MENTOR-GUIDED LEARNING
The New Songwriter's Workshop
Go from performing other people's music to writing your own by exploring the fundamentals of creating great songs.
Are you a musician who has just started writing your own music? Jumpstart your creative process with this course full of universal tips, strategies, and sources of inspiration to help you craft your own sound.
In this course, acclaimed songwriter Oli Rockberger lays out some of the approaches he uses when choosing harmonic progressions, composing memorable melodies, finding effective writing strategies, and more. Plus, you'll get weekly personalized feedback on your songs from an expert Soundfly Mentor. Sign up now and write your next great song!
Oli Rockberger
Songwriter, Pianist, Producer
Oli Rockberger is a singer/songwriter, solo artist, producer/arranger, studio keys sideman, and one-third of the acclaimed electro-soul act Mister Barrington, based between New York and his native London. Currently working on his fourth studio album, his music has won critical acclaim for its blending of pop, soul, and jazz, while his musical breadth and versatility has led to collaborations with the likes of Levon Helm, Laura Mvula, Carly Simon, Gloria Gaynor, John Mayer, Jesse Harris, Judy Collins, Les McCann, Chris Dave, John Forte, and Randy Brecker, amongst numerous others. Oli performs, records, and presents workshops internationally, and brings the richness of his musical experiences to his insightful and engaging course for new songwriters.
Visit http://www.olirockberger.com for more info.
More About Oli
Less About Oli
3 Weeks Left to Join the Next Session
Payment plans available.
- Unlimited access to interactive and video content
- Weekly feedback and support from an expert Soundfly Mentor
- Membership in our growing online Slack community of students and mentors
Price $499
Give yourself the tools to write great songs
By the end of this course, you’ll understand the various elements of a great song and how to piece them together to create something original.
Listen Differently to Your Favorite Songs
We show you how to listen to and analyze your favorite songs in new ways.
Expand Your Harmonic Palette
We explore how to build common chord progressions using triads and seventh chords.
Craft Memorable Melodies & Hooks
We explore some key factors that can contribute to really great melody writing.
Overcome Writer's Block & Practice Writing
This course includes strategies for starting out and writing prompts for practice.
Are you an educator? If so, you can access educator discounts. !
GET PERSONAL SUPPORT & FEEDBACK FROM A SOUNDFLY MENTOR
Our expert mentors do whatever it takes to ensure that you achieve your musical goals for the course and leap forward in your learning.
Christina Apostolopoulos
Songwriter & Guitarist
- Independent songwriter finishing up second full-length album
- Leader of songwriting workshops for GRCA, Loud Program, & others
- Featured in songwriting showcases at Berklee College of Music
Mahea Lee
Multi-Genre Composer
- Written & performed solo and in multiple acts around NYC & LA
- Contemporary Writing & Production grad from Berklee College of Music
- Songwriting experience in jazz, pop, classical, & contemporary genres
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
Lina Farah
Indie Artist, Performer“By giving me the right tasks my Mentor helped me to come up with ideas to create the perfect values and tones for my musical story. Though the program is over, my mentor still feels like my accountability-partner which gives me an ongoing, encouraging drive.”
Jeffrey Yuan
Composer, Photographer“I have taken three courses with Soundfly and have been very impressed by the quality of the courses. The deep feedback and analysis I get from my mentors has been wonderful. I do not ever recall getting this level of feedback nor support in previous online courses (or live courses for that matter.)”
Eric Lake
Producer“Martin's mentorship taught me to produce with intention and to discover my sound through exploration rather than through prescribed, exact steps. I now feel comfortable developing ideas through to completed tracks rather than stuck in a loop of writing grooves and letting them collect dust as partially finished projects.”
Course Outline
MORE INFORMATION
Who is this course for?
This course is for beginner songwriters who are looking to learn how to write songs from scratch. It focuses specifically on the building blocks of songwriting, including structure, harmony, and melody.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
YES. If you sign up and the course isn't what you expected, we will give you a full refund as long as you tell us before the start of the second week. The reason that the second week of the course is a cut-off for our guarantee is simply because if we go past that deadline, our mentors will have likely put in a lot of time, energy, and effort already.
We're also happy to move you to a subsequent session, if you end up not having as much time as you expected. Once again, let us know as soon as possible!
What are the requirements?
There are no pre-requirements for this course, although it's targeted specifically at people who know some piano or guitar. The course touches on chords, intervals, and other elements of composition. You will need some way to make music, whether a piano, keyboard, guitar, MIDI program, etc.
What do I get as a Mainstage student?
The Mainstage experience is built on our science-backed active learning model, which helps you learn more efficiently and effectively than typical online courses. The key difference is our mentorship approach — one-on-one coaching with a trained Soundfly Mentor who has extensive experience in the subject. When you sign up, we'll pair you with an expert who will tailor the course to your experience level, offer detailed weekly feedback on your work, answer any questions you have, help you blow past obstacles, and keep you on track to accomplish your musical goals.
You'll also get unlimited, lifetime access to all the course content — including in-depth lessons, activities with answer keys, quizzes, video tutorials, and downloadable resources — so you can review anytime and keep your skills sharp.
As an extra perk, you’ll get lifetime access to our tight-knit musician community group on Slack, where you’ll find peer-to-peer feedback and support, lots of inspiration, and fun, musical conversations with fellow Soundfly students, mentors, and staff.
How long does it take?
You'll want to really digest the material at your own pace, but the guided experience will last about six weeks.
What will I learn by the end?
You'll finish this course having learned about common song structures, common harmonic devices, how to craft memorable melodies, tricks for overcoming writer's block, and more. By the end, you will have analyzed other people's music, thought about your own music in new ways, and written a few songs of your own.
What does it mean that the course starts on a specific date?
As soon as you purchase a course, you can begin exploring the course material immediately. On the start date, the session begins, which means you'll begin the guided experience that includes weekly activities, feedback from Soundfly Mentors, and much more. This is intended to help you stay accountable and get the feedback you need to succeed.
Will there be future sessions of the course?
Yes! We plan to run new sessions roughly every two months. Check back shortly for firm dates, or sign up for a Soundfly account to receive email updates about course dates and new course launches.
How do I give the course as a gift?
Soundfly courses make great gifts for the music lover in your life. To purchase a course as a gift, first sign into your Soundfly account, or create a new account for you (the purchaser). Pick the course you'd like to give, click to purchase, fill in your information, check the box below the credit card form saying you're buying the course as a gift, and click to pay. You'll shortly receive an email gift certificate that you can give to a friend.
How do I sign up for a course using a gift certificate?
Create your own Soundfly account, navigate to the course you've been gifted, and click to "buy now." On the check out page at the bottom of the form, you'll see a field where you can enter the code on your gift certificate. Enter the code, no credit card info needed, click "Apply," and enjoy the course!