Competency: Instrument
Course Number: COMP-105
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
Building on the basic techniques learned in Guitar Accompaniment 1, students will begin to access more advanced concepts of rhythmic foundation and harmonic composition. Complimentary internal instrumental hooks and lead lines will also be studied as a means to create additional motifs within the student’s original song material. Students will also learn how to accompany themselves on the guitar while singing, along with playing as part of a small ensemble in support of another singer/ songwriter. This course consists of a weekly one-hour lecture and one-hour lab. This course may be taken as an elective.

Prerequisite: Guitar Accompaniment 1. 

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: COMP-107
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
Continuing on the concepts introduced in History of Song 1, a further studying of the evolution of the popular song will be focused on. Students will be challenged to “connect the dots” between varying words, phrases, concepts and ideas to become viable stories. Learning how to become a great storyteller through song and studying some of the most effective and powerful story songs throughout popular music history will offer students the ability to find their own unique and essential “voice”. Studying the evolution and cadence of folk song material through the eras will compliment and contrast valuably with the more current use of storytelling in popular genres and cultures. This course will consist of a one and a half-hour weekly lecture. This course may be taken as an elective 

Prerequisite: History of Song 1. 

Competency: Instrument 
Course Number: COMP-110
Credits: 2

Course Description
The primary goal of each course is to act as reinforcement for the core curriculum of the Songwriting Department. Any questions involving individual weekly classes will be addressed, and the instructor will help each student keep up with the general pace of all classes in their program. Additional assignments may be given to students when appropriate. This course consists of a weekly, one-hour private lesson.

Prerequisite: Students must complete each level in order to continue into the subsequent level of the course

Competency: Showcase
Course Number: COMP-113
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
This showcase will be focused on using the guitar to accompany the student’s original song material. Through weekly meetings with their private instructor, each student will prepare a five-song set of original material that they will sing along with accompanying themselves with either the acoustic or electric guitar. This course will consist of a two-hour weekly class meeting. 

Course Description
Students have the opportunity to choose any course that is offered as an elective. This course may be within the students major field of study or outside of the major. Please note: if the elective course chosen is outside the major area of study the department heads signature will be required to add the course. The course of choice must be worth at least 1.0 credit.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: IND-214
Credits: 0.5

Course Description
This course will introduce students to professionals from the music industry in various areas of specialization. Industry guests will include Managers, Entertainment Attorneys, Publishers, Music Supervisors, A&R Representatives, Marketing Professionals, Recording Artists, Booking Agents, Tour Promoters, Entrepreneurs and more. In a lecture and Q&A format, the students will have the opportunity to network with and learn from working professionals in the Los Angeles music industry. Understanding how to apply the knowledge they are gaining in their program to a “real world” application in the industry will be a crucial focus and this master class series will provide invaluable networking and opportunities to learn about varied career path options. This course consists of a bi-weekly, two-hour lecture.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: MUS-1001
Credits: 3

Course Description
Applied Theory Lab 2 continues with the five primary elements of Applied Theory 1. Diatonic harmony, chord construction and progressions as well as chromaticism are introduced. Added requirements for ear training will be chord progression and chord recognition dictation. Students are asked to perform on the piano all ear training material to better comprehend the information. Computer notation is introduced. This course consists of four weekly, one-hour labs.

Prerequisite: Applied Theory Lab 1.

Competency: Music Tech
Course Number: PROD-306
Credits: 3

Course Description
This class explores the vast creative options of Ableton Live. This DAW is designed for creating musical ideas, turning them into finished songs, and even taking them onto the stage. It is a fast, fun, intuitive way to make music with efficient workflow enhancements to audio improvements and a new technology called Link which works under the hood, allowing you to instantly play in perfect sync with multiple instances of Live as well as a growing number of iOS apps. There are numerous creative projects culminating to creating a fully produced demo of an original song. This course consists of a weekly, two-hour lecture and two-hour lab.

Competency: Music Tech
Course Number: COMP-103
Credits: 2

Course Description
Learning how to build a custom Digital Audio Workstation for the purpose of recording and producing their own song material is crucial to today’s professional songwriter. Many writing opportunities require the writer to be able to deliver new edits, key changes, arrangement alterations and style variations in the matter of hours. Songwriters who are not proficient in basic engineering and producing skills and do not have a personal “rig” to work with will be at a disadvantage. This course will explore the options for software and hardware platforms in order to prepare the students for choosing the setup most effective for their personal style and skill set. This course will consist of two, one and a half-hour weekly lectures/ labs. This course may be taken as an elective.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: COMP-108
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
Students will be introduced to the “melting pot” involved in the birth of the American song. From the tragedy of the slaves to those who survived the Irish potato famine, to the Great Depression and those persecuted, detained, abused and victimized throughout America’s history, we see how a “perfect storm” of crisis and cultural conflict led to and opened the door to the development of early American music. Genres studied according to the specific societal implications and musical results will include: Blues, Jazz, Folk, Country, R&B and Rock n Roll. The American pop song holds influences of these varied eras, genres and evolution of societal and political challenges. Students will learn of influences from the Irish/Afro sounds of New York City in the early 1800’s to the backfields of New Orleans and on to the cowboy songs of the western frontier, back again to current times and societal conflict as influence and topics for popular songs. This course will consist of a one and a half-hour weekly lecture.

Prerequisite: History of Song 2.

Competency: Instrument
Course Number: COMP-111
Credits: 2

Course Description
The primary goal of each course is to act as reinforcement for the core curriculum of the Songwriting Department. Any questions involving individual weekly classes will be addressed, and the instructor will help each student keep up with the general pace of all classes in their program. Additional assignments may be given to students when appropriate. This course consists of a weekly, one-hour private lesson.

Prerequisite: Students must complete each level in order to continue into the subsequent level of the course

Competency: Showcase
Course Number: COMP-114
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
Students will write charts for and rehearse with a small group of musicians (2-3) in weekly rehearsals, culminating in a final showcase of six original songs. According to how they would like to express and perform their original material, the instrumentation will be the students’ choice and they will act as both musical director and participant in the performance. This course will consist of a two-hour weekly class meeting.

Competency: Entrepreneurship
Course Number: COMP-207
Credits: 2

Course Description
This course focuses on music publishing with an introduction to the various income sources found in the music industry. Topics include: choosing between BMI and ASCAP, how to protect your song or song performance through copyright, recording artist deals and record companies production deals and song splits, mechanical and sync licensing, as well as understanding the varying types of common publishing deals. This course consists of a weekly, two-hour lecture.

Course Description
Students have the opportunity to choose any course that is offered as an elective. This course may be within the students major field of study or outside of the major. Please note: if the elective course chosen is outside the major area of study the department heads signature will be required to add the course. The course of choice must be worth at least 1.0 credit.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: MUS-1002
Credits: 3

Course Description
Applied Theory 3 continues to build on the five primary elements of Applied Theory 1 and 2. Minor keys/scales, modes, progressions in major and minor tonality, modulation, constitutes some of the new information in Applied Theory 3. Melodies, rhythms, intervals, progressions, chord qualities continue to grow in complexity as we move through these upper levels of Applied Theory 3. This course consists of four weekly, one-hour labs.

Prerequisite: Applied Theory Lab 2. 

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: COMP-203
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
In this course, students will dissect and analyze a popular “hit” song each week. Each song will be discussed according to societal, cultural and political origins or influence of the particular era, genre or stylistic approach, lyric message, demographic of audience, and aspects of the artist in regard to song selection and interpretation. Students will have the opportunity to offer their own creative interpretations and “cover” arrangements of each song, both solo and in small group performances. Guest hit songwriters will appear consistently throughout this course to offer perspective and insight into their own song material and how to write unique, important and authentic songs in today’s music industry. This course will consist of one, one and a half hour lecture weekly.

Prerequisite: History of Song 3. 

Competency: Instrument
Course Number: COMP-204
Credits: 2

Course Description
The primary goal of this course is to act as reinforcement for the core curriculum of the Songwriting Department. Any questions involving individual weekly classes will be addressed, and the instructor will help each student keep up with the general pace of all classes in their program. Additional assignments may be given to students when appropriate. This course consists of a weekly, one-hour private lesson.

Prerequisite: Students must complete each level in order to continue into the subsequent level of the course. 

Competency: Entrepreneurship
Course Number: COMP-208
Credits: 2

Course Description
Building on the concepts presented in Music Business for Songwriters 1, this course will delve into the aspects of writing for varied media platforms and the practices and contracts associated with each. Topics will include: writing for music libraries, title replacement, single-song agreements, licensing deals, catalog acquisition, video game custom composition agreements, film trailer and/or theme song composition and contracts. This course consists of a weekly, two-hour lecture.

Prerequisite: Music Business for Songwriting 1.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: COMP-210
Credits: 0.5

Course Description
In this Master Class series, LACM provides a unique and unparalleled experience where world-class Artists, Songwriters, Producers and Industry Veterans are invited to share their life’s work and experiences with our students. Classes and clinics are held by industry guests addressing the current and ever-evolving marketplace for the professional songwriter and recording artist. This course consists of bi-weekly, two-hour lectures.

Competency: Showcase
Course Number: COMP-213
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
This showcase will be focused on using the piano or keyboard to accompany the student’s original song material. Through weekly meetings with their private instructor, each student will prepare a five- song set of original material that they will sing along with accompanying themselves with either the piano or a keyboard. This course will consist of a two-hour weekly class meeting

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: COMP-216
Credits: 1.5

Course Description
This course will focus on the structural, melodic and lyric aspects of creating a “hit” song in today’s music marketplace. Analysis of past radio chart successes and specific similarities between hits of varied genres and eras in popular music will offer the student perspective regarding how to apply the patterns in their own original song material. While there are no guarantees in the music industry, there are specific methods that have been employed by many past popular songwriters and musicians to insure the highest level of success possible. Students will learn how to craft a memorable and marketable hook, create a dynamically progressive structure, write a lyric that connects with a specific demographic audience, and more. This course consists of a weekly, one-hour lecture and one-hour lab.

Prerequisite: Advanced Songwriting 1

Course Description
Students have the opportunity to choose any course that is offered as an elective. This course may be within the students major field of study or outside of the major. Please note: if the elective course chosen is outside the major area of study the department heads signature will be required to add the course. The course of choice must be worth at least 1.0 credit.

Competency: Musicianship
Course Number: MUS-2000
Credits: 3

Course Description
Applied Theory 4 continues to build on the five primary elements of Applied Theory 1, 2 and 3. Tri-tone substitutions, composition, atonal music, modal interchange and secondary dominants are some of the new concepts in Applied Theory 4. Upon completion of Applied Theory 4, the student should arrive at level of musicianship expected of a working professional. This course consists of four weekly, one-hour labs.

Prerequisite: Applied Theory 3.