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1. Mission Statement
2. Workshop Process
3. Contact Information

Mission Statement from Workshop Creator, Matt Myers

I’ve been writing music since growing up, and began working with midi and playing in rock bands while in high school. I began producing music for games professionally in 2005 and took my first job at a game developing studio in 2006. I also enjoyed playing video games growing up, and became heavily interested in anime in high school. At Anime Boston 2006 I had some wonderful experiences performing piano renditions of my favorite music from anime and games in a small alcove for convention attendees who passed by.

One part of my job when I was at the studio was creating midi versions of songs by other artists, chart topping stars and local musicians alike. While I enjoyed the job, I was often bored by the idea of imitating established music formats. I’ve also developed an intense dislike for Hollywood glamour culture based on my own experiences and my friends’ experiences from playing in successful local bands. Somewhere during the course of the project, I had the thought “Pop music is so repetitive and ordinary these days. But gamers are incredibly creative. I bet I could work with gamers who don’t know anything about music, and create music that’s better than what people are actually listening to.” Then it hit me, “Hey, I could really do this!”

My goal with Anime Songwriting Workshop is to provide an opportunity for creative people to collaborate on original and unique music that also sounds as catchy and polished as any mainstream hit. Some of the participants will have never written or performed music before and never expected to, and others will be internationally recognized industry leaders. I want to challenge the limits of my ability as a professional, and give something back to the community that helped me get my start. I also hope to encourage creativity, curiosity and constructive criticism of social issues in media and entertainment.

Looking back, what I really enjoy about anime and games – when compared to other entertainment media – is the idea of exploring something new rather than perpetuating stereotypes. To me, the music in anime and games reflects this positive sense of innovation, inclusiveness. Anime Songwriting Workshop is a game about writing pop songs, and anyone can play.

Be excellent to each other. Party on dudes! \m/

-Matt

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Workshop Process

Improvisation & Interactive Anaylysis - The core of any good song is a unique powerful message. The musical arrangement builds on the idea that the writer(s) is communicating. Inspired by improv theatre techniques, the first hour of the workshop involves participants fleshing out a scene, which serves as a premise for the show that the song is about. Who are the characters? What is the setting? What is the situation? Participants develop and build on a sketch and explore dominant themes. In between performances, facilitators stop and ask "Ok, what happened here?" and get the participants talk about their ideas. Eventually, someone says something interesting enough that it serves as the center point for the song we create.

Writing A Catchy Chorus - As they say in A&R, "Don't bore us, get to the chorus!" The chorus is the section of a song that repeats, and if it doesn't hit like an atom bomb, nobody cares about the rest of the song. In the second hour of the workshop, facilitators work with the participants to write 16 bars of mind-blowing chorus using the words and ideas from the improv exercise. Part of the fun is that the lyrics are confusing and in both English and Japanese, whereas real anime songs are often quirky and translated poorly.

Studio Session - Recording the song with the best possible production values. Workshop participants are also invited to get involved with performing on the studio track. 

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Contact Information

Phone: (617) 549-7044

Email: matt@2eastmusic.com

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