What's in a Song
This is a weekly podcast about the craft of songwriting hosted by Berklee College of Music Professor Scarlet Keys. She takes deep dive into the craft, technique and art of songwriting in conversations with eminent songwriters, producers, and other creatives asking questions only a songwriting professor would ask so listeners can walk away inspired and armed with clear and actionable tools and techniques they can apply to their songwriting.
Episodes
77 episodes
Creative agility and writing process with hit songwriting Rodney Alejandro
Upcoming classes:To sign up for the April 5th workshop: "The songwriting of Taylor Swift": https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1252499231919?aff=oddtdtcreatorTo support this podcast and membership...
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46:40
Music as medicine- The health benefits of listening to your favorite songs with Neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Levitin
In this episode, I speak with Neuroscientist, author and musician Dr. Daniel Levitin on how music affects our health. From reducing cortisol to lessening the effects of Parkinsons and how we can use music as medicine! We talk scienc...
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1:00:26
Singer/songwriter Jesse Terry - Writing great melodies and crowd funding
To sign up for the November 23rd virtual LYRIC WRITING WORKSHOP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1070697919299?aff=oddtdtcreatorhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/1080037885389?aff=oddtdtcreatorMy guest today is New England based si...
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1:01:02
Kylie Rothfield on writing process, craft, what she learned from Alicia Keys about singing and stage fright
In this episode, I talk with singer/songwriter Kylie Rothfield.She shares what she learned about singing and stage fright from Alicia Keys. We talk about what she learned from writing with some of the best writers in Nashville, so...
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1:07:46
Songs with a message, writing from your life with Michael McDermott
In this episode, singer/songwriter Michael McDermott talks about writing process, writing from your life and shares new songs off his two new albums dropping Sept 13th.Join the "What's in a Song" membership community:
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1:02:43
What does AI mean for songwriters with award winning songwriter and Berklee Professor Ben Camp
Today I have Berklee Professor Ben Camp on the show discussing AI We talk about where it is now and what it means for songwriters in the future. We talk ethics, creativity, originality, works that are derivative and Ben takes a song w...
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1:12:24
Creating metaphors with Pat Pattison
In this episode, Pat Pattison, author of "Writing Better Lyrics" walks us through step by step of how to find metaphors. This is the exercise I gave to writer Madi Diaz that she talked about in the previous episode.Pat talks about the d...
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54:22
Madi Diaz on writing process, and the magic of co-writing
My guest today is one of my former students singer/songwriter Madi DiazMadi grew up in Pennsylvania where she was homes schooled by her mother and took piano lessons from her father at the age of 5.After high...
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1:13:00
What we can learn from Billy Eilish and Bonnie Raitt about great melodies
In this minisode, I talk about writing melody and thinking of melody as the song's tone of voice.Auditioning melodies to make sure we pair the best notes with our most important words and the power of unstable notes in writing great mel...
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22:25
Minisode: Making time for your art and the myth of inspiration
"Inspiration is for Amateurs""Don't be 'a writer' but instead be writing." - Faulkner"Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!”― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
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17:24
Robert Ellis Orrall on writing with Taylor Swift, and writing process
In this Episode, Robert Ellis Orrall talks about writing with Taylor Swift. What she was like as a young writer, how he set up the showcase that got her a record deal and shares two songs her wrote with Swift along with an original from h...
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1:08:33
Will Kimbrough: Writing techniques, guitar voicings and so much wisdom
My guest today s an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Will Kimbrough.As a producer, he has produced albums for Rodney Crowell, Todd Snider, Kim Richey, Garrison Star and Matthew Ryan to name a few....
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1:14:26
Minisode - The impact and storytelling of NOUNS
The storytelling effects of nouns.Mixed by Peter Sykes: https://www.petersykesmusic.com/Otto Gross: https://www.yo...
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17:52
Minisode: The song changing effects of good verbs
In this minisode, I talk about the power of verbs and how they can do more than just their expected work but can help to tell your story, create characters and build metaphors.Mixed by Peter Sykes:
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20:31
Singer/songwriter Ingrid Saga on jazz, Joni Mitchell's influence, guitar tunings and process
In this episode, Ingrid talk about her influences, meeting her producer and shares three songs from her upcoming album.She talks about writing in opening tuning and writing process.
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56:06
Aidan Laprete on finding your sound and gibberish as a lyric writing process
In this Episode I talk with singer/songwriter/producer/actor Aidan Laprete aboutVoice lessons, finding your sound, and producing.He walks us through writing melody takes - gibberish to find melodies, turning mumbles into words and ma...
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1:04:56
Writing For T.V. and film and how a little bit of Woo woo can help us with Stuart Roslyn
Stuart Roslyn is a composer, producer and musician specializing in original music for motion pictures and their trailers. He also creates unique soundscapes for network tv and big brand commercials. His career spans more than 20 yea...
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1:16:03
The songwriting of Taylor Swift - Two things we can learn from the craft of her songwriting
In this episode, I share a little peak into the craft and poetry of Taylor Swift's songwriting.We look at her choice of chord progressions and one way in to one of her epic bridge sections as well as her use of metaphor.You wi...
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15:48
David Wilcox Part 2
David Wilcox is an award winning and highly acclaimed American singer songwriter from Asheville North Carolina.His storytelling cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outsid...
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34:21
David Wilcox on inspired writing Part 1
David Wilcox is an award winning and highly acclaimed American singer songwriter from Asheville North Carolina.His storytelling cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outsid...
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1:03:49
Part 3 Mark Simos: Reflecting on your writing and what you can learn from it
In this episode, we break down co-writing and talk about reflecting back on process and what can be learned from taking pause and observing what went well and what you wish had gone differently making you a better writer and co-writer going for...
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1:01:37
Part 2 Hank Williams in Hell live co-write with Mark Simos
In this episode of a two part series, Berklee Professor and Grammy winning writer Mark Simos and I try out his unique approach to writing using different chord configurations in a writing exercise he calls Hank Williams in hell. This is a...
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57:40
Hank Williams in Hell exercise and live cowrite with Grammy winning songwriter Mark Simos
In this episode of a two part series, Berklee Professor and Grammy winning writer Mark Simos and I try out his unique approach to writing using different chord configurations in a writing exercise he calls Hank Williams in hell. This is a...
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1:10:08