Songs and books: seemingly different animals while somehow within the same species. But when comparing
songwriting to literary writing, the most noticeable and immediate difference is the length of the text. While songs require a complete story or thought to be conveyed along the most immediate path and within the least number of words possible, also presenting a melodic structure to compliment the lyrics, books allow magnificent amounts of space in which to spin the tale, entertain the reader, and give more backstory than would ever be possible within a song shorter than “Alice’s Restaurant.” But it’s interesting how the skills specific to each medium can compliment the other.

This workshop will address how to combine the skill sets to say things differently, giving a reader or listener a new experience and to allow your own writing, whether songs or literary works, to stand out as being more relevant and maybe even a little more fun. We will look at lyrical structure and the parts of a song and how those techniques can generate opening lines that will grab your reader and not let them go. We will also consider how the ability to describe scenes and generate dialog in a book can enhance your songwriting skills to be more conversational and draw the listener into the story. Bring your best ideas and come prepared to try your hand at penning a fresh lyric or deconstructing something you may have already written.

East Tennessee native, award-winning singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Karen E. Reynolds has appeared at premier venues, performance series, and high-profile festivals, with a style described as “Americana Heart & Southern Soul.” An accomplished songwriter, Karen was inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame in for songwriting in 2019. A respected music industry consultant working with independent artists and songwriters in developing their careers, and a former faculty member of the Nashville-based Music Business Mentoring Professionals, Karen provides consultation and career coaching to artists wishing to further their careers. She also directs the Educational Outreach Program for the Frank Brown International Foundation for Music. 
Along with her long list of professional achievements, Karen’s personal story equally drives her passion to write and perform. In fact, she considers her life as a series of miracles, having survived two life-threatening pulmonary embolisms, along with thyroid cancer, the latter almost costing her the loss of her vocal cords. Yet Karen has survived, thrived, and continues to use her gift to the best of her ability, performing and crafting songs intended to bring people together over common experiences, and to benefit cancer organizations.

For additional info, visit www.reverbnation.com/karenereynolds.

We are in-person for this workshop.