As songwriting educators with years of experience at both high school and collegiate levels, we've seen common patterns in what can make—or break—a song. Whether you're a seasoned songwriter or guiding students through their first compositions, these five elements can elevate a song...

For whatever reason, lyrics seem to be both the easiest way into songwriting as well as the most challenging. Easy because they access language that we already have - no need for harmonic or melodic vocabulary - but hard because there just isn't a lot of real estate to say everything you...