They say you can find information on anything you want on the internet. In recent years, this idea has been carried to new levels with the advent of self-paced online classes, with people teaching you how to do and be whatever you desire.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Turk does it all, and better, too, with his Songwriting Construction Kit course through TrueFire.

The format of the course itself is similar to other ‘Teach Yourself How to Fill-In-The-Blank’ programs you may find anywhere online, with the elements of the course broken down into separate modules with videos and participatory assignments.

But the element that sets Turk’s songwriting course apart from any other out there is the depth to which it goes. He offers a staggering forty-eight separate videos ranging from ‘Finding Inspiration’ to ‘Crafting Lyrics,’ ‘Self-Accompaniment and Arranging,’ and more.

And if you find that volume of lessons a little daunting at first glance, never fear. They are nicely broken down into 5-to-10-minute chunks, each section leading into the next. These are truly the building blocks of songwriting.

If a certain amount of flexibility and freedom are necessary for excelling in the art of songwriting, the ability to take a break and come back to any in-progress courses, as well as to replay what you’ve already seen is incredibly helpful.

In a sort of sentimental way, it almost feels as though your buddy Matt is there for you and your fledgling little tune whenever you need him.

Perhaps the nicest thing about Turk’s course is that it is a songwriting course for the whole musician. If you tend to think of songwriting from the lyrical angle, there are videos about inspiration and how to approach lyrics and melody.

If you are first an instrumentalist looking to dive into composition, you’ll find videos about arrangement, accompaniment, and time.

As a guitarist myself, I found it very cool that there are often music and tablature at the bottom of the video screen to follow along with, or even close-ups on the host’s hands on both sides of the guitar to show chord shapes and strumming patterns.

It is the inclusion and emphasis placed on both music and lyrics that makes the Songwriting Construction Kit live up to its name.

But Matt Turk isn’t the sort of teacher that gives you the lesson and then the assignment and throws you to the proverbial songwriting wolves, oh no.

He gives examples from his own repertoire. Being able to be introduced to several new songs that found their way onto my iPod was a delightful and unexpected bonus.

TrueFire as a program does a nice job, as well, with the optics of their courses, letting the student know if modules or videos are in-progress or complete thereby allowing them to easily track their progress.

The tab layout to navigate from one section of the course to another is very clean, and you can even make playlists of videos that you find the most beneficial. But Matt Turk and his well-designed, better-taught songwriting course really helped to flip the script. Songwriting is an art for anyone as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.

And for all that it offers, the Songwriting Construction Kit proves itself to be a fun and engaging way to put in that effort.

And while I came away from this experience not quite able to call myself a songwriter of any real caliber, it makes me feel good that Matt Turk’s Songwriting Construction Kit will be waiting for whenever I want to hone those skills.

Review: Ashley J. Cicotte

A seasoned recording artist and multi-instrumentalist, Matt Turk is a veteran singer-songwriter who has engaged audiences around the world, both as a bandleader and as an acoustic folk troubadour.

He has shared the stage with Pete Seeger, opened for Judy Collins, The Doobie Brothers, Fiona Apple, The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, John Entwistle, David Bromberg, and many more top artists.

And so, of course, TrueFire were thrilled to welcome Matt to the family with his first TrueFire course, The Songwriting Construction Kit.

You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson. You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.

Grab your instrument, pen and paper and lets write a song with Matt Turk!

To purchase and access the Songwriting Construction Kit CLICK HERE!

www.TurkTunes.com

www.TrueFire.com

Matt Turk @ Facebook!

Matt Turk @ Twitter!

Matt Turk @ Instagram!

Matt Turk @ Twitter!

For those unaware, Steve March-Torme, the son of legendary singer-songwriter Mel Torme and the stepson of well-known actor/comedian Hal March, is a talented entertainer in his own right.

Since the late 1970s, he has been a successful singer, entertainer, recording artist, TV & radio host and has toured extensively worldwide to an ever-growing fan base.

Steve has now written a brand new, original Christmas song entitled I Remember Christmastime, a quite beautiful, nostalgic, sentimental salute to fond remembrances of the Christmas season.

Furthermore, Steve’s new Christmas song is released 76 years after Mel Torme co-wrote the iconic The Christmas Song (commonly subtitled as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), which became a huge holiday hit for Nat King Cole in 1946 and again in 1961.

The original 1946 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974. The song is the most performed Christmas song ever.

I Remember Christmastime has already been added to the holiday playlists of over 25 radio stations and has been receiving an enthusiastic response when performed during his current December holiday tour.

He has performed, recorded, and worked with many notable artists over the years, including Liza Minnelli (his childhood friend), and has recorded and released nine albums since 1979. He’s also hosted and/or performed on television variety shows, game shows (The $100,000 Name That Tune) and an MTV interview show entitled Video 22.

March-Torme has headlined venues from the Detroit Jazz Festival to the McCallum Performing Arts Center in Palm Desert, CA, to the Smith Center in Las Vegas, and performed worldwide from London to Japan, Australia to Brazil and Canada.

Reviewers praise his “strong and true vocal chops” (PEOPLE Magazine), say his “voice is seductive and effortless” (L.A. Times), and that he’s “more than a jazz singer—he’s a consummate entertainer and an exceptionally versatile artist” (Music Connection Magazine).

He’s adept at performing in a variety of musical genres, both live and in the studio, including jazz, pop, big band and with symphony orchestras. He performed on occasion with his father, Mel, and sometimes performs tribute shows dedicated to Mel’s music.

In 2006, his Tormé Sings Tormé, a four-sided, double disc DVD and CD on AIX Records, won Best Vocal Dual Disc at the EMX DVD Awards show in Los Angeles.

Official Single Purchase Link

Official Website

Steve March-Torme @ YouTube