An engaging and practical introduction to music theory: harmony, melody, rhythm, dynamics, taste and performance techniques; including hands-on guitar or keyboard lessons, as needed. Class breadth and pace will be tailored to the specific needs and experience levels of the individual students. All skill levels and instruments welcome. 

Matt Powell is a locally based writer and musician. He has a bachelor of music from Berklee College of Music. Several of his articles have been featured in national publications, many of them about songwriting and music. He performs regularly around the area, and is teaching the third edition of his six-week Songwriting Workshop at ASUMH this Fall. 

The electric guitar changed music forever in the mid-20th century. This lecture-style class will explore the contributions of musicians with Arkansas roots, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash, whose revolutionary electric guitar innovations helped shape the sound of country, blues, and rock and roll. Q&A/discussion to follow. 

BIO:

Matt Powell is a local writer, guitarist, and musician. He has published several articles about music history and appreciation for national publications including Variety, Emmys.com, and No Depression, including a 2018 article in No Depression's print journal exploring the development of the electric guitar. Matt studied songwriting and guitar performance at Berklee College of Music and performs regularly throughout the area. He has taught multiple courses on music and literature for ASUMH’s community education program.  

In this immersive workshop we will deep-dive into the craft of songwriting. With lessons on structure, theory, lyric writing and more, as well as hands-on critiques and demonstrations. If you are new to writing songs, or want to write better songs, you will benefit from this workshop. All skill levels and styles welcome.  

Instructor BIO: 

Matt Powell is a locally based writer and musician. He studied songwriting and guitar performance at Berklee College of Music, and has written or co-written songs for over 30 years, including placements in network TV and indie films. Several of his articles have been featured in national publications, many of them about songwriting and music.