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Songwriting to a Blueprint

Overview 114 Lovely Attendees
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Your Host

Gary Grundei

Founder at golden lotus studio.

Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, NY, USA

Gary Grundei is a an award winning composer, performer, teacher, keynote speaker and workshop facilitator whose music has appeared on NPR, MTV, New York Stage and Film, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Magic Theatre, GALA Choruses, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He has worked on projects with Meredith Monk, Bill Pullman, Leigh Fondakowski, Jodie Foster, Caitlyn FitzGerald, and Barbara Dilley. He’s taught at Naropa University, Occidental College, the National Theatre Conservatory, University of Denver, Whitman College, and online through the songwriting community he founded: goldenlotusstudio.com. He lives in NYC and plays with the band High Fiction.

About this FieldTrip

You should leave this FieldTrip with a short original song that YOU have composed during the workshop.

We can’t promise it will be a GOOD song, but it should be uniquely yours. All levels of songwriting experience are welcome. Really! It’ll be kinda like painting by numbers, but for songwriting.

Don’t worry if you’ve never written a song before–this workshop is for you. Don’t worry if you have a Masters Degree in Music and you write all the time–this workshop is for you. Just go ahead and drop whatever worries you have about this. We’re going to have fun.

You don’t need to do anything to prepare, but you do need to know that this is going to be fun, easy, and hopefully inspiring.

Plan to set yourself up in a space that is fairly private, where you would feel comfortable singing out loud and where you are not going to be easily distracted during the workshop. Please also plan to leave your camera on for the workshop. This is a completely experiential workshop and no one is going to hear you (although there may be enough time for a volunteer to share a fragment, a la show-and-tell). You will be muted as you work on your song, but it’s so fun to glance up and see other people working on songs at the same time!

And feel free to let go of any worry, social anxiety, or the need to prove anything. You can write the worst song that has ever been written and no one will ever need to hear it.

Think of it as “me-time” with your own creative, musical heart.


Agenda

  • We'll get in to the mindset necessary to make some new music.

  • We'll write the song in a few short, timed segments. You'll be muted and working on your own, based on some prompts.

  • We'll record the song into our voice recorders by the end. Don't worry, you'll still be muted.

  • We'll close out with a quick reflection and gratitude for the writing practice.


What to know or bring

-A pen or pencil
-A journal or paper
-A voice recorder that is a different device than the one you will use for the video call (like your smartphone in airplane mode)
-(optional) an instrument, if you play one


What to expect

Workshop format!

A hands-on session where participants get to build, craft, or create something tangible.

It will be recorded!

The recording will be shared within 24 hours in the follow up email for a 4-day window, and available at the top of this page. Make sure to register for access!

Learn more about FieldTrips

Avatarsmallest2
Your Host

Gary Grundei

Founder at golden lotus studio.

Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, NY, USA

About Gary Grundei

Gary Grundei is a an award winning composer, performer, teacher, keynote speaker and workshop facilitator whose music has appeared on NPR, MTV, New York Stage and Film, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Magic Theatre, GALA Choruses, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He has worked on projects with Meredith Monk, Bill Pullman, Leigh Fondakowski, Jodie Foster, Caitlyn FitzGerald, and Barbara Dilley. He’s taught at Naropa University, Occidental College, the National Theatre Conservatory, University of Denver, Whitman College, and online through the songwriting community he founded: goldenlotusstudio.com. He lives in NYC and plays with the band High Fiction.


Attendees

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How to make the most of FieldTrips

The FieldTrips experience is defined not only by what the host has to share, but also by how we show up individually and collectively. The way we show up impacts our capacity to be moved, inspired, and activated.

Show up fully

Get ready to be immersed! Engage with smiles, nods, waves, emojis. Share in the chat. Get cozy. Turn off notifications. Sip your favorite beverage.

Stay curious

Wear your beginner’s hat. Go with the flow. Welcome the stumbles and fumbles. Congratulate yourself for trying. Keep going! 

Celebrate your host

Our hosts are members of the CreativeMornings community—just like you! Everyone comes to this with different backgrounds—a lot of our hosts have never done anything like this before! And we love that! Cheer them on when something goes awry and when it goes perfectly.

Support each other

We’re all figuring things out in real time. Celebrate, rather than critique emerging ideas. Cheer each other on as you try new things.  Try “Yes! And…” in conversation.

Not vibing?

It’s 100% okay when a FieldTrip does not resonate with you. Pop out quietly and try another experience later. Fill out the survey with your feedback (no dms to host or chat commentary, please.)