Teaching

New Storytelling Course
How do we reveal a compelling story in song?
How do we get to the heart without hammering too hard?
How do we reach beyond ourselves and tell the stories of others?
How do arrangement, harmony, production, tempo, and style affect our approach?
Together, over six weeks, we’ll discuss all this and more with plenty of reading, writing, deep listening and discussion together. We’ll mine poetic technique, and the stories that have had impact on our own lives: real and fantasy, known and unknown. We’ll find the perspective from which to frame them, and share all this within a supportive small group.
Space is limited! For amateur to professional songwriters.
Basic level of instrumental accompaniment and recording required (phone recordings fine).
All classes are online
Starts Sunday April 27 and runs 80 mins every Sunday til June 1
Choose preferred class time: 11am GMT, 2pm GMT, or 5pm GMT.
All returning students receive 10% discount.
Story in Song
Quotes From Students
I felt very motivated to work on assignments… Michelle gave us the tools to empower us to move forward, no matter where we started.
- Student, 10-Wk Songwriting Course
Michelle's class went way beyond my expectations. We learned to approach writing from several perspectives: lyrical, chordal, and from creating and joining parts. Michelle fosters a friendly, non-judgmental class.
- Student, 10-Week Songwriting Course
Michelle is truly an amazing teacher - her kind and inspirational ways of teaching songwriting leave you motivated and confident.
- Student, 10-Week Songwriting Course
This is the second time I have taken Michelle's songwriting class and I will be back again! She has so much to offer songwriters working on their craft and manages to share her knowledge in an enthusiastic and efficient manner. I felt encouraged and nudged towards the edge of my comfort zone, but I always felt like I had been given tools that I could use to complete assignments. In both workshops, I was struck by Michelle's ability to include and teach to folks with all levels of abilities and experience and she models a thoughtful and productive mode of giving feedback that allowed me to get closer to my own way of making music
- Student, 5 and 10-Week Songwriting Course
Working with students across the globe on the task of songwriting is a venture Michelle takes great pride in. Whether it’s one-on-one or leading a class of students, online or in-person, there are always lessons to be learned and new avenues to explore. A graduate of the Humber College Jazz Program, and nearly two decades of performing, touring, recording, and teaching, Michelle brings a wealth of experience from all manner of genre and roles within the music industry. She has taught at Guild Hall School of Music (London), The New School (NYC), University of North Carolina School of Music, Portland State University, Etobicoke School of the Arts (Toronto) and others. Michelle regularly teaches five and ten week songwriting courses for all skill levels which focus on developing new vocabulary, finishing work, collaboration and developing writing community.