Here’s what you can expect in this alcohol-free song writing course 🎙️🎤🎹🎸🪕🎷🎻🪈
Registration opens Monday, January 6th, 2025
Course dates are:
Monday, February 10th @ 8:00 PM EST
Monday, February 17th @ 8:00 PM EST
Monday, February 24th @ 8:00 PM EST
Monday, March 3rd @ 8:00 PM EST
Monday, March 10th @ 8:00 PM EST
Monday, March 17th @ 8:00 PM EST
– We meet on Zoom for 75 minutes for six consecutive Mondays. Sessions are recorded if you can’t make the session. Weekly office hours included if you need additional help. 👍
– Some musical 🎶experience is needed and recommended. You’ll attend the session with your instrument of choice. This could be the piano, guitar, ukulele, banjo, or whatever you use to make music. Over the six weeks, you’ll learn song writing tips, the basics of song structures, music theory, how to improve your live performance, the art of musical dynamics and more.
– During the six week course, participants will write, edit, and perfect a song that you’ll perform for the cohort week six. During each course session, you’ll have the chance to play your tune and get feedback from course instructors.
– This is a three-part course. #1. Learn and improve your song 🎵🎵 writing skills #2. Learn the power of sound healing and vibrations #3. Create accountability with an in-person alcohol-free community, which helps you to ditch the booze.
– Have you recently quit drinking and find yourself with more time on your hands, or are struggling with boredom? This class is for you.
– Find out how music and creativity can help you quit drinking for good. As human beings we are wired to be exquisitely sensitive to sound and vibration. Learn how all music/vibration contains information and why some chords resonate more with us than others.
– This course is all about having FUN, being your authentic self and ROCKING OUT 🤟
– Learn music 🎹 theory tips and tricks that will take your song writing to the next level.
– A major part of this course is geared towards helping you quit drinking. Learn about cravings and how music can help you deal with them, understand the basics of meditation/mindfulness, and learn whether or not moderate drinking works and various recovery modalities. Even if you don’t write the next chart topping hit, you’ll build connections with others who don’t drink.
– Participate in intimate breakout room discussions where you can connect with others about the challenges of quitting drinking.
Course Schedule
Session 1: Monday, February 10th 8:00 PM EST
- Course orientation – Meet your cohort and instructors
- Breakout room: What music means to you.
- Cravings: How can music help you beat cravings
- Music as Therapy: Learn how playing music can help you quit drinking
- Let’s start writing 🎵🎵🎵Learn the basics of song structure
- Writing a song based off a rhythm, a riff, or a catchy chord progression
Session 2: Monday, February 17th 8:00 PM EST
- Professional musician Showcase with Ron Hagadone. Learn about Music as therapy
- Cymatics: Visually see how all frequencies and tones contain information
- Using your instrument for meditation 🧘♂️
- Learn the importance of dynamics when creating music
- Instrumental 🎸 or with vocals? 🎙️Voicing
- Breakout room: showcase your plan for the song you want to write
- Stepping away from your instrument to write a song, melody, or chorus
Session 3: Monday, February 24th 8:00 PM EST
- Professional musician Showcase with David Leonard. Learn tips and tricks when it comes to song writing.
- So you want to sing 🎙 do you? This is how you’ll start
- Breakout room: Play what you have written so far and provide feedback to others.
- Learn the 80/20 rule when it comes to songwriting. Choose what you want to perfect
- How to combat writers block 🎹
Session 4: Monday, March 3rd 8:00 PM EST
- Professional musician Showcase with Justin Mosely. Playing multiple instruments
- A bit about alcoholism. Is it a disease? Is it genetic? Can my brain and body heal? What does a recovery path look like? Why can this be so hard?
- Performing live: The do’s and don’ts and how to set yourself up for success 🎷
- Breakout room: Refine your song for next weeks concert
- Learn how to embrace spontaneity and write music when creativity energy arrives
- Channel passion when writing a song. Insert your vibration into the song, and write a song and a new personal narrative at the same time
Session 5: Monday, March 10th 8:00 PM EST
- Professional musician Showcase with Lola Lovebird.
- Flow states: how to enter into a flow state and how it helps us create
- Understand the importance of sharing and owning your story. Begin to literally write a new story.
- Music collaborations: compounding the creative process when two or more come together to play music 🎶🎶🎶
- Understanding that less is sometimes more when writing music. 🎸
Session 5: Monday, March 17th 8:00 PM EST
- Breakout room: Share about the song writing process, and course reflection
- Let’s JAM! Final concert and singer songwriter contest.
- Course closeout: game plan for the future.
Recovery Elevator
AF Songwriting Course– Six 75-minute course sessions. Courses are Monday nights (2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17)
– Small group breakout discussions with other sober musicians to build connections
– Course work emailed directly after sessions
– Attend weekly office hours
– Zoom link for course recording if you missed the session
– PDF and Audio versions of Alcohol is SH!T included
– Practical tools and tips to help you become a better musician
– As many laughs and smiles as you can handle
Registration opens Monday, January 6th, 2025
Meet your course instructors
Paul Churchill is the host of Recovery Elevator podcast and author of the best-selling book on Amazon Alcohol is SH!T. He’s learned that connection, accountability and a fun hobby such as playing the ukulele or guitar are to key to a successful alcohol-free life. An addiction to alcohol removed music from his life but music has been slowly returning in the ten years since Paul’s last drink, and he recently released an album on Spotify called Unite. Paul played lead guitar in rock bands during his early twenties and played at iconic venues such as The Roxy, and The Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood. Paul was a few credits short of minoring in classical guitar in college and took flamenco guitar lessons while living in Spain during his 20’s. He also creates the music for the podcast, Recovery Elevator meditations and retreats. In Paul’s free time he likes to hang out with his family and play ukulele to his goats 🐐. He recognizes it was his “drinking problem” that gifted him the opportunity to teach an AF song writing course to those who wish to quit drinking. How cool is that! All pathways lead to home.
David Leonard is a lifelong guitar player, with questionable taste on full display as a wannabe metal shredder in his early days, followed by his swoon-worthy James Taylor coffee house collegiate period, and now residing in the bluegrass and Americana glory land for the past 20+ years. David began listening to Recovery Elevator in 2017, where he learned to burn the ships, get connected with like-minded individuals, and say yes to a better life. You will hear this story in his songs, and through his songwriting process.
David can be found performing around the Atlanta area, and along with his band Uprise is an artist-in-residence at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures just outside of Bozeman, Montana.
Ron Hagadone is a member of the Recovery Elevator community Café RE and an avid long-time listener of the Recovery Elevator Podcast. One original ukulele song is featured in the outro of episode 397. Ron said adios to the booze on August 21st, 2021, and has uncovered some wonderful nuances to performing while sober!! Born in Detroit MI and moved to Hollywood at age 25 to pursue music. Ron is a multi-instrumentalist/guitarist, has played in bands since 1975, toured the US and Canada, home studio owner, with multiple albums and production credits. He has a degree in Music Therapy and has held the title Board Certified Music Therapist for 20 years. Ron offers private and group instruction in guitar, ukulele and music production on line and in-person. Having an understanding of the healing attributes of music and associated health benefits, he brings a special skill set to the RE Ukulele course. In addition to music, Ron enjoys biking, RV travel, woodworking, and plant-based cooking. Motto: Meet the Strings and Make It Happen!
Justin Mosley – Blessing the world with the healing vibrations of music from a young age, he provides energetic performances with a plethora of instruments: Harp, Flutes, Bass, Piano, Ukulele, Percussion, and more. His life’s purpose is cultivating connection and healing for those suffering from trauma, addiction, and who are recovering from drug/alcohol abuse. He offers the healing power of breathwork, movement, and music as medicine, in the form of sound healing as well as soulful live shows with The Lovebyrds. Justin shared his story on the Recovery Elevator podcast on episode 254 and continues to remain alcohol-free. Paul (Recovery Elevator Podcast Host) and Justin met while attending a meditation retreat cruise with Dr. Joe Dispenza and they’ve been sober pals ever since!
Lola Lovebyrd (Laura English):A lifelong singer and musician, she offers her presence, voice and instruments including ukulele, crystal harp, percussion, bass and crystal bowls for deep healing. Her life’s purpose is to share her gift of divinely channeled melodies and lyrics that originally served as her own modality for wellness, before she began offering her music with The Lovebyrds. From angelic soul-stirring lullabies, to healing mantra songs she guides the audience to sing together, to upbeat life-affirming anthems, her music can be found blessing yoga studios as well as live music events.
What type of instrument do I need?
Bring your preferred instrument of choice to this course. This could be an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, a violin, a ukulele, a piano, a keyboard, or whatever you’d like to make music with.
Or step outside your comfort zone and play an instrument you’d like to improve with.
What is your refund policy?
Refunds are issued for 14 days after the course start date. No questions asked.
Who is this course for?
This course is for somone who wants to improve their song writing skills while also deepening their sobriety. If you want to start writing music, but don’t know how to start, then this course is for you. It’s geared towards anyone who is seriously questioning their relationship with alcohol or for someone who has previously tried to quit on their own and didn’t have the success they wanted. In addition, if you’ve recently quit drinking and are looking for healthy ways to fill your time, this course is for you. This course will also address the basics of sound healing and how an instrument can help add balance and happiness to your life.
What if I missed a session? Can I attend this course if I live on the other side of the world?
All sessions are recorded and a link is sent out within 3 hours of the course. We do recommend attending “live” as much as possible so you can participate in the small group breakout discussions and practice with your group. This course is on a Saturday midday so those in the EU can join. We do not recommend this course unless you can attend most of the sessions live.
I see there’s a recital… tell me more.
That is correct! Weeks 3 & 6 there will be a recital where you’ll showcase what you’ve learned. You can play something you’ve learned during the course, a song that you have written, or the song that you have been playing to during the course. The point of this course is to have FUN, regardless of how proficient of a ukulele player you become. No need to sweat the recital – we are all learning 👍
Oops, I drank during the course... now what?
You wouldn’t be the first or the last. Our advice is to keep showing up. Over and over. You betcha we value continuous alcohol-free time, but we feel there are other more important parameters of success, such as loving yourself and if you’re having fun learning the ukulele.
Can I sign up after the course start date?
Yes, but registration closes after the second session
Is this course 12-Step based?
No, it isn’t, however we embrace all pathways into sobriety.
Is this a religious or spiritual based course?
Religious no, but spiritual yes. We feel music is an expression of the divine and when we play music together as a group we are channeling creativity from source.
Playing music in nature is a magical thing. Everything in the universe is vibration and you become an active participant when contributing to this soundtrack. - Paul
