Work On One Song.
Learn a Framework You’ll Use Again and Again.
A hands-on intensive where you develop one original song while learning a repeatable framework you can apply to every song you write.
The HSD SongLab program is designed to to help you develop one original song from its current draft to a finished version.
Between sessions, you’ll apply what you learn directly to your song using guided assignments and HSD tools, then bring your progress into weekly SongLab Feedback Sessions with David Penn and the group.
During these sessions, you’ll get feedback on your own song, ask questions, and learn from the feedback, challenges, and creative decisions that come up across everyone’s work.
One Song. Four Stages of Development.
A Framework You Can Use Again and Again.
1. Melody
You’ll study the principles that shape effective melody writing, then use proprietary HSD tools and assignments to evaluate your own melodic choices across your song, from individual phrases to the relationship between sections, and use what you learn to strengthen them.
Saturday, September 26
During the following weeks, you’ll have two weekly group SongLab feedback sessions with David Penn where you can share your progress, ask questions, and get feedback as your song develops.
2. Hooks
Using the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology, you’ll see how memorable hooks are shaped through melody, rhythm, lyrics, vocals, production, arrangement, repetition, contrast, and development.
You'll understand how hook impact is built across a full track, so you can make more intentional choices in your own songs.
Saturday, September 26
After the session, you’ll apply what you learned directly to your song and continue developing it through the weekly SongLab Feedback Sessions.
3. Lyrics & Rhymes
Next, you'll turn your attention to your lyrics and rhymes, and what makes them connect deeply with audiences, and the specific techniques that create emotional impact and keep listeners engaged from start to finish. From dynamic wordplay to immersive storytelling to purpose-driven rhyme schemes and more, this session will teach you how to make every word count.
After the masterclass, you'll apply the concepts directly to the same song, giving you the opportunity to reconsider lines, rhymes, lyrical setup and payoff, and how effectively your lyric and melody are working together.
Saturday, October 10
The revision process continues along with weekly SongLab feedback sessions with David Penn.
4. Structure & Arrangement
With the song’s melody, hooks, and lyrics already under examination, the fourth stage focuses on the song as a complete listening experience.
You’ll assess its structure and arrangement, then make the revisions you believe will strengthen the song from beginning to end.
Saturday, October 24
After this final session, you have two more weekly SongLab feedback sessions with David Penn before the final listening session.
5. Final Listening Session
During this final listening session, you’ll present the finished version of the song you developed during SongLab and discuss your creative journey.
Saturday, November 21
The purpose of SongLab is application.
Throughout SongLab, everything you learn is applied directly to your song.
Sessions Every Two Weeks
The program includes four live masterclasses,, each focused on a critical aspect of song development: Melody, Hooks, Lyrics & Rhymes, and Structure & Arrangement.
HSD Tools, Workbooks & Checklists
After each masterclass, you’ll use HSD tools, workbooks, and checklists to guide your assignments and apply the concepts covered directly to your song.
Weekly SongLab Feedback Sessions
Meet live with David and the SongLab group to share your progress, ask questions, and get feedback as your song develops. You’ll also hear the songs other participants are working on, take part in the discussion, and learn from the feedback, challenges, and creative decisions that come up across the group.
Final Listening Session
At the end of SongLab, you’ll present the finished version of the song you developed throughout the program and discuss the creative journey and decisions that shaped it.
Who Is SongLab For?
SongLab is for music creators who already have a song in development and want to put focused work into making it stronger and learn a repeatable framework you can apply to every song you write.
It is especially valuable if you:
- Have a song you believe in but know isn't fully there yet
- Keep making changes without being certain whether they are solving the right problem
- Want more specific feedback than “I like it” or “the chorus needs something”
- Understand songwriting concepts but want a more disciplined way to apply them
- Want the structure and focus to take one song from draft through final revision
Bring the song. We’ll give you a repeatable process for taking it further.
Learn With David Penn
David Penn developed the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology in 2010 and has spent more than 15 years analyzing the songwriting and production techniques behind successful contemporary songs.
Hit Songs Deconstructed is used by songwriters, producers, labels, publishers, and music programs including Berklee College of Music, USC Thornton, and NYU.
David has also developed custom workshops for companies including Atlantic Records and BMG, and his work has been featured by Billboard, Variety, Music Week, ASCAP, and others.
During SongLab, you won't only hear from David during the four main masterclasses. You'll also have access to weekly SongLab Feedback Sessions throughout the program, giving you the opportunity to ask questions and get direct feedback while you're actively working on your song.
Schedule
Live Learning Sessions Every Other Week
Saturdays | 12 - 3 PM ET
(Exact length will be determined by topic and the length of Q&A.)
- Melody: September 26
- Hooks: October 10
- Lyrics & Rhymes: October 24
- Structure and Arrangement: November 7
- Final Listening Session: November 21
Live Feedback Sessions | Wednesdays
Hours TBD based on group time zones.
- September 30
- October 7
- October 14
- October 21
- October 28
- November 4
- November 11
Develop One Song. Build a Process You Can Use on the Next.
Throughout SongLab, you'll learn how to analyze your song more systematically, question specific choices, test revisions, get feedback, and work toward the version you're ready to present at the final listening session. Just as importantly, you'll develop a framework you can bring to the songs you write next.
Your Masterclass Includes:
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