Songwriting Tuition

Our 3 stage process to elevate your songwriting:

Most songwriters have gaps in their music theory knowledge that are holding their songs back. Let’s bring things back to basics to ensure your songs can reach their full potential.


In our 1-2-1 sessions we’ll start by assessing your knowledge of these essential concepts:

  • Chords
  • Melody
  • Harmony
  • Rhythm
  • Structure
  • Hooks


Our methodology:

  • A genre-specific approach based on your interests.
  • Analysis of your favourite songs for tangible examples.
  • Engaging exercises tailored to you and your own songs.
  • Easy to use cheat sheets that break down your learning.

Being a songwriter means being a storyteller!

Are you taking the listener on a journey when they hear your songs? Every great song has a narrative, be it subtle or clear. Each songwriting decision you make should be serving that narrative.

In this stage, we’ll learn exactly how to do that by developing these areas:

Lyric Writing

Lyrics are an integral part of telling your story. 

We want to make sure your lyrics are in keeping with your genre & style, sophisticated, and expressive.

Take this classic lyric for example:

“And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills, till the landslide brought me down.” – Fleetwood Mac, Landslide

I can think of a million less poignant ways to say that statement, but the way it’s written here is simple, yet incredibly poetic and emotive.

We’ll learn some integral writing techniques to ensure you’re lyrics are hitting the right narrative cues!

Narrative-driven composition

Imagine a part of your lyrics describes a certain scenario or feeling. How do we embed that feeling throughout the music so that it matches the lyrics?

Here’s an example:

This song evokes a sense of urgency, the title literally says ‘running’ in it!

So, how is this feeling carried out through the actual composition? 

The drums!

The rhythm feels almost as if the drums themselves are running.

We can focus on even more areas of composition, not just the drums, to make sure each element of the song is serving the overall narrative!

The final stage centers around developing your sonic signature; what makes your song unique?

Pulling from your biggest inspirations we look at developing your overall sound by solidifying the instrumentation, and repeated techniques that feature most prominently in the music you make.

We’ll focus on using a DAW (digital audio work station) to add virtual instruments and other digital elements your song may require.

For the more electronic music makers this could be:

  • Beat making
  • Synthesizers & sampling techniques
  • Sound design
  • Sound FX


For the more acoustic folks this could be:

  • Programming acoustic drums
  • Virtual instruments eg. Strings, Pianos, etc
  • Subtle textures eg. drones & ambiences


There is no one-size-fits-all! Each artist has a unique blend of elements. Now is your time to experiment!

Music Production

What is music production?

Music production is the process of creating a song or piece of music from start to finish. It involves composing music, arranging sounds and instruments, recording vocals and instruments, editing, mixing tracks together, and mastering the final mix to enhance sound quality. This process can be done in a professional studio or at home using digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Logic Pro etc, along with virtual instruments and various audio processing tools.

Learning music production involves learning the entire compositional process along with the entire recording & mixing process.

What is a music producer?

A music producer is responsible for overseeing and managing the production and recording of songs or albums.

They work on both the creative and technical sides, collaborating with artists and sound engineers to get the best sound, arrange the music, and perfect the final mix. The goal is to make sure the final product matches the artist’s vision and meets high-quality standards.

The role of a music producer has always been a somewhat nebulous one. Increasingly it can mean a number of vastly different things. Is someone who programs a beat a producer? Yes. Is someone who plays bass, co-writes songs, and mediates disputes between band members a producer? Yes.

However…

There is a clear distinction between being a Music Producer and producing your own music!

Should I produce my own music?

The main questions I want you to ask yourself is:

Are you a songwriter?

or…

Do you want to take on the responsibilities of the entire process?

If you’re a songwriter then your responsibility is to master the art of songwriting! 

If you want to produce your own music then your responsibility becomes these main things:

  • Songwriting: Composition, Arrangement, Sound Design & Instrumentation
  • Recording
  • Editing
  • Mixing
  • Mastering

Not sure whether you want to learn the entire process? Maybe you want to focus your energy on certain elements of your music. Why not leave the rest to the professionals?

We recommend our friends at  ELFCAT AUDIO they handle everything you don’t want to learn!

Recording & Editing Tuition

What you’ll learn:

How to record using a mixing desk and DAW software

Microphone placement & polar patterns

Session organisation

How to capture the perfect performance

Instrument-specific recording techniques tailored to your project

How to choose the best takes

How to troubleshoot recording problems

How to remove imperfections

Vocal Comping and cleaning vocal takes

Pitch correction & time stretching/flex editing

How are these techniques taught?

Recording & Editing sessions are taught through a mixture of in-person studio workshops for recording technique demonstrations and online editorial session tutorials.

For remote learners there will be live online workshops in the studio with real-time demonstrations of recording techniques using high-quality audio transmission software so you can hear exactly how it sounds as if you were in the studio!

What if I only want to learn specific things?

All sessions are tailored to your needs! During your free consultation we’ll discuss your focus areas and make a learning plan tailored to you.

Mixing Tuition

Our 3 stage process to elevate your mixes:

Learn how to correctly process your instruments and vocals using:

  • EQ
  • Compression
  • Reverb

You will learn the why, when, and how we use these processes to solve problems and add interest.

No expensive plugins, no more youtube rabbit holes, just real feedback and industry-standard techniques.

Putting  you in control, empowering your skillset.

What you get:

  • Back to basics: a series of lessons explaining how the basic processing tools work.
  • Custom-made chains for individual instruments/vocals, and in-depth explanations of how they work.
  • Processing cheat sheets

Learn how to balance your mix using:

  • Levelling
  • Panning
  • You guessed it… more EQ!

Through live 1-2-1 mixing walkthroughs, we’ll determine the best mix approach for your music.

We’ll then create a repeatable mix template that you can re-use for future projects.

We’ll also cover:

  • What makes a mix muddy, and how to solve it
  • Tutorials on routings and busses
  • Advanced techniques eg. side chain compression

The final stage is all about time-based processing, add interest and control to your mix. 

Make the final tweaks that take your mixes to the next level!

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • How to automate volume and panning at specific points for a specific duration
  • How to use automation for creative FX

What my students say:

“Mirianna creates a safe, supportive space for sharing ideas and exploring ways to improve my music in practical but flexible ways. She helps me to shape a clear path forward by combining my personal goals with informed guidance…” read more

Jeunese Payne

Singer/Songwriter

“I had great time working with Miri. She took the time to listen and understand what stage I had reached in my musical production journey and where I wanted to get to. She tailored our sessions to focus on the areas I would need in my work, but also answered any questions and allowed time …”    read more

Robin Hemmings

Songwriter/Producer/Mixer

“Miri is awesome. She is patient and kind, and has been a fantastic support in this new chapter of my life. She is very good at what she does and her creative talent is incredible. I have learned so much already. I feel very able to be myself with her. ..”  read more

Viktor Croft

Singer/Songwriter

Miri helped me massively during my degree, and into my first job after graduating. Our lessons predominantly focused on mixing and production, and she was able to teach me across Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Pro-Tools. Also helped that she’s super friendly!!! Made it feel like I could ask her anything without sounding stupid …  read more

Nichole Moss

Music Producer/Mixing Engineer