Writing a song based on a book with Mark Ippolito

Natalie Reis is an independent folk singer/songwriter whose music is caught between bittersweet narratives and soaring melodies. Following her debut EP ‘Bones on Fire’ in 2020, Natalie has released six singles that have evolved her storytelling-lyricism and solidified her sound as a distinctive emerging artist. In the past year, she has had the opportunity to …

In this special episode, Phil and Neel talked about cadences, or the different ways to bring resolution to your chord progressions. We talked about: The Nashville numbering system and why it’s important to understand and use when talking about cadences Modally interchanging chords – e.g. flipping minor and major chords in your chord palette Cadences …

Toronto-based guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and koto player Jessica Stuart (aka JESSA) has made a music career writing and performing harmonically adventurous, and devastatingly honest indie-jazz-rock tunes around the world. Stuart is also a rare professional female guitarist, with dozens of side-player credits ranging from Mirvish Productions’ SIX to Classic Albums Live to Idioteque, and loves …

Dexter Sloan has built his sound around a blissful blend of intimacy and introspection, celebrating the deep connections between nature and humanity. Imbued with fables and folktales, he delivers truth like a puppet show, often playing characters to protect his privacy. A device Sloan has no doubt carried with him from his time as a …

“This song is intended to remind us that the love we have for each other is stronger than our pride. Love takes work. If we can overcome our egos, we can remember why love is the most powerful gift we can experience.” – Brent Jackson, Sunshine Makers Brent shared his song Rock With Me. Download …

For this special episode, Phil and Neel talked about their favourite apps and resources for songwriters and musicians. Let us know what yours are! We talked about: Our songwriting challenge to write a song in an odd time signature. We’ve added a resource about the theme song to the show Yellowjackets. Rhyme Genie and Tunesmith …

For this special episode, we talked about a collaboration Neel did with Mike Rudquist, a singer-songwriter he met at the At Home Songwriting group for a songwriting challenge. Mike Rudquist is a songwriter from Red Wing, MN who writes songs in Americana, pop/rock, and country. He has a solo album called “Albuquerque in the Morning” …

Mark Ippolito is a proud member of Seattle’s vibrant community of singer-songwriters and regularly performs his original songs in venues throughout the Pacific Northwest. His debut full length album “New Moon” is steeped in equal measures of folk, roots, jazz and rock and reflects Mark’s abiding interest and celebration of the interconnectedness, both physical and …

Few names carry the weight of Danny Marks in the Canadian blues and roots scene. From his early days as a founding member of Edward Bear, opening for the likes of Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie, to his decades as a torchbearer of the blues with BLUZ FM and beyond, Marks has remained a perennial …

Our songwriting challenge for 2025 is to write a song in an odd time signature.  Award-winning composer and educator Frank Horvat joined us with his pick of odd-time-signature songs. Thanks Frank! We talked about: Our re-discovered Patreon Page – thanks for your support! Juno Awards 2025: Congratulations to our previous guests Julian Taylor and Aphrose …