“Male bowerbirds spend the majority of the day creating elaborate and beautiful nests... in music, we can build a sonic ‘nest’ to capture ourselves”: Brian Eno to share creative ‘avant gardening’ tips in new online workshop

Have you ever wanted to learn songwriting from Brian Eno? That dream could now become a reality, as the legendary musician and producer launches a new songwriting course in partnership with School of Song.

In Eno's workshop, students will be guided through his "multifaceted relationship" with the creative process as he shares techniques and practices developed throughout his career.

As part of the workshop, students will write four original songs using the techniques and perspectives discussed. These include a variety of lofty-sounding subjects such as "the role of surrender", "avant gardening" and "creating a compelling sonic world".

"What happens when we allow ourselves to experiment at the furthest reaches of our imagination?" reads the course description. "We’ll discuss how making time for discovery separate from our songwriting practice can yield a rich harvest."

"Male bowerbirds spend the majority of the day creating elaborate and beautiful nests, all with the singular hope that a female might feel compelled to fly through," it continues. "In music, we can build a sonic ‘nest’ to capture ourselves and compel us to sing over it."

Songwriting with Brian Eno will be taught over Zoom throughout January next year. The course will consist of four lectures, three Q&A sessions and three song-sharing sessions, and if you can't make the scheduled dates, you'll be able to watch recordings of lectures sent out after class.

Enrolment in Songwriting with Brian Eno costs $160 and people of all skill levels are welcome - even those with no prior songwriting experience - though the website notes that it would be helpful for students to "be comfortable playing a few basic chords on any instrument". The deadline to sign up is January 4th.

"I'm looking forward to the chance to properly articulate some ideas about the creative process that have been fermenting over the last 50 years," Eno says of the workshop. "To be able to do this with some fresh young minds and imaginations was a chance that I couldn’t refuse."

Previous School of Song workshops have seen Adrianne Lenker, Tune-Yards, Phil Elverum and Courtney Marie Andrews share their knowledge with students.

Find out more on School of Song's website.