all you need is a little AID to help you on your way!

Play around with new melodies and chord sequences

Play around with different combinations until your find the melody you’re looking for. Choose a key for your song and then try out the I, IV and V primary chords as well as the  II III, VI and VII chords.

Make sure your chorus stands out from your verses with different melodies and chords.

Hooks
It has been said that the most successful ABBA songs have 5 hooks in each of their songs. A hook is a musical idea, melodic instrumental part, rhythmic phrase or a vowel/consonant sound or word repeated, that catches the ear of the listener to draw them into the song and helps to create its ‘catchiness’. According to popular commercial music today, the more hooks you can introduce throughout the song, the catchier it will be, because it’s constantly enticing the listener and, most importantly, keeping them interested. Listen to the start of Dancing Queen and the vocal ‘ahh’s and piano part before the hooky first line of the chorus, or Jessie J’s Price Tag (It’s all about the money, money, money/We don’t need your money, money, money). Other songs with simple but strong hooks include One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa, or Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

A lot of hooks are incredibly simple and may even be made by manipulating vocal parts, cutting them up or re-pitching them in an interesting way, songs that do this include Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, or Stay High (the Hippie Sabotage remix of Habits) by Tove Lo. Try and think about hooks for your own song, either lyrically, melodically or instrumentally. They can be incredibly simple and consist of a couple of notes, or a bit more interesting, just make sure they stick in your head!

Rhythm

Rhythm is an important part of many songs, it’s what makes people dance, or makes them nod their head and tap their feet. A solid rhythm can be a hook in itself, and it will lay the foundation on which to base the rest of your song around. It will also determine what kind of song it is, is it a fun, dancey song that makes you want to dance, like Get Lucky by Daft Punk? Or is it a slow, wistful song that people will sway along to, like Imagine by John Lennon? It could even be a fast, uptempo song that sounds exciting and triumphant, like Feel The Love by Rudimental ft John Newman.  If the aim is to make the listener dance, try writing a song to the BPM of 120. If you’re writing a romantic acoustic song, experiment with different time signatures like 6/8 as this will get people swaying along to your song!

Another thing to experiment with is using triplets, it can open up a whole new world of melodic and rhythmic possibilities! A good example that we mentioned in the previous section about hooks is Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, you’ll hear the hi hat doing triplet rhythms where traditionally for that genre you would expect an even number of hi hats (either quarter notes, eighth notes or sixteenth notes).

Beats and rhythms also don’t have to be perfectly on beat, and often a beat that makes you want to dance will be a ‘swing’ or ‘shuffle’ rhythm, this is a technique that changes the length of notes to create a more uneven but interesting rhythm. An example of a swung rhythm is Ex’s and Oh’s by Elle King, hear how some of the hits are slightly late which gives a driving feel to the song.

Production

The Young Songwriter competition entries are mainly judged on the song itself rather than the production, but there are some entries that use the production to help present their song in a stronger way. For example, a more pop/electronic entry might rely on solid drum sounds and more bass than an acoustic entry. Both are totally acceptable approaches and it’s important to note that you do not need incredible production skills and a top mix in order to submit a successful song, many of the best songs ever written would still be just as good whether they were produced fully or just played on one instrument!

Recording

We receive many different styles of recordings, many people record themselves at home, even in their bedroom with a phone! We understand that not everyone has access to recording studios or fancy equipment, and much like the production, if your song is strong it will shine even without an expensive or time consuming recording process. The most important thing is that the recording is clear enough for our judges to hear the individual parts, try to avoid recording in noisy environments that may make your recording difficult to hear, or distract from the song itself. You can record elements separately and combine them in a DAW (SoundTrap, Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton or any other suitable software) or record with one microphone in one go, whichever you feel most comfortable with!  If recording onto voice memos be sure to sing as clearly as possible as the judges don’t want to miss out on hearing your amazing lyrics. That goes for all recordings.

THE POWER OF SONGWRITING IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT INSPIRED THE SONGWRITER TO WRITE A SONG, THE LISTENER INTERPRETS THE SONG IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY, AND FINDS STRENGTH FROM THE MESSAGE AND CONNECTION.

Remember to check out our insightful song feedback service to make sure your songs are the best they can be before entering The Young Songwriter 2022 competition!  Entries can be sent from 1st February to 31st March 2022.  We also run online songwriting clubs and holiday workshops throughout the year.  In addition, across our social media platforms we offer songwriting tips and challenges to accelerate your songwriting progress.

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