Arrangement with David Longstreth (Weekend Workshop, June '23)

Gain access to lecture recordings, homework prompts and all course materials for David Longstreth's 3-day arrangement workshop. 

Here's what to expect:

In this 3-day intensive, each lecture session is split into two parts:

1) a high-level framework for thinking about aspects of arrangement, and

2) in-depth arrangement breakdowns of several Dirty Projectors songs

Day 1: Musical arrangement as flower arrangement (ikebana). Arranging using "feedforward" process, where the line drawing form of the song is complete before the arrangement colors it in. Arrangement breakdowns of "About to Die" from Swing Lo Magellan and "Sharing Orb" from Mount Wittenberg Orca.

Day 2: Timecoding in arrangement. Using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) as a primary tool while arranging. Learn about potential pitfalls and how to avoid them. Arrangement breakdowns of "Finches Song at Oceanic Parking Lot" from The Getty Address, and "Work Together" from the Dirty Projectors' self-titled album.

Day 3: Characters in arrangement. Specific arrangement techniques and starting points, including the juxtaposition of opposites, call & response, making it a drum, "roughing it up" // "smoothing it out", the gerwig axis, and using no arrangement at all. 

Here's what previous students have to say:

“David is a truly engaging, inspiring and humble teacher. I think any course he does will be very popular and I'll be eager to join his next one.”

"A beautiful and inspiring weekend intensive experience."

"Thanks to the team at School of Song for making this happen. This workshop has supercharged my songwriting and arrangement abilities. I look forward to taking part in other workshops.

This course archive includes:

1. 3 class video recordings (5 total hours of lecture).
2. All course materials, including an arrangement prompt crafted by David.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What musical experience is required to understand the material in this course?

A: People across all musical levels will be able to gain something from the course. However, it will be helpful to be comfortable playing a few basic chords on any instrument of your choice in order to complete the songwriting prompts.

Q: What if I’ve never written a song before? Can I still participate in this workshop?

A: Yes! As with any new skill, just starting is usually the hardest part. This workshop will provide the structure and accountability we all need to get started and follow through, for beginners and old guard writers alike.

Q: What is different about watching this past course versus participating while the workshop is run live?

A: By purchasing this course, you'll have access to the same resources as the students who took the course while it was running other than the live songshares. 

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Questions? Email us at hi@schoolofsong.org.