by Mike Errico | Oct 8, 2024 | Music Lyrics and Life, Podcast, Teaching
Now available on all platforms: “Music, Lyrics, and Life,” the audiobook. Narrated by me with a new afterword. I’m so happy to give greater access to this book that’s become part of arts programs across the country. Also, I’m psyched to accompany touring artists on those long drives and flights. This was a crazy ride, and I hope you’ll join me on it....
by Mike Errico | Jun 14, 2023 | Teaching
Presented by Mike Errico and The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment #nymusicmonth The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St., NYC June 29th, 6:30p Free / info: (212) 673-7030 Let me tell you what’s going on, here. As some of you know, I’ve been teaching songwriting for about ten years now, and early on I felt my students would benefit from a community that extended beyond the classroom. So, I created The Hang, which began as a newsletter, then gravitated online, and has since lived there, with the exception of parties in various cities around the country. The Hang has been one of the brightest spots in my musical career, and was a major inspiration for my book. Now, thanks to a generous grant from the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, I have the opportunity to introduce this community that is transforming the music industry in all arenas — songwriting, touring, A&R, mastering, AI, composing, events, and much more. The night is free, and will include two “sets” of wide-ranging conversations about music, punctuated by musical performances. There will be a short intermission to meet, talk, and exchange ideas and contact info. FAQ: Because you have questions, I get it. I’ve tried to anticipate what some of them are, and I’ve made some video explainers. If your question isn’t addressed, ask away, and maybe I’ll make a video about it, too. Q: Why did you make The Hang? Tik Tok Instagram Q: What IS The Hang? Tik Tok Q: Who’s in The Hang? Tik Tok Q: Why is The Hang at the Bitter End? Tik Tok Where can...
by Mike Errico | Jun 18, 2022 | Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
Saturday, June 18, 2022 12:00 PM EDT Reserve a spot here: https://totb.mykajabi.com/mikeerrico Preproduction is a big part of recording music, but on Saturday, June 18th we’re going to talk about preproduction for your ideas—setting up the regimen that yields so much nonsense, but all of the great stuff, too. In this class, we’ll talk about the power of daily journaling, how to get started, the forms it can take, and more. We’ll have time for a Q&A at the end, so come ready with all your songwriting questions! We’ll randomly pick one person to win a signed copy of Music, Lyrics, and Life (You must attend the live class to be eligible.) See you...
by Mike Errico | Jun 15, 2022 | Free, Lessons, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
Mike Errico Tapped to Teach GRAMMY® Museum’s Inaugural NYC Songwriting Sessions The GRAMMY® Summer Sessions are part of a series of programs in partnership with the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Summer Session will be taught by NYU lecturing professor Mike Errico and hosted by the CUNY Graduate Center Office of Academic Initiatives and Strategic Innovation. “I’ve been teaching for years at universities that, let’s face it, are very expensive. Access to a broad range of students has always weighed on me—it’s part of the reason I wrote my book, and it’s definitely why I’m so excited to teach these free sessions to up-and-coming high schoolers. See you there!”—Mike Errico SESSION #1: Tuesday, July 12 to Saturday, July 16, 2022 SESSION #2: Tuesday, July 19 to Saturday, July 23, 2022 TO APPLY, CLICK HERE The GRAMMY Museum’s Summer Session program is a FREE five-day non-residential songwriting workshop for students currently enrolled in High School. The program provides valuable resources to help build a solid foundation in songwriting. Additionally, instruction places a focus on skills that are beneficial in workforce development across many careers in, and out of music.This activity is part of a suite of education programs that take place throughout the year under the GRAMMY In The Schools umbrella. About Mike Errico: Mike Errico is a recording artist, author, and songwriting professor at Yale, the New School, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. In additions to his performing and teaching careers, Errico’s opinions and insights have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and CNN....
by Mike Errico | Jan 3, 2022 | Books, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching, Text Journalism
This is a great one, written by Matthew Wang. Congrats on your book, Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide For the Advancing Songwriter. Can you talk about some of your former songwriting students, some of whom are interviewed in the book? First off, I’m grateful that so many of them came out to be a part of the book—and that includes you, my friend. I really think of us as a team, and I spend a lot of time trying to find opportunities to connect former students to each other. There’s an Instagram account dedicated to the amazing stuff everybody’s doing, and there’s also a Facebook page where we share job opportunities, gear, etc…, but that one’s secret. Can songwriting be taught? Partially, yes. And to a specific subsection of the songwriting community, absolutely yes. Mke Errico connects through songwriting. (Photo Credit: Stan Horaczek) Of course, there are the people who walk into my class with an innate gift of how melody and structure flows, and for them, sometimes all I can do is encourage them to finish as much as possible, and to challenge them to stretch into areas they hadn’t considered. Which, frankly, is a lot. But the writers I can help most obviously are the ones who are maybe not as gifted naturally, but who make up for it by being hell-bent to be a songwriter. They’re early for class; they set up weekly office hours; they apply for all the internships; they co-write with everyone they possibly can; they wake up in the morning wondering how they can get better. I work hard to...
by Mike Errico | Nov 16, 2021 | Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
Excerpted from Music, Lyrics, and Life: Signed copies: Bandcamp If you’re a Bruce Springsteen fan, you know that he’s from New Jersey. If you’ve ever listened to Eminem, chances are excellent that you know he’s from Detroit. You may know Kendrick Lamar is from Compton, Jennifer Lopez is from the Bronx, Pitbull is from Miami, and the North Mississippi Allstars are from . . . you get it. How do you know where they’re from? Because they told you—a million times. In song after song, they’ve created a world by planting signifying flags, both literal and metaphorical, in the hopes that you will identify with their artistic journey and want to be a part of it. Let’s call these musical flag plantings Mission Songs. If you’ve ever had to write a topic sentence for a paper or read the mission statement of a school or company, you’re familiar with the concept. Mission Songs lay out the story of the artist—what they believe in, where they’re from, what they want. They’re decoding glasses. Here’s an example of a Mission Song success story, ripped from the pages of music history. You’ve heard of Kiss? With the makeup, the dragon boots, the breathing fire, and all that? Of course you have. Picture this as a songwriting challenge: bassist Gene Simmons was a kabuki-inspired demon who’d pop blood capsules in his mouth and “bleed” all over his ax-shaped bass; guitarist Ace Frehley was “from space”; singer/guitarist Paul Stanley was vaguely described as a “star-child”; and drummer Peter Criss was (checks notes) a cat? This was a band that needed a musical decoder ring....
