(615) 383-8516
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Apr 25, 2024
Nashville, TNPRIVATE SONGWRITING LESSONS
Express your creativity through songwriting!
What does it take to become your own one-of-a-kind songwriter? Jonathan Kasper offers a program of study to help you turn that idea or tune running through your head into a complete song in any style.
Nashville is the songwriting capital of the world. If you live in Music City, you know this is the place where you can tap into your imagination and discover the magic of songwriting.
Jonathan is an accomplished songwriter and independent recording artist who excels at teaching the multi-faceted craft of writing songs. To hear samples of his original music, visit his website at http://jonathankasper.com/home.htm
Jonathan has studied with renowned songwriters from the Golden Era of American pop and rock (Jack Keller, Sheila Davis).
His educational and performance background includes the Great American Songbook, Broadway, Jazz, Pop and Rock, the Blues, Classical Art Song, Bossa Nova.
Adults and kids who write songs develop:
- improved reading and writing
- creative expressiveness
- critical thinking
- communication skills
Let’s get started!
We recommend that you fill out our easy online Enrollment Application as a first step. Or feel free to give us a call: 615-383-8516. Once we’ve received your completed application, we can schedule an initial lesson.
“Words & Music by …”
Jonathan’s songwriting curriculum includes comprehensive instruction in both music composition and lyric writing.
Create moments of high tension and interest in your songs. Appreciate the value of repetition for better chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics.
- music theory and chord theory for the guitar
- how melody and harmony work together to make great songs
- chord progressions that help your songs stand out
- rhythm patterns and tempi for different musical styles
Compose like the pros by using common song forms, such as:
- Verse/Chorus
- AABA
- 12-bar Blues
- Strophic
- Understand the difference between song lyrics and poetry.
- Tell a complete story in under four minutes by utilizing lyrical drama to arc a song from beginning through middle to end.
- Understand the importance of a hook line, or title line, where to place it, and how many times to repeat it.
- Employ a twist to convey the element of surprise.
- Use literary devices such as metaphor and alliteration to make your songs sparkle. Have fun with onomatopoeia and rhyme.
Students are accepted to Kaspermusic Conservatory based on their level of commitment to studying music. They will be expected to enroll in regular weekly lessons and remain in the studio for at least one full academic school year, 30 weeks, September through April. Additional lessons may be scheduled for the summer months.
Students choose either Private or Small Group Songwriting Lessons*, depending on scheduling and other considerations. Make your selection when registering on our interactive Enrollment Application
GROUP SONGWRITING LESSONS
Students are also welcome to take shared lessons with friends or family members. Small Group Songwriting Lessons* are an exciting way for children and adults to explore their creativity with peers. The curriculum allows for both structured learning and free-flowing inspiration.
Teens and adults will learn music theory, which will enable them to play basic chords in several keys on the guitar. For more playing techniques, see what’s offered in Jonathan’s Guitar Lessons and Jocelyn’s Piano Lessons.
When teaching songwriting to children, Jonathan takes a less technical and more playful approach which includes many of the individual and group activities developed in Kaspermusic’s popular summer Songwriting Camp. Mr. and Mrs. Kasper team teach a week-long camp for kids who love to write songs.
At our conservatory, we love planting seeds of musical excellence and watching our talented sprouts grow.
- taken once a week
- approximately 30/45 minutes in length
- grouped according to age and level
- payable by semester based on a 30-week academic year commitment
All songwriting students are invited to perform for friends and family in an informal recital at the end of the school year (late April/early May).
To get started with lessons, please fill out our easy online Enrollment Application. See additional information on Small Group Lessons in the blue box below*.
*Small Group vs. Private Lessons
Sometimes parents wonder how Small Group Lessons can be as effective or even more so than the private lessons they are familiar with from their own childhoods.
While one-on-one instruction is appropriate in certain situations, learning with friends in a small group can result in surprisingly fast progress. Children tend to excel with peer learning, and music lessons are no exception. You’ll see improved social and cognitive skills like listening, demonstrating, cooperation and good behavior.
Healthy competition is fostered when students hear their peers accomplishing something they thought was impossible. Children learn to stay on task whether the spotlight is on them or not. They learn self-reliance and master practice skills throughout the lesson.
Students are regularly challenged to surpass expectations and are encouraged to prepare for and participate in informal performances and fun, year-end recitals for family and friends. Parents appreciate and children flourish with our low-pressure approach.
The keys to successful and rewarding music-making include: regular attendance, sufficient home practice, preparation of assignments, personal responsibility and mutual respect. Follow these steps consistently, and you and your child will reap the benefits of professional music training.