Real Songwriters. Real Transformations.
Discover how our programs have empowered songwriters worldwide to craft their best work.
Why a #1 Hit Songwriter Joined the Accelerator
Sherie was already a co-writer on a #1 song—Ariana Grande’s positions in 2020. She’s played violin for H.E.R. and Beyoncé. She’s invited into high-level writing rooms.
From the outside, it looked like she’d already “made it.”
But Sherie joined the 6-Week Songwriting Accelerator for a different reason: She wanted to develop her voice—her confidence—as a songwriter, not just as a collaborator:
Sherie had released her own project, yours deeply, but she knew where she still struggled: Verses and bridges. The parts of a song that connect and elevate the chorus—without losing the thread of the story.
Inside the Accelerator, Sherie learned repeatable tools for tackling verses and bridges with clarity and purpose. She started applying those tools immediately—to her own music and to her collaborations.
She says:
I want to grow in my songwriting and learn techniques that will help me for a lifetime. The Accelerator gave me exactly that.
Sherie came in with the heart of a songwriter. She left with the skills and confidence to match.
My number one goal is to become better at songwriting—word play, poetic lyrics, and meaningful lyrics that really grab your heart. I want to self-express, tell my own stories, and create songs my fans will love.
– Sherie
This Songwriter Just Broke Into the Industry
Rogan has just had 2 songs picked up by publishers—one for sync in film, and one for the modern country music market.
Rogan is an experienced lawyer by day—by night is a devotee of the Nashville songwriting scene. His dream was to write songs good enough by the standards of Nashville to have his songs picked up by publishers and licensing companies.
But he didn’t want to waste his time learning the wrong rules. He only wanted the information that would help him write his best work, as quickly as possible.
I bet you can relate—time is precious.
We showed Rogan ‘Song Blueprinting’ inside the 6-Week Songwriting Accelerator—a method for mastering the song forms in any genre.
Since joining the Songwriting Accelerator Program, Rogan now has two songs under contract in his chosen genre. In Rogan’s words:
My songwriting went from throwing darts blindfolded to having a comprehensive set of tools and skills to carry out a vision for an art piece.
– Rogan Rogers, Atlanta, USA
Signed to Warner Chappell…and over 65.
Don received over 300 listens in the first 4 hours after he released his song.
He had wanted to create a legacy that mattered and had been trying to write songs for years.
He was tired of getting the “polite endorsements” and wanted to emotionally connect with his family friends.
Lacking in confidence that his best efforts were falling flat, he almost resigned to thinking he might not “have it.”
We showed Don the M.A.P. Method for writing lyrics that matter and move people, inside one of our regular HTWS Songwriter Community Workshops.
And Don showed how quickly it works! He wrote “Good Friends” for his College 50th class reunion, and received over 300 listens in the first 4 hours after it was released to the alumni. The school has since asked to use the song for next year’s 50th Reunion Memorial Service, and Don has received requests from other schools to use the song too.
I would have never gotten any of those songs started without this group. Hearing others’ struggles and successes made it enjoyable to know that I am not the only one with hurdles
– Don
More stories from our students
Keppie is an incredibly nurturing individual. She really listens to you and allows your point of view to be heard and understood. I had the pleasure of working with Keppie on a weekly basis in which we were really able to dive into not only lyrics, but she was also able to help me with harmony and choosing the right chords as well. Keppie gave me a lot of tools to get out of my head and just write. It’s so easy to work with her, and I highly recommend this beautiful and talented soul.
I was very fortunate to study songwriting under Keppie and truly believe that without her guidance my songwriting skills would not be where they are today. I picked up so many techniques that I draw on regularly when crafting my songs. She is super talented and a pleasure to be around and highly recommend her as a teacher and mentor.
I find it hard to say how much my songwriting has improved since I joined…I feel like I’m able to get my songs about 80% of the way there, and the feedback from Keppie and Benny help to steer that last vital 20%, that I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.
Workshop: Write a Song in 90 Mins The workshop has provided structure and language for my songwriting process. Coming at it Title/Chorus first is very different and beneficial for me. And crafting the song tone and melodies as you go along is a very productive approach that captures the mood and intent brilliantly.
Not only does Keppie recognize my specific interests, strengths and confusions; she balances instruction with appropriate challenges, invaluable tools and honest encouragement. Her patience and insight light the way. She is always one step ahead of me anticipating the next step in my learning. Keppie deepened my personal connection and understanding of music through her musical knowledge, kind spirit and deep dedication to my growth as a songwriter and guitar player. She taught me that what I have to say is valuable and therefore connecting with the audience is invaluable.
Randomly enough I studied law with Keppie many years ago, and am so happy she didn’t become a lawyer. It’s such a wonderful and humbling thing to see someone doing what they were born to do.
I took both songwriting 1 and 2 with Keppie, and came out the other side feeling confident and excited about what’s to come.
Despite my being musically illiterate, Keppie managed to convey the mechanics of songwriting to me in a way that was approachable, without being at all condescending. She has a big heart and all her students feel safe to bear the most vulnerable parts of themselves and be seen. She just really wants the best for everyone.
If you take the leap, Keppie will take you on a magic-carpet tour of the land of song with humour, generosity and genius level knowledge of both the art and science of songwriting.
If you’re thinking about enrolling, don’t, just do it!
I was very fortunate to have Keppie as my instructor for my first Berklee songwriting class. Her encouragement kept me from feeling overwhelmed, and at the same time, she would not let me be lazy or cut corners. As a result, I took the class seriously and learned more than I ever expected. She was very generous in sharing her knowledge and experience as a real-world professional songwriter, and how she personally overcame obstacles and disappointments. Consequently, I learned strategies and tools from her that went way beyond the curriculum itself. What I learned from Keppie will continue to help me for years to come.
Looking at a song from the outside and being able to work on it is what I’ve learned with Keppie in the most enjoyable, fun, and efficient way. She gave me tools to structure my songs and to develop an idea. And, if I didn’t have any ideas, she showed me where I could find them. She gave me answers about songwriting that would have taken about 10 years to find out by myself!
Industry
“What a shining light you will be to so many writers.”
Pat Pattison
author and professor, Berklee College of Music, Boston MA.
Student Success
Congratulations to Doris Folkens and Heather Elliot for having their song, ‘Lanterns’, place as a finalist in the Stewart Park Festival Songwriting Competition. You can hear the song here: