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jess.jpg

Songwriting with Jess Kion

$400.00

8 week course
Mondays from 7-9PM
April 27th - June 15th 2026

In this course we’ll explore the songwriting process and get into the meta of finding time to fit songwriting into our busy lives using tips and tools from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens. The weekly prompts will focus on different elements of songwriting: lyrics, rhyme, melody, arrangement, form, instrumentation, and an aligning of these elements called “lyric painting” or “prosody”. We'll also explore how to parse out and use some of the tools of your favorite songs. You can expect to spend 2-6 hours each week on writing for the workshop and expect to play some of your songs in the workshop.

There will be many ways to share your songs: accompanying yourself on guitar or piano, and if you work primarily in a digital audio workstation or with tracks, you are welcome to perform the singing element of your song. We'll use a method of descriptive feedback to reflect on how we're perceiving each other's work and lean away from more critical "prescriptive feedback"  icebreakers to help us feel comfortable diving into the depths of vulnerability with each other.

You’ll leave the workshop with many completed songs, experience playing these songs in front of people, some new perspectives and understanding of new songwriting approaches, and maybe even a new friend or two!

8 week course
Mondays from 7-9PM
April 27th - June 15th 2026

In this course we’ll explore the songwriting process and get into the meta of finding time to fit songwriting into our busy lives using tips and tools from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens. The weekly prompts will focus on different elements of songwriting: lyrics, rhyme, melody, arrangement, form, instrumentation, and an aligning of these elements called “lyric painting” or “prosody”. We'll also explore how to parse out and use some of the tools of your favorite songs. You can expect to spend 2-6 hours each week on writing for the workshop and expect to play some of your songs in the workshop.

There will be many ways to share your songs: accompanying yourself on guitar or piano, and if you work primarily in a digital audio workstation or with tracks, you are welcome to perform the singing element of your song. We'll use a method of descriptive feedback to reflect on how we're perceiving each other's work and lean away from more critical "prescriptive feedback"  icebreakers to help us feel comfortable diving into the depths of vulnerability with each other.

You’ll leave the workshop with many completed songs, experience playing these songs in front of people, some new perspectives and understanding of new songwriting approaches, and maybe even a new friend or two!

About Jess

Jess Kion aka Justice Cow (she/ they) has written over a hundred songs and contributed to over a dozen albums (many recorded at Big Nice!). Jess graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2013 majoring in Songwriting. She has toured the US, Canada, and Europe with Justice Cow, Nova One, and Bent Knee. Jess currently teaches a weekly Songwriting Workshop at Brown University and has also taught songwriting at New Urban Arts, Community Music Works, and Berklee College of Music. Songwriting and Lyrics are some of her favorite things that exist!

Scholarship

We are proud to offer a fully funded seat in each of our classes. To apply, send a cover letter and CV to info@littleniceworkshop.com and include the class you’d like to attend in the subject line.