Finish the Song
COME WITH AN IDEA, LEAVE WITH A SONG
3-Day Live Songwriting Bootcamp
The tools to turn any idea into a finished song, in three days.
You have lots of ideas but not a lot of finished songs
Maybe it’s because…
You’re waiting to get better; at your instrument, at writing, at theory, at production.
You're waiting on collaborators; an accompanist, a co-writer, a producer.
You’re waiting to feel ready; the right mood, the right moment, good enough.
This is normal, in fact it’s self-preservation, but the antidote to getting unstuck and creatively unblocked is to Finish the Song.
Your guide
Fini Bearman
I’m Fini, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & a Professor of Songwriting at the Guildhall School in London. I've been a professional musician for 20+ years, but for a long time I was writing just a handful of songs a year and calling myself a songwriter. Always trying to find my authentic voice and figure out what it was I was trying to say, I was frustrated and lost without a routine or a reliable practice.
When I started teaching songwriting I realised I had to walk the walk, so I committed to writing consistently, and whilst I didn't immediately start writing amazing songs, what I discovered was that the practice itself was the transformation. Just showing up regularly opened up possibilities & the songwriting potential that I just hadn't seen before.
Technique and approaches matters. But the thing that's going to make the biggest difference is Finishing the Song.
3 days. 3 building blocks;
Day One
Monday 20th July, 7:30-9pm
Lyrics
Most of us songwriters are sitting on more material than we realise, we just don't know how to access it yet (or we don’t realise it’s there!).
On Day One we dive into all the things a song could be about as well as looking at how to develop our own imagery and language. We will look at ways of editing down our ideas into something that resembles a lyric, and (more importantly!) saying what we really want to say.
Today you will leave with tools to generate lyric ideas from nothing (!), and develop the ones you already have. We will also understand how our own experience is the most powerful material we have.
Assignment: To experiment making your own metaphors & using images to express emotion in your lyrics.
Day Two
Tuesday 21st July, 7:30-9pm
Melody
On Day Two we will discover something that may very well change the game for us; there is already melody present in your text or lyric, and finding it, drawing out the melody, is a skill available to us all.
We will explore how note choices carry meaning and express emotion beyond words, as well as looking at how to use our voice to discover melodies through improvisation.
Today you will leave the session with a more intuitive understanding of melody, and how you can utilise it to harness the power and emotional core of the song.
Assignment: Take a melody that’s stuck & use the techniques explored to find a new way with it; Experiment with a one line chorus idea.
Day Three
Wednesday 22nd July, 7:30-9pm
Chords
Because chords are often where songwriters can feel the most intimidated, on Day Three we dismantle the myth that knowing more chords will write better songs.
We look at practical approaches to finding chords and building a harmonic world for our song, and we are reminded that a limited harmonic range won't stop us from writing the songs we want to write; some of the most powerful & evocative songs we know are limited, harmonically, and yet still say everything they need to say.
Today you will leave knowing more about chords, the power of harmony, as well as strategies to finding chord progressions and exploring musical sound-worlds even if you feel like harmony is your weak spot!
Assignment: Unlock the potential of a song idea by either adding or removing chords; Take a chord shape (quality) and repeat it to build a progression; Write a melody over a pedal or repeated bassline.
Community & Support
As well as diving into the world of songwriting, this bootcamp will introduce you to a community of like-minded creatives & songwriters also looking to develop their skills and meet others just like you.
After the course has ended there will be the opportunity to stay in touch via my private Skool Group;
to build these relationships,
to share music
to move forward on your songwriting journeys, together.
Throughout the process there will be opportunities for feedback with short writing exercises each day. There will also be a Q&A on the last day, to ask anything you may be left wondering…
What you get
3 X 90 minute online workshops ✔
Workshop replay available 60 mins after the end of each live session ✔
Access to a private Skool Group for community ✔
Ongoing support throughout the process ✔
The tools you need to Finish the Song ✔
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“If you’re ready to unlock your songwriting potential and unleash the music within you, I highly recommend you give Fini a try… It’s an opportunity for growth, creativity, and musical exploration that you won’t want to miss out on!” (Meg)
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"I came to the mentorship feeling creatively blocked up & I finished it with an album's worth of original material, a much clearer artistic identity and the confidence to trust my own creative voice...thank you for surviving the chrysalis with me and giving me wings to fly, Fini!" (Laoise)
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"I felt like I had forgotten how to write and now I feel excited to be writing again." (Rosie)
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"I would never have imagined I’d feel this much self-belief in my creativity!" (Lydia)
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“Working with Fini has been an absolute game-changer. I genuinely don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t found her!” (Kate)
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“She is a great mentor- providing just the right amount of guidance to allow me to develop my own approach & style.” (Ajda)
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“Fini’s knowledge, warmth & support were invaluable!” (Myra)
FAQs
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Absolutely not. Finish the Song is for anyone who is developing their songwriting practice, whether you've recently changed direction and you find yourself here, or you're a more practiced writer looking to level up your skills. If you've ever recorded a voice memo, jotted down a lyric idea, or found some chords you like the sound of, Finish the Song is for you.
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If you have a song you believe in and you're ready to hear what it can do, you belong!
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You clicked the link and I think that means something. 'Now isn't the right time' is something you can tell yourselves for years, and it's the same voice that's been keeping you from writing. There will always be a reason to wait. Finish the Song is three days, so consider this as your invitation to choose to make the time, now.
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Everyone has something to say, and the ability to communicate creatively isn't reserved for a select few, it's something you develop by doing. You won't know what your full potential is until you give yourself the opportunity to find out. That's exactly what Finish the Song is for.
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If you've ever felt strongly about something; a news story, a conversation, an experience or a moment, you have something to say. That feeling is unique to your own lived experience and no one else can tell it in your voice. One of the things we unlock in Finish the Song is that there's so much more to write about than the obvious subjects. Your life is the material, you just need the tools & the permission to access it.
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Finish the Song will give you a deep insight into your creative practice, what you understand about songwriting, and what tools you have at your disposal. That alone will level up your writing, because awareness of what you're capable of can change everything. The honest truth is more straight forward than we like to admit- the main reason we write bad songs is that we're not writing enough, and on top of that we're also probably not connecting to what it is that we actually want to say. Finish the Song addresses both of those things directly.
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Yes absolutely! Community is such an integral part of the bootcamp as well as the life of the musician & songwriter. After completing the course you will be invited to join a private Skool group where you are encouraged to stay connected with your peers, share your music & find out about other events & workshops.
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No. Some basic understanding of music theory would be helpful in places (especially on day 3), but this is not a requirement to participate. Everything we cover on the course is accessible regardless of your music/theoretical background, and of course if anything sparks your curiosity to explore further, that's entirely up to you.
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You don't need to share your songs. There will be opportunities to reflect on and share any homework tasks and to get a little feedback if you'd like, but this is always and entirely your choice. Sharing what you've been working on is never a requirement, only an option.
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The sessions will be recorded and they will be available for participants to watch back for 30 days after course has finished. This would also be suitable if you were unable to make one of the sessions.
*Recordings will not be available to those who are unable to make any of the live sessions.
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With limited places, each one matters. Full refunds are available up to 14 days before the workshop. After that, your place may be transferred to someone else but isn't refundable. If something unexpected comes up, please do get in touch- I will want to help you out if I can!