This is an online masterclass through Berklee Online. We will be watching as a group in the gym. To RSVP, please contact Regina Nixon at regnixon@pcmrocks.org.
See description: This class will take a deep dive into the music of Billie Eilish and attempt to answer two questions: First, what makes her songs tick, and second, what are the societal and artistic factors that have made her unique brand of music catch on? You will participate in small group exercises that utilize some of the stylistic and lyrical techniques found in the songwriting of Billie Eilish and her co-writer/brother, Finneas O’Connell. You will also engage in discussions designed to help tease out the lessons found in her unique artistic identity to help you focus on your own unique, authentic, creative voice.
To set the tone for the class, we will ground our analysis of Billie Eilish’s music with new insights about music cognition and mental health. We will then discuss and establish some ground rules by which we can evaluate the quality and potential impact of any song. Then, using those principles, we will analyze, discuss, and delve into the heart of why Billie’s music resonates so strongly with many and repels others. Next, using the techniques and tools we discovered in our analysis, we will break out into small, collaborative groups and create a lyric together, incorporating some of Billie’s techniques. Lastly, we will initiate a discussion on the role of identity in artistry and its impact on one’s audience. These discussions will leave you with several personal questions to answer, designed to help you solidify your own artistic identity, ambitions, and goals using Billie’s career as a framework.