VMP-Workbook-2020.Pdf
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3.0 Program Overview: This course is intended to spark your creativity, your authenticity, your truth. What is it that makes you uniquely you? What will you discover about yourself while on a creative journey? What will make you say, “That’s it! That’s me!” We are going to use music and all its power to take a peek into what makes you the unique person you are. For most of us, we can’t get there alone. We can’t get to that place without help. Mentors, family members, friends, teachers, spiritual leaders and many others help us unlock this power – to access what you might call My Best Self. We all have an MBS. The trick is how to access it. It takes a concerted effort over a period of time with people who want to help and who also need your help in return. During this process we learn to collaborate, to listen and to work together in order to achieve this profound goal – to access everyone’s MBS. We experience the joy of accomplishment and the discomfort of setbacks. It’s all part of the process. You’re going to surprise yourself. Peace, Jaye Budd Founder Alchemy Sky Foundation 2 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Objective of Course: • We are going to write and record two songs together. • To validate our voices, look at new ways to express ourselves and break down some of the internal and external barriers that we all carry Basic Structure of the Course: • The program’s duration is 12 Monday night sessions (7 pm to 9 pm) plus 16 to 20 hours in a professional recording studio after the 12 weeks • First 12 sessions are in a conference room located at TeamRWB’s Firebase located at 198 14th Street, Atlanta, GA o Typical structure of a weekly sessions: § Introduction (check-in) § Where did we leave off in the workbook? § Writing Exercise/Fill the “Word Bank” § Songwriting/music-making topic § Weekly sessions are summarized, and minutes are handed out the next week • We will use this workbook as a guide to create our songs. • We are using the app “BAND” to keep in touch with everyone so we will need a mobile # and email from you. • Some of the sessions listed in the book (Session #1, Session #2…) will run longer than one Monday night session. • We will use studio musicians and local artists to help us write the music, beats, melody, etc. • We will be shooting video during the project and will drop our songs wherever music is streamed or sold. • If you are interested, we would like to interview you towards the end of the project to ask you about your military service, what music means to you, your story, etc. Please feel free to provide photos or videos to include in the final music video. Housekeeping • We want everyone to participate. • Everyone’s voice is valuable and unique. Let’s respect every voice. • Please feel free to share via social media! • Release/contact information form ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation 3 Session #1 - We Are Going To Write AnD RecorD Two Songs Together • Housekeeping • Introductory exercise • Outline of course Theme Mood Genre Two Teams (one song per team) Review “Before We RecorD” Checklist IntroDuctory Exercise “Artist Compass” • Who are two of your favorite artists? • What are some of your favorite songs by these artists and why? 4 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Notes: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation 5 BEFORE WE RECORD CHECKLIST Song Identity Statement “This song is about ____________________________________________________ anD it sounDs like ___________________________________________________” Song Form: Structure identified? Verses complete? Chorus/Hook? BriDge? Musical break? Intro? Outro? PreproDuction/Instrumentation: Have all music tracks been identified? Have we identified all the vocalists & musicians? Do we have/neeD scratch tracks to senD aheaD of time? Do have have/need musicians to create the above tracks? Do any final tracks neeD to be done ahead of time? Guitar solo? 6 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Beat/Drum track? Backup Vox? Have we fully rehearseD the tracks we intenD to record ourselves? Workflow at stuDio: Do we know what happens first, seconD, thirD, etc. Do we need to map out what happens by hour or session at the studio? Are there activities to be done simultaneously? Have we iDentifieD Duties/tracks that neeD to be Done ahead time? If so, do we have these completed? Post-production: Master mix? Final proDuct iDentifieD (mp3, mp4, cd, spotify, etc.)? Distribution plan created/confirmed? ViDeo? Artwork? Social media? ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation 7 Session #2 Touch Base • What happened last week? Where did we leave off? • What are looking to accomplish today? Writing Exercise/WorD Bank: • Life in the military? • Deployment? • Coming home? • Your friends in the military? Writing Exercise/WorD Bank: • Write a letter to your younger/older self • Date it ten years ago/from now vs. today • Write a letter to someone who has moved you deeply (good or bad) Writing Exercise/WorD Bank: • Stream of consciousness writing • Write regardless of grammar or logic • Set your phone for three minutes and “just write” • Idea from the book The Artist’s Way 8 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Notes: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation 9 Songwriting Topic: Lyrics • Can you think of a song that speaks to you lyrically? • If so, why does it speak to you? • What makes a great lyric? • What is the difference between a hook and a phrase? • Two basic types of songs: § Narrative (“This happened to me.”) § Story (“This happened to somebody else.”) § Could be real or fiction Lyric “Deep Dive” • Review the summary status of the Word Bank • Structure of our song • Rhyming schemes (rhymezone.com) § ABAB or AABB • Rhyme analysis (favorite song?) • Prose vs. Poetry 10 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Notes: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation 11 Session #3 Touch Base • What happened last week? Where did we leave off? • What are looking to accomplish today? Writing Exercise/WorD Bank: • Mirroring Exercise • Pick a song, articulate the theme and write the opposite • Example “Georgia On My Mind” o It’s a song about missing a town. o Write about a town you don’t ever want to see again. Writing exercise/WorD Bank: • Group picks: o Place? o What is happening in that place? o Who is there at the place? o What happens to those people? o How does it end? Or does it? o Happy? Sad? Something else? Writing Exercise/WorD Bank: • Try to write a “hook” • Jumble slogans, reverse them, change one word, etc. • Crash opposites • Stop it, (you’re embarrassing me with all your nice words) • Stop it go on (but it feels good) • Stop it some more 12 ©copyright 2020 - Alchemy Sky Foundation Notes: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________