THE HSD SONGLAB
WORK ON ONE SONG.
LEARN A FRAMEWORK
YOU’LL USE AGAIN AND AGAIN.
A hands-on intensive where you bring one original song and apply the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology directly to it, learning to examine your creative choices, understand what’s working and what isn’t, and develop a repeatable analytical process that extends far beyond this program.
WHAT MAKES SONGLAB DIFFERENT
NOT JUST THEORY.
PRACTICE.
The HSD SongLab is designed to help you take one original song from its current draft to a stronger, more fully developed version.
This is not a series of classes where you learn concepts in isolation. Everything you study is immediately applied to the song you bring into the program, so the learning becomes part of the work itself.
You learn. You apply. You assess. You get direct feedback. You revise. Then you bring what you discovered into the next stage of the process.
Over the course of the The HSD SongLab, your song evolves session by session. At the same time, you develop a more intentional way of approaching your own music that you can continue to use long after the program ends.
FIVE
Live Sessions
Masterclasses
Led by David Penn
Weekly
Direct Feedback
Oct 3
Start Date
1
2
3
4
5
Saturday, October 3 · MELODY
Saturday, October 17 · Hooks
Saturday, October 31 · Lyrics & Rhymes
Saturday, November 14 · Structure and Arrangement
Saturday, November 28 · Final Listening Session
THE SONGLAB CYCLE
01
LEARN
Deep instruction focused on Melody, Hooks, Lyrics, Rhymes, Structure, and Arrangement.
02
ANALYZE
Listen to your own song objectively. Examine what the framework reveals about the choices you’ve made.
03
APPLY
Use HSD tools and workbooks to guide you in making specific creative decisions about your song.
04
FEEDBACK
Bring your questions and progress to David and the group in a live weekly session.
05
REVISE
Make changes based on what you’ve learned and heard. Return to your song with clearer direction.
↺ The cycle continues with each session
TWO OUTCOMES
FROM ONE EXPERIENCE
○ THE SONG YOU DEVELOP
ONE ORIGINAL SONG.
DEVELOPED ACROSS
THE FULL PROGRAM.
You bring one original song into SongLab and work on it from beginning to end. Across the program, you examine it through six core areas: melody, hooks, lyrics, rhymes, structure, and arrangement.
Each session gives you a new lens through which to assess the song, identify opportunities, make revisions, and hear the impact of those changes.
By the final listening session, you have not simply learned about songwriting. You have taken one song through a deliberate development process and brought it to a stronger, more fully realized version.
YOUR SONG THROUGH SONGLAB
■ THE FRAMEWORK YOU KEEP
A REPEATABLE PROCESS
FOR EVERY SONG
THAT FOLLOWS.
The value of SongLab extends beyond the song you develop in the program. By applying the HSD methodology to your own work, you begin to internalize a structured way of evaluating any song you write.
You learn how to step back from your music, assess it more objectively, identify what is working and what may need attention, and make more deliberate creative decisions. Those skills stay with you long after the program ends.
WHAT YOU CARRY FORWARD
→ A structured way to evaluate every song you write
→ A sharper ear for melody, hooks, lyrics, structure, and arrangement
→ A repeatable process for identifying what is working and what needs attention
→ Frameworks for diagnosing why a section or song may not be landing
→ Greater clarity and confidence in your creative decisions
→ HSD tools, workbooks, and resources you can continue to use
→ Stronger instincts built through repeated analysis, application, feedback, and revision
THE FOUR MASTERCLASSES
EACH SESSION BUILDS ON THE LAST.
YOUR SONG DEVELOPS THROUGHOUT.
01
MELODY
Saturday, September 26 · 12–3 PM ET
Explore the building blocks of compelling melody and how melodic choices shape a song’s identity, memorability, emotion, and momentum. You’ll look at contour, range, rhythm, repetition and variation, phrase structure, section-to-section development, melodic contrast, and the relationship between melody and lyrics. You’ll then apply these principles to your own song to assess what is working, where opportunities exist, and how the melody can be strengthened.
APPLICATION & FEEDBACK
APPLY TO YOUR SONG
You’ll apply these principles to your own song to identify what is working, where opportunities exist, and how the melody can be strengthened.
WEEKLY FEEDBACK SESSION
Wednesday · Time based on group time zones
Bring your questions, decisions, and progress. Get direct feedback from David and hear the group’s work.
02
HOOKS
Saturday, October 10 · 12–3 PM ET
Examine what makes a hook memorable and how hooks work together to give a song its identity and staying power. You’ll explore primary hook centers, supporting hooks, lyrical, melodic, rhythmic, and production-based hooks, as well as smaller “nano” hooks that reinforce memorability throughout a song. You’ll also look at how hooks are introduced, repeated, varied, reinforced, and spotlighted, then evaluate the hook strategy in your own song.
APPLICATION & FEEDBACK
APPLY TO YOUR SONG
You’ll apply these principles to your own song to evaluate its hook strategy, identify its strongest memorable elements, and uncover opportunities to make them more effective.
WEEKLY FEEDBACK SESSION
Wednesday · Time based on group time zones
Bring your questions, decisions, and progress. Get direct feedback from David and hear the group’s work.
03
LYRICS & RHYMES
Saturday, October 24 · 12–3 PM ET
Explore how strong lyrics communicate an idea, create emotional connection, and keep the listener engaged from beginning to end. You’ll examine concept, narrative, perspective, titles, opening lines, imagery, specificity, phrasing, section function, lyrical development, repetition, and contrast, along with the role rhyme plays in flow, cohesion, emphasis, and memorability.
APPLICATION & FEEDBACK
APPLY TO YOUR SONG
You’ll apply these principles to your own song to assess what is communicating clearly, what may be underdeveloped, and where the lyric and rhyme choices can be strengthened.
WEEKLY FEEDBACK SESSION
Wednesday · Time based on group time zones
Bring your questions, decisions, and progress. Get direct feedback from David and hear the group’s work.
04
STRUCTURE & ARRANGEMENT
Saturday, November 7 · 12–3 PM ET
Explore how a song is shaped from beginning to end and how structure and arrangement work together to create momentum, contrast, engagement, and payoff. You’ll examine section order and length, pacing, transitions, energy flow, repetition and variation, dynamics, instrumentation, density, entrances and exits, and how different sections are differentiated and connected.
APPLICATION & FEEDBACK
APPLY TO YOUR SONG
You’ll apply these principles to your own song to evaluate how effectively it creates momentum, contrast, and payoff, and identify where structural or arrangement choices could make the journey stronger.
WEEKLY FEEDBACK SESSION
Wednesday · Time based on group time zones
Bring your questions, decisions, and progress. Get direct feedback from David and hear the group’s work.
05
Final Listening Session
Saturday, November 21
Participants present the version of their song developed throughout SongLab. David and the group hear the work and respond to the development that has occurred across the program.
PROPRIETARY RESOURCES
BUILT TO HELP YOU EXAMINE YOUR OWN WORK.
SongLab participants receive access to Hit Songs Deconstructed workbooks, checklists, and SongLab, a suite of interactive song analysis tools, developed through 15+ years of systematic research into how successful contemporary songs work.
These resources are designed to move you past vague reactions such as “the chorus isn’t landing,” “the verse feels too long” toward a structure approach that helps you examine why something may be creating that reaction, and what you might do about it.
│ Access to HSD's proprietary suite of interactive song analysis tools
│ Evaluation workbooks and checklists for melody, hooks, lyrics, rhymes, structure, and arrangement
│ A frameworks drawn from 15+ years of systematic analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 top 10
│ Resources participants can continue using after the program
LEARN WITH
DAVID PENN
Founder of Hit Songs Deconstructed
Developed the HSD Methodology in 2010
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.
WHO IT’S FOR
FOR SERIOUS MUSIC
CREATORS.
SongLab is for music creators with a song already in development who want to work more intentionally and build a stronger, more reliable process for developing their music.
It's especially valuable if you:
WHAT’S INCLUDED
EVERYTHING NEEDED TO DEVELOP
THE SONG - AND THE PROCESS.
LIVE MASTERCLASSES
4 Live Three-Hour Sessions
Deep instruction in six core areas of song craft using the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology, with each session focused on concepts you can immediately apply to your own song.
DIRECT FEEDBACK
8 Weekly Feedback Sessions
Work directly with David every Wednesday to assess your song, ask questions, get feedback, and work through the decisions that arise as your song develops.
FINAL SESSION
Final Listening Session
Present the developed version of your song, hear how it has evolved over the course of the program, and bring the development process to a meaningful close.
Workbooks and checklists
Proprietary HSD Materials
Access proprietary workbooks, checklists, and development resources built from more than 15 years of systematic hit song analysis.
HSD Tools
Interactive Song Analysis Tools
Use SongLab, HSD’s proprietary suite of interactive tools, to examine your melodies, hooks, lyrics, rhymes, structure, genre influences, and more.
HSD PLATFORM
Three-Month HSD Subscription
Receive three months of full access to the Hit Songs Deconstructed platform, giving you additional analysis, examples, and resources to support your work during and after the program.
RECORDINGS
Core Session Recordings
Revisit all four masterclasses throughout the program and continue working with the material after the live sessions end.
SHARED LEARNING
Learn From Every Song in the Room
Hear the HSD methodology applied to different songs, creative choices, and challenges during the weekly feedback sessions, giving you more ways to recognize possibilities in your own work.
CERTIFICATE
Certificate of Completion
Receive formal recognition of your participation in and completion of The HSD SongLab.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
FULL SCHEDULE.
BEGINNING October 3.
MASTERCLASSES · SATURDAYS 12–3 PM ET
1
Saturday, October 3 · MELODY
2
Saturday, October 17 · HOOKS
3
Saturday, October 31 · LYRICS & RHYMES
4
Saturday, November 14 · STRUCTURE
5
Saturday, November 28 · Final Listening Session
FEEDBACK SESSIONS · WEDNESDAYS
Times TBD based on group member time zones.
1
Wednesday, October 7
Time TBD
2
Wednesday, October 14
Time TBD
3
Wednesday, October 21
Time TBD
4
Wednesday, October 28
Time TBD
5
Wednesday, November 4
Time TBD
6
Wednesday, November 11
Time TBD
6
Wednesday, November 18
Time TBD
6
Wednesday, November 25
Time TBD
ENROLLMENT
Eight WEEKS OF HANDS-ON
WORK ON ONE SONG
- AND A FRAMEWORK
THAT STAYS WITH YOU.
*Available to new subscribers only
-
FULL SONGLAB MASTERCLASS
-
MASTERCLASS SESSIONS ONLY
QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED
⌄
THE HSD SONGLAB
DEVELOP ONE SONG NOW.
BUILD A FRAMEWORK
FOR EVERY SONG
THAT FOLLOWS.
You leave SongLab with more than a developed song. You leave with a stronger way of listening, analyzing, questioning, and making creative decisions — a process you can bring to every piece of work that follows.
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