THE UNIVERSITY of TEXAS at AUSTIN UGS 302 Songwriting: Following in the Footsteps of Texas Legends Spring 2012 POLICY STATEMENT and SYLLABUS

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN UGS 302 Songwriting: Following in the Footsteps of Texas Legends Spring 2012 POLICY STATEMENT AND SYLLABUS

Instruction Professor Moore [email protected] Office: ETC 5.140 (512)471-4478 Office hours: MW 10:30 – 11:30, Th 10 – 11 or by appointment

Song is an art form that engages the mind, body, and creative spirit of listeners as well as musicians. Texas songwriters such as Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Nanci Griffith have written songs on their own terms rather than shape their art to fit the demands of Nashville, New York, or Los Angeles. Outside the mainstream of country or popular music, this unique community of artists is a wellspring of iconoclastic creativity. This course allows you not only to study that group, but also to join it as songwriters yourselves. The course will follow two primary tracks. The first will involve analysis and study of songs by Texas songwriters. The second track will work like a creative writing workshop with students writing songs and critiquing each other's songs. The objectives of the class are to • analyze and do close readings of songs; • find and use credible sources for academic research; • learn the tools that songwriters use to craft songs; and • write and revise two original songs.

Texts Required: Pattison, Pat. (2009) Writing Better Lyrics. Writers Digest Books: Cincinnati, OH. Recommended: Strunk, W., Jr. (1999). The Elements of Style. (Original work published 1918) Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/141/.

Other readings will be handed out in class or posted on Blackboard.

Listening List 1. Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter 2. Selected songs compiled by instructor (see attached list).

I recommend purchasing the songs on the song lists from ITunes, but you can also listen to them on YouTube and may benefit from finding different performances of the same song or different covers. For each song you will need to download the lyrics and chords from one of the many resources on the web such as UltimateGuitar.com (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/0 or CowboyLyrics.com (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html). Try out different databases for lyrics and see which ones seem most comprehensive or accurate. You are expected to keep up with reading and listening assignments so that you can participate in class discussion.

OUTSIDE EVENTS University Lectures All Signature Course students are required to attend a lecture on campus. This requirement gives first-year students an opportunity to interact with leading members of our institution — scholars, scientists, artists, and civic leaders who are nationally and internationally renowned.

We will review the list of possible lectures in class and choose one to attend as a group.

Gems of the University The University of Texas has a wide array of world-class resources, such as the Harry Ransom Center and the Blanton Museum, available to students. One goal of the Signature Course program is to introduce first-year students to the wealth of resources available to them. In this course we will focus on the opportunities for live music on campus. You are required to attend two musical performances on campus. At least one of these should be at the Cactus Café (the most relevant of these are listed on the attached schedule), which is one of the most valuable gems the University has to offer. The other can be a musical performance at one of the other venues on campus.

Communication Assignments The course will include the writing assignments described below: 1. Homework/in-class exercises/informal assignments. Included in this category are short descriptions (1 to 2 pages) of the musical performances on campus that fulfill the Gems of the University requirement described above (must be turned in within a week of the performance) and peer critiques of other students’ songs.

2. Essay analyzing a song on the listening list.

3. Profile of a Texas songwriter and analysis of his or her musical influences

4. Song portfolio. The portfolio will include the following two original songs. Each song will be submitted (this means performing or playing a recording and handing out lyric sheets) while it's in process to the class for feedback and will then be revised. The second of these will be co-written with another student in the class. The portfolio, which will include pre-writing exercises, the first draft, revisions, and a recording of each song, will be graded on the basis of how seriously students have taken the task of revising their songs and how much they have improved.

GRADING Your course grade will be based on an average of your grades on written assignments and oral presentations. To pass the course, you must submit all major assignments before semester's end. I will not give any incompletes. Final course grades will be weighted as follows:

Homework/Exercises/Peer Critiques 15% Essay Analyzing Song 20% Profile 10% Songwriting Portfolio 45%

CELL PHONES AND COMPUTERS Two rules concerning the technology enriches our lives: 1. Turn your cell phones off in class. 2. Turn the computer off if you are not using it to take notes or use it for a specific in-class assignment. I know it’s tempting to check your email, do a little social networking, and just keep up your multi-tasking skills, but please turn the computers off unless we’re doing a writing or research activity involving computers.

PLAGIARISM In all academic work you must acknowledge any source you quote, paraphrase, or summarize, and any work you do on an assignment must be your own or your team’s. In songwriting, the legal issues are even thornier. Plagiarism can result in a failing grade for the course and a report to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. For more on UT’s policy on scholastic dishonesty, please see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis.php.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES The University of Texas provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471- 4641 TDD or the College of Engineering Director of Students with Disabilities at 471-4321.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS If you observe a religious holy day that conflicts with class, you will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence. It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that you must notify each of your instructors at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates you will be absent to observe a religious holy day.

CONFERENCES I will hold office hours every week. If the scheduled times are inconvenient, please ask me for an appointment. You should make time to meet with me to discuss any concerns you have about the course in general or about a particular assignment.

UGS 302 Songwriting: Listening List

1. Blue Yodel (T for Texas) Jimmie Rogers 2. Waiting for a Train Jimmie Rogers 3. Texas, 1947 Guy Clark 4. Georgia on a Fast Train Billy Joe Shaver 5. Desperados Waiting for a Train Guy Clark 6. Boxcars Butch Hancock 7. Cotton Lightnin Hopkins 8. Jesus Was Our Savior Billy Joe Shaver 9. Baby, Please Don’t Go Lightnin Hopkins 10. Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance Steve Fromholtz 11. Love at the Five and Dime Nanci Griffith 12. San Antonio Rose Bob Wills 13. Dallas Jimmie Dale Gilmore 14. Levelland James McMurtry 15. Corpus Christi Bay Robert Earl Keen 16. Gallo del Cielo Tom Russell 17. The West Side of Town Tish Hinojosa 18. London Homesick Blues Gary P Nunn 19. The Road Goes On Forever Robert Earl Keen 20. If I Had A Pony Lyle Lovett 21. Mr. Bojangles Jerry Jeff Walker 22. Heal Yourself Ruthie Foster 23. Feeling Good Again Robert Earl Keen 24. Oh, Pretty Woman Roy Orbison 25. Love Me Like a Song Kimmie Rhodes 26. I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal Billy Joe Shaver 27. Chantilly Lace J.P. Richardson 28. Daddy Said Nanci Griffith 29. Mama Said Ruthie Foster 30. Camilla Caroline Herring 31. If I Were the Man You Wanted Lyle Lovett 32. She's About a Mover Doug Sahm 33. That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly 34. Just a Wave Not the Water Butch Hancock 35. Crazy Willie Nelson 36. You Don't Know Me Cindy Walker 37. Hello Walls Willie Nelson 38. The Other Texas David Rodriguez 39. When I Heard Gypsy Davy Sing Carrie Rodriguez 40. Somedays You Write the Song Guy Clark 41. Beat the Devil Kris Kristofferson 42. Live Forever Billy Joe Shaver

SCHEDULE

Day Focus Prepare for class Assignments due 1 Mon 1/14 Introductions Wed 1/16 Analyzing songs: • Read Didion “Why I Write” HW due: In a 2-page analysis of criteria of http://www.idiom.com/~rick/html/why_i_write.htm a song that had a powerful effect evaluation • Listen to TVanZandt Live at the on you. Old Quarter (TVZ). Download lyrics and chords to Pancho and Lefty 2 Mon 1/21 MLK Day No Class

Wed 1/23 Analyzing songs: • Listen to songs 1 - 9 from song list. HW: Choose 1 song from the structure Download lyrics and chords. listening list. Write one page • Read handout on song structure. analysis of what you think the • Read Ch 1, Writing Better Lyrics songwriter is trying to say and how effective the song is. 3 Mon Analyzing songs: *Listen to TVZ. Download lyrics HW due: Choose 3 songs from 1/28 structure and chords to To Live’s to Fly, song list; describe structure, hook Tecumseh Valley, If I Needed You. placement, chord progression. *Listen to songs10 - 20 from the song list. Download lyrics and chords. WED Analyzing songs: Listen to songs 21 - 31 from the HW due: Choose a song for your 1/30 language song list. Download lyrics and essay. Analyze Structure, hook, chords. rhyme, metaphor, chords, Read Ch 2 - 3, Writing Better Lyrics metaphor, image.

4 MON Analyzing songs: Listen to songs 32 – 42 from the 2/4 Thesis statements song list. Download lyrics and chords. Read Ch 4 Writing Better Lyrics WED Analyzing songs: Read Ch 5 Writing Better Lyrics 2/6 melody 5 MON Research: Essay on song analysis due 2/11 Profile WED Research: Readings to be announced (TBA) HW: Two 10-minute object 2/13 Using Sources writing sessions. 6 MON Research: Profile Read Chs 6– 9, Writing Better 2/18 Meet in PCL 1.339 Lyrics WED Writing songs: Read Chs 10 - 13, Writing Better 2/20 Using the tools Lyrics 7 MON Writing songs: Review links posted on D. Halley; Presentation of profiles begin 2/25 Using the tools listen to recommended songs. WED Writing songs: Read Chs 14-19, Writing Better Presentation of profiles 2/27 Using the tools Lyrics 8 MON Writing songs: Read Chs 20 - 21, Writing Better Presentation of profiles 3/4 Using the tools Lyrics WED Writing songs: Presentation of profiles

3/6 Using the tools S P R I N G B R E A K 9 MON Song Workshop First song due. Turn in one hard 3/18 copy of lyrics and send an electronic copy. WED Song Workshop ChS 22 – 23, Writing Better Lyrics Song Workshop. 3/20 Students will play their songs and receive feedback from the class. Introduction to McKay Bros 10 MON Guest songwriter Review links on guest songwriter; Introduction to guest 3/24 Meet in Cactus listen to recommended songs. songwriter. WED Song Workshop Read Chs 24, Writing Better Lyrics Song Workshop continued. 3/26 Students will play their songs and receive feedback from the class. Introduction to Brennan Leigh 11 MON Guest songwriter Review links on guest songwriter; Introduction to guest 4/1 Meet in Cactus listen to recommended songs. songwriter. WED Co-writing songs Read Appendix Writing Better 4/3 Lyrics 12 MON Guest songwriter Review links on guest songwriter; Introduction to guest 4/8 Meet in Cactus listen to recommended songs. songwriter. WED Co-writing songs TBA (readings to be announced) 4/10 13 MON Guest songwriter Review links on guest songwriter; Introduction to guest 4/15 Meet in Cactus listen to recommended songs. songwriter.

WED Songwriting TBA Co-written songs due. 4/17 Workshop Co-written song workshop Students will play co-written songs and receive feedback from the class. 14 MON Songwriting TBA Co-written song workshop 4/22 Workshop Students will play co-written songs and receive feedback from the class. WED Revision Workshop TBA Song revision workshop 4/24 Revised songs due. Students will play latest revisions for class. 15 MON Revision Workshop TBA Song revision workshop 4/29 Revised songs due. Students will play latest revisions for class. WED Present final song Song portfolio due. 5/1