Songwriting & Music Theory

Understand music. Make music. Write your own.

Songwriting and music theory are all about giving you more tools to express yourself. We can explore chords, harmony, melody, song structure, lyrics, rhythm, arranging, and more — always through the music you actually want to make.

This can be worked into your regular singing or piano lessons, or you can book dedicated songwriting and music theory lessons on their own.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to fill in gaps in your musical knowledge, we'll focus on practical skills you can actually hear, understand, and use.

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Book an in-person lesson at the Haliburton Studio

Songwriting

Have an idea for a song but don't know where to take it? We can work from wherever you are in the process.

You might bring in a lyric, melody, chord progression, recording, or half-finished idea, and we'll explore ways to develop it. We'll look at things like:

  • Building strong chord progressions

  • Creating melodies that work with your harmony

  • Song structure and arrangement

  • Lyrics, phrasing and storytelling

  • Finding your own songwriting voice

  • Getting unstuck when you've hit a creative wall

  • Exploring harmony, rhythm and musical ideas to inspire new directions

You don't need to consider yourself a "songwriter" to start. Curiosity is enough.

Music Theory

Theory doesn't have to mean memorizing a bunch of rules.

I teach theory through the music you're actually interested in, so you can understand why something works and how to use it yourself. Depending on your goals, we might explore chords and chord construction, scales, keys, harmony, intervals, rhythm, notation, Roman numerals, ear training, or more advanced harmonic concepts.

Theory can be incorporated into singing or piano lessons, or we can make it the main focus of your sessions.

Learn it. Hear it. Use it.

My goal is to help you become a more independent musician — someone who can hear an idea, understand what's happening, and make informed creative choices.

Whether you're a beginner looking for a foundation or an experienced musician who wants to fill in some gaps, we'll meet you where you are and build from there.