Lyrics & Landmarks: A Songwriting Adventure
The city of Toronto is home to some of the most vibrant and diverse art museums and heritage sites in the world. These institutions offer a wealth of creative inspiration for songwriters seeking to tap into the cultural richness of the city. In this class, we’ll explore some amazing parts of Toronto and use that as inspiration for your songwriting.
We believe that these environments offer a unique and diverse range of perspectives, emotions, and narratives that can be harnessed to inspire songwriting. As we explore different locations, we will pay close attention to the themes, symbols, and styles that stand out to us. In Lyrics & Landmarks, we will discuss how the history and cultural significance of these sites can inform our songwriting.
Toronto’s art museums showcase an array of artistic styles and historical artifacts that can serve as a starting point for songwriting, while Toronto’s heritage sites also provide a unique backdrop for songwriting inspiration. We’ll visit a new site every other month, tapping into the rich tapestry of inspiration for songwriters looking to create music that captures the spirit of the city.
Throughout the class, we will engage in exercises designed to help us channel our observations and emotions into songwriting. We will experiment with different writing techniques, such as freewriting, stream-of-consciousness, and structured prompts, to help us explore our creative potential.
By the end of the class, you will have a deeper appreciation for the relationship between different environments and music, and a fresh set of tools to draw upon when seeking inspiration for your songwriting. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced songwriter, Lyrics & Landmarks is sure to ignite your creative spark and take your craft to the next level.
Each class is a standalone workshop. Join the one that interests you most or come back for each new installment.
Sunday, November 19th – Hugh’s Room
On November 19th, we bring our Lyrics & Landmarks workshop to Hugh’s Room. From its start in 2001, Hugh’s Room has been known as Toronto’s premier listening room, hosting iconic musicians including Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Odetta, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Richie Havens, Fairport Convention, and so many others. From its inception, it immediately became one of Toronto’s most celebrated live music venues.
In 2017, the building that housed Hugh’s room was sold. Many music venues would have just shut down at that point, but Hugh’s was so beloved that a board was put together to find a new location. In 2023, the board purchased the church at 296 Broadview Avenue, and last month Hugh’s Room began hosting live music again. It’s an incredible success story, and Toronto owes that board much gratitude for preserving live music in the city.
The church is an interesting example of a late 19th century architecture, where pointed-arch openings and buttresses combine with a large-scaled cross-gable roof with mock-timber framing. Once known as the Broadview Avenue Congregational Church, it was designed by architect E. J. Lennox, best known for his designs for Toronto’s Old City Hall and Casa Loma.
Inspired by this new location, the November 19th Lyrics and Landmarks class will explore spirituality in songwriting in all its many forms.
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