Published by: Julia
Want to know if St Vincent´s singing masterclass is for you? Read about what I learned when I recently took her online course and how it compares to the other songwriting and singing masterclasses I have took before hers.
Spoiler alert…this is my new favorite.
Who is your singing and creativity teacher St Vincent?
I am ashamed to say that until I took her masterclass, I had never heard of St. Vincent. Although I later realised that I had been listening to and enjoying New York and Teenage Talk for a while now.
St. Vincent is the alterego of Annie Erin Clark. Someone I have now discovered is a remarkable songwriter, singer, musician, producer and actor.
Her alternative approach to creating and making musis is a refreshing change. So, I was not surprised to learn that she has received several accolades. Including the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, her first solo album, no less. Amazing for someone who started out by working on her first album in her bedroom.
She has been writing and making music for nearly 20 years now. So, has a wealth of knowledge to share. Something she does in a easy to follow and enthralling way.
Who will benefit from taking this masterclass?
Anita has not restricted herself to working in one genre or area of the music industry. This means that she has a lot to offer all kinds of singers. Here are the kinds of people I think could benefit from taking her course:
- Songwriters
- Singers
- Musicians
- Live performers
- Fans of St. Vincent
- Film score composers
- Other kinds of creators
The best thing about this masterclass is the fact that it is accessible to both professional and novice songwriters and musicians. Nothing is too technical.
Yet, the course includes innovative approaches that many professionals will not have even heard of, let alone tried.
For non-musicians, there are also plenty of life lessons and insights into how to be productive and create something special regardless of the project you are tackling.
Fans of St Vincente are treated to an insight into what makes this relatively shy star tick. She talks about what drives her in a way she has never done before.
By the way, we recommend purchasing Masterclass for more than just one single course. The value comes when you take several. If you want to read our review of the whole platform, check out this Masterclass review article.
If you want to just find out what some of the best masterclasses are, this is the article for you.
What´s included in this online singing and songwriting course?
This is what is included :
- 16 videos – 2 hours 18 minutes of instruction
- a 22-page workbook
- the ability to ask questions and discuss the course in the St. Vincent Masterclass forum
In theory, you can watch the videos at double-speed, which is something I do quite often for other courses. But, I would not recommend it for this or the other 18 music, composing and singing courses that are available on the Masterclass platform. All of which you also get access to when you buy St Vincent´s songwriting masterclass.
What you will learn by taking St Vincent´s singing and creativity Masterclass
Below, I go into a bit more detail about what the course contains. But I know some of you are a bit short on time, so this is the headlines. These are the main things you will learn from taking this course:
- Creating the right work environment so you are as creative as possible (Nun Mode)
- How to create songs that take listeners on an emotional journey
- How to add an epiphany moment to each song to make them all the more memorable
- The equipment you need to become a bedroom composer
- An overview of how St Vincent created her song “Savior”
- An overview of how she wrote the theme song for “The Nowhere Inn” TV show
- How to turn negative experiences into something positive and use them to enhance your compositions
- How to find inspiration from the world around you and use it to create interesting songs and music
- Tips on using the guitar to write more interesting songs
- How to overcome your nerves to deliver an unforgettable live performance
As you can see, this course is much more about the creative process than it is about singing. It is, nonetheless, still an excellent masterclass for singers. Understanding the structure of a song and the creative process behind it gives you another layer of insight, which makes it easier to interpret what the songwriter has created.
If you’re stuck on something, go to an instrument that you don’t play well. All of a sudden, you’re not going to be able to rely on muscle memory—you’re just going to be finding new things and going,‘Ooh, that’s exciting.
St. Vincente Singing and Creativity Masterclass
How does St Vincent´s Masterclass compare to other music-related courses I have taken?
Overall, it compares extremely well. It is not as long as most of the other music-related masterclasses I have taken already. But, in many ways, that is a plus. I was able to go through the course one evening and take it all in. Whereas Christine Aguillera´s course is nearly 4 hours long. Her course dives deep into singing technique while St Vincent´s only touches on the subject.
That is the beauty of the masterclass platform. If you feel that one course leaves you with questions or gaps in your knowledge, the chances are you can fill that gap by taking one of the other courses.
You also get to learn about several different ways of approaching the creative process.
If you want a quick overview of most of the music, composing, singing and songwriting masterclasses I took, just click here. Or, if you prefer, search for the artist you are interested in and read my full review.
Why I liked this singing masterclass so much
I have taken 65 of the classes that are available on the masterclass platform and am impressed by how much things have improved. It seems to me that previous instructors have learned from others who have gone before them. As a result, many of the more recent courses are even better than the ones produced by the original contributors.
This is certainly true of St Vincent´s singing and creativity masterclass. It is not as long as Christine Aguilera´s, but it is in many ways more comprehensive.
St Vincente really is an excellent teacher. She has thought carefully about what she is going to teach. Planned the course out properly and executed it flawlessly.
She explains things in a clear, concise and understandable way.
Song writing is tension and release. You set up an expectation and then you wait people wait just a secound and then you fulfil their expectation.
St. Vincente – Songwriting Masterclass 2023
A few things I did not like about St Vincents Masterclass
I have only two slight critisms of this course…well maybe three.
The first one is the workbook – St Vincents Masterclass PDF workbook looks fantastic. If you are a fan of St Vincent you are going to really enjoy owning it. There are plenty of great photos of her and insights into her career and creative process. But, not much extra information for her students.
You have to watch the videos to get at the gold. With some other masterclass courses, you can go through everything knowing that you can easily go back and find what you need using the workbook as a reference. With St Vincent´s course you will need to make notes as you go.
No assignments – I like courses that include assignments. They cement what I have learned. Unfortunately, St Vincente does not include many in her Masterclass.
It´s a bit short – Just over 2 hours is not really long enough to cover all of the subjects St. Vincent teaches in this masterclass. Having said that what she does teach is pure gold. But I really hope she makes a 2nd masterclass like Gordon Ramsay has. That way she can dive deeper into her creative process and teach us more.
Make shame your friend – because there is no way to get good at something without being bad at it first.
St Vincent – Masterclass.com
St Vincent Masterclass FAQs
Is St. Vincent´s masterclass worth the cost?
Yes, most definitely. Instead of struggling for years to learn how to write, produce and sing or play what you create, you can let St. Vincent share her decades of experience.
Thus saving yourself many hours of sweat and tears.
How long is St. Vincent’s MasterClass?
It is 2 hours 16 minutes long. It consists of 16 videos and a workbook.
Can you get St. Vincent’s MasterClass for free?
No, you have to buy a Masterclass all-access pass. That gives you access to St. Vincent´s Masterclass and 80 other courses.
Including 18 other masterclasses that relate to singing, songwriting, composing and performing live.
Can I get a refund for St. Vincent´s Masterclass?
Yes. You have 30 days to ask for a refund. Provided, you bought it from the Masterclass website, rather than a third-party website.