Intro to Songwriting:
8-Week Mini-Course
Write Your First Song in 8 Weeks.
Downtown Boston's Creative Hub.
Thursdays · 8 Weeks · Starts October 15
7:00 to 8:00 PM. No class November 26. Led by Meghan. All instruments welcome, no songwriting experience required.
Rated 5.0 on Google
(190 Reviews)
YOUR GOAL
Go from "I have never
written a song" to
"I wrote this."
Instead of only learning songs that already exist, you start experimenting with your own ideas, making creative choices, and discovering what happens when the music starts with you.
You do not need to show up knowing how to write a song. That is what the eight weeks are for. With guidance from Meghan, you take the process one step at a time and learn how different musical ingredients work together to form something original.
By the end you walk away with at least one completed original verse and chorus in a genre and style that feels like you.
You will also leave with:
- A performance of your original music with your group in the final class, and a video of it
- A foundation in melody, harmony, lyrics, rhythm, groove, and structure
- A repeatable process for developing future musical ideas
- Greater confidence making your own creative decisions
- Priority consideration for select Musicians Playground open mics and happy hours
This is not about becoming a professional songwriter. It is about discovering that you can create music of your own.
THE BUILDING BLOCKS
Learn how songs come together.
There is no single correct way to write a song. An idea might begin with a chord progression. A melody. A rhythm. A lyric. A groove. Something you play on your instrument. Or simply a feeling you want to explore.
Throughout the eight weeks, you will experiment with the core building blocks of songwriting and learn how to connect them in ways that feel natural to you.
Harmony & Chords
Explore how chords and harmonic choices can create emotion, movement, and a foundation for your song.
Melody
Experiment with melodic ideas and learn how melodies interact with harmony, rhythm, and lyrics.
Lyrics & Storytelling
Explore approachable ways to turn thoughts, feelings, concepts, and stories into lyrics that sound like you.
Rhythm & Groove
Discover how tempo, rhythm, and groove can completely change the character and energy of your music.
Song Structure
Learn how verses, choruses, and other sections work together to turn individual ideas into a cohesive song.
Your Creative Process
Discover how you like to create so you have a process you can return to long after the eight weeks are over.
YES, THIS IS FOR YOU
There is more than one way into a song.
One of the hardest parts of songwriting is staring at a blank page and wondering what you are supposed to do next, so we take the blank page out of the equation. The course breaks songwriting into approachable creative steps, with prompts, musical tools, instructor guidance and weekly feedback to keep your ideas moving.
Songwriting is not just for singers. Pianists may begin with chords. Guitarists might find a riff. Singers may hear a melody. A drummer might start with a groove. Your musical background becomes another creative tool you bring into the process.
You will spend the eight weeks alongside a small group of adults who are there for the same reason, sharing ideas, hearing different approaches and developing your music in a room centered on curiosity rather than judgment. No competition, no pressure to impress anyone.
You do not need:
- Previous songwriting experience
- Advanced music theory
- A song already started
- To be an advanced instrumentalist
- To know exactly what kind of song you want to write
You can come in with ten ideas. You can come in with one tiny idea. You can come in with absolutely nothing. We will start from wherever you are.
MEET MEGHAN
Guidance when you need it. Creative freedom where it matters.
Meghan guides the group throughout the eight weeks, helping you understand the tools behind songwriting while creating a supportive space to experiment and find your own approach.
Rather than telling you what your song should sound like, she will help you explore possibilities, understand why different creative choices work, and make decisions based on the music you want to create.
Whether you arrive with an idea already forming or have absolutely no clue where to begin, Meghan will help you find the next step.
Meghan
Vocal & Songwriting Instructor
Meghan is a vocalist, songwriter and producer, and a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Electronic Production and Sound Design and received a Contemporary Writing and Production award for excellence in electronic music production. She has produced for singer-songwriters and solo artists across hip hop, house, Afro-Cuban, orchestral and EDM, composing original material and handling arrangement through to finished mixes and masters. For a writer that means she can work on the whole song with you, from the first idea to a recording you would actually release. Whether you are writing your first song or finishing a backlog of half-ideas, she will meet you where you are.
What members say about making their own music
From people who walked in as beginners and now play their own songs here:
"
Musicians playground helped me to develop as an artist. I started with a little musical knowledge, and now I read music, play piano and I'm producing my own music. Met some of my closest friends there, incredible music community. Definitely recommend!
J
JUAN R.
"
I have been a member of Musicians Playground for 3 years and I LOVE it! The quarterly happy hours are so fun - I've performed covers and even got support to perform some of my own songs! It's such a welcoming environment for performing and socializing.
D
DAYNA F.
"
When I started music lessons at Musician's Playground, I knew I had found something truly special. I've been taking voice and guitar lessons as an adult hobbyist, and the progress I've made is beyond what I expected. The open mic nights are a huge highlight!
C
CYNTHIA H.
Pricing
Active Members
$399
Non-Members
$599
8 week course. Small cohort, limited capacity. Anyone can enroll, you do not need to be a member, and active members pay the reduced rate.
Intro to Songwriting FAQs
Not at all. This course was specifically built for people who are new to songwriting, including those writing their very first song.
Not at all. All instruments and musical backgrounds are welcome. Voice, piano, guitar, drums, multi-instrumentalists, and other musicians can all approach songwriting differently, and the course is designed to help you use the musical tools you already have.
You do not need advanced instrumental skills. If you play an instrument, you will be able to use it as part of your creative process. If your primary instrument is your voice or you are still early in learning music, that is completely fine too.
Perfectly fine. You do not need to bring an existing idea into the course. Part of the experience is learning how to generate, explore, and develop ideas in the first place.
The music you actually like. You will be encouraged to explore genres and styles that interest you while learning songwriting concepts that can work across many different kinds of music.
Our goal is for every participant to complete at least one original verse and chorus, along with a creative process and musical foundation they can use to continue developing that song or start something new.
You can continue writing it, work on it through songwriting lessons, bring it into one of our production programs, or explore opportunities to perform your original music through Musicians Playground.
The fall course meets Thursdays for 8 weeks, from October 15 to December 10, 7:00 to 8:00 PM at our studio at 33 West St, Floor 5, in Downtown Boston. There is no class on November 26, the week of Thanksgiving. Meghan leads the course.
The 8 week course is $399 for active members and $599 for everyone else. You do not need to be a member to enroll.
At our studio at 33 West Street in Downtown Crossing, Boston, steps from the Red and Orange Lines at Downtown Crossing station, the Green Line at Park Street, and the Blue Line at State. Members commute from Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, and every downtown neighborhood.
Yes. Musicians Playground is an adults-only studio, so your cohort will be adults writing their first songs alongside you: professionals, retirees, and people coming back to music after years away.
YOUR FIRST SONG STARTS HERE
Give yourself eight weeks to see what you can create.
You do not need to wait until you feel creative enough. You do not need years of musical experience. You do not need a brilliant idea waiting in your back pocket. You just need a place to start.
Come explore a new side of music, get out of your comfort zone, and make something that is yours.
Intro to Songwriting
October 15 to December 10
Thursdays | 7:00 to 8:00 PM
8 Weeks | No Class November 26
Led by Meghan
All instruments welcome. No songwriting experience required. You do not need to be a member.
Free 15 minute call. Same-day slots are often available.
Not ready for a cohort?
Adult songwriting lessons in Downtown Boston
This mini-course runs as a fixed cohort with a set curriculum. If you would rather start whenever you like and work one to one on songs you are already writing, our ongoing songwriting lessons do that.
See adult songwriting lessons in BostonWhere your song can go next
More Ways to Play
Explore More
Continue your musical journey with our other programs and lessons.
