For a twenty-year period and parallel to his career in music and art, M.E. Baird has held academic and teaching roles specializing in the creative process and creative thinking at various art/design schools and universities in New South Wales and Victoria. His discussions, presentations, and workshops are always informal and thought-provoking.
Below are two workshops that M.E. Baird has created that include songwriting, music, art and general creativity.
The Art of Song
Part A- why write a song? should you write a song, and how not to write a song plus some other random tips?
Part B - identifying what has 'story' value or what is the 'idea/concept' at the basis of any good song, collection of songs, or musical composition.
M.E. Baird also reveals some of his own tried, tested and much failed approaches to songwriting.
The Art of Listening
Where the visual senses, the mind and ears collide in an immersive session of drawing and mark-making in response to specific music pieces and it requires absolutely no artistic skills at all, just an open mind It's enjoyable, even powerful for it can open up the intuitive thinking process to new and far more interesting places.
Like David Lynch said, 'You have to go deep to catch the big fish.'