Get ready for our next songwriting challenge. We’ll ask you to write a song to a specific topic, and then we’ll gather to listen to the new songs.

This Month’s Theme

This month’s theme is Back to School.

September, for many people, invites thoughts of new beginnings, fresh starts, and second chances. For some, these feelings are complicated, with the end of carefree summer days, and some (who resist change) may simply wish everything could stay the same. Nostalgia often plays a role, with bittersweet memories of moving on, literally in school, to new friends, new teachers, and new challenges.

What does “back-to-school” mean to you, if not literally about classes and school books? Is there a particular memory of something that happened to you (or to the imaginary “you”) in some long-lost Fall season? What fresh start were you able to launch? Can you relate to a feeling of having to learn something new, and feeling like you’re back in school?

Remember, you can stray from the topic suggested, simply using it as a starting-off point. You may also feel free to write a song that is undeniably concerned with “back-to-school”, if that’s your preference. (Our prompts are meant to be just that: a suggestion that prompts you to write a song!)

Your Mission

Use the Song Call to spark your imagination and write something NEW and fresh.

1. Answer the Call: You have until 9:00am ET September 12th to write and record a demo of a new song around the given topic
2. Send us your Song: Send an MP3 of your recording, and a PDF of your lyrics, to songcall@songstudio.ca

To repeat, this is about WRITING A NEW SONG, not about sending us something written already. Challenge yourself and get writing!

Stuck? Call a songwriter friend and write it together. Got two new songs for the call? Send ’em both. Got an older song about the given topic? Leave it at home. Write something fresh!

On Using AI to Write This Song

While we are all watching with interest as AI tools evolve, this call is NOT for songs generated by an AI. We want to encourage you to use your songwriting skills to write, and while you can use AI and other software as a tool, say to spark an interesting idea or look for rhyming words, we are not looking for songs with LYRICS or MELODY generated by an AI.

This isn’t about asking someone else to do your homework. We want to hear YOUR songwriting.

On Using AI to Produce This Recording

We’ve heard plenty of arguments supporting the use of AI to produce a sound recording. Please, just don’t do it. We’re not interested. IF you must use an AI tool to generate your sound recording, keep it simple and demonstrate the song. GUITAR/VOCAL or PIANO/VOCAL, etc. We truly don’t want to listen to another AI-generated guitar solo. We want to hear the song.

Two Listening Parties!

On Saturday, September 12th, we will host two Zoom listening parties:

1. a FREE Zoom listening party from 10:00am-12:00pm, Eastern Time, to celebrate the songs written to this month’s theme.
   The Zoom link will be emailed to the SongStudio mailing list, so be sure you’re on our mailing list (with your current email address) if you’d like to attend.
   
2. a PAID Zoom listening party from 1:00pm, Eastern Time, to listen AND critique songs. This will be much more like the workshopping sessions at every SongStudio workshop.
   The Zoom link for this meeting will be emailed to Song Call PLUS subscribers.

The point of Song Call is push you to write songs and inspire you to stay on the recommended theme. Have fun and write on!

Song Call PLUS

Just like in our SongStudio workshops, we will critique your songs to help you get the most out of the process. Bring ANY song to Song Call PLUS, even if it wasn’t written to this month’s theme.

And if you don’t have a song for critique, jump in and learn from the feedback on the other songs presented.

A subscription to Song Call PLUS gets you into every meeting for the remainder of the year.

September-November Price: $129 (plus tax)
for a spot in our September and November Song Call PLUS meetings.

Send $145.77 (tax included) by INTERAC eTransfer to payment@songstudio.ca and write your name and email address in the comment of the eTransfer.