Songwriting Masterclass with Michael Clem
How do you write a song? Where do you get ideas? What comes first, the lyrics or the melody? Should a song ever start with a chorus? Can a song ever end on something other than the root? How long does writing a song take? What’s a bridge? Does this guitar make me look fat?
While there aren’t pat answers to any of these questions, they are certainly discussed. In this masterclass, you won’t learn how to write a hit song for someone else to sing — you’ll learn to write a beautiful, personal, and meaningful song for YOU to sing (hence, the singer/songwriter moniker). Whether you want to make a dime from performing, or it’s just a hobby and passion, the singer/songwriter craft is a fun process to learn.
Instructor Michael Clem has no degree in this field, nor any formal training — just thirty-plus years of playing his original songs for audiences. That’s what he knows, and what he’s learned along the way, he’s happy to share with you.
Class Details
4-Week Songwriting Masterclass with Michael Clem
Dates: October 20 – November 10, 2026
Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7:00–8:15 PM
Price: $180
Capacity: Limited to 7 people
Ages: 14+
No instrument required — just come ready to learn!
This course is offered as a package, with a different lesson each week. By the final class, students are expected to compose their own original song for performance.
Class Schedule
- Week One (10/20): Song Ideas
- Week Two (10/27): Song Structure
- Week Three (11/3): The Incubator — where you are with your song (discussion)
- Week Four (11/10): The Recital
Meet Your Instructor: Michael Clem
Michael Clem is a recent nominee for Best of C-VILLE 2022 & 2024 in the “Music Artist” category, and has managed to continue his life as a full-time musician for several decades. For 31 years, Clem played bass, sang, and wrote songs for the national touring act he co-founded, Eddie from Ohio. Over that time, EFO amassed a sizable grassroots following, released nine independently produced CDs, and collected numerous Washington Area Music Association Awards.
Since 2008, with the band slowing down, Clem relocated from Northern Virginia to Charlottesville, where he’s established a strong foothold in the local music scene through a variety of solo, duo, trio, and ensemble configurations. Ten years after his first solo album, 1st & 40 (2006), came the better-late-than-never sophomore release Fifty Clementines (2016), featuring thirty friends from across Virginia. During the pandemic shutdown, Clem teamed up with longtime musical friend Rusty Speidel to produce the 5-song EP Rivannarama (2021). Most recently, he released Circus Brawl (2024) on his new Mangelwurzel Records label, featuring nine new songs and nearly a dozen instrumental collaborators.
Clem has hosted the long-running Monday night Songwriter Night at The Local in Charlottesville for the past ten years, and is currently a resident Songwriting teacher at The Front Porch.
Call: 804-816-2350
Monday–Friday: 3:00–9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00–5:00 PM