FEEL
Start with what matters to you.
Collaborative songwriting education
DON'T PROMPT A SONG.
WRITE ONE.
A live songwriting experience that teaches real craft, develops your voice, and helps you turn an idea into a song you can bring to musicians.
Human creativity leads.
Technology supports the process, then helps you hear and communicate the song you created.
FEEL IT · SHAPE IT
HUMAN
CREATED SHARE IT · PLAY IT
CREATED SHARE IT · PLAY IT
The Originals Method
FROM THE FIRST IDEA TO A SONG YOU CAN BRING TO THE BAND.
Our eight-step process teaches the craft behind the songs people instinctively recognize and remember.
FIND
Define the idea, point of view, title and hook.
SHAPE
Build expectation, repetition, contrast, tension and resolution.
WRITE
Develop lyrics, structure, prosody and melody.
COLLABORATE
Share ideas, listen and create with other writers.
ARRANGE
Communicate chords, tempo, feel, dynamics and direction.
DEMO
Use technology to demonstrate the song you created.
BAND
Create your Band Pack and bring it to musicians.
“Come in with an idea. Leave with a song you understand, can explain, and can bring to musicians.”
The Founding Course
BRING IT TO THE BAND
An 8-week live collaborative songwriting experience built around traditional songcraft, human-created melody, guided collaboration and individual instructor assessment.
- 8 weekly lessons90 minutes each
- Writing RoomsSmall-group collaboration
- Song PlannerYour ideas, lyrics, submissions, feedback and revisions
- Individual assessmentProgress reviewed by your instructor
- Final demoAI used sparingly after the song is written
- Band PackCharts and materials to bring to musicians
Meet Your Instructor
GINO GAVONI
Founder & Lead Songwriting Mentor
Five decades of music.
One goal: help you write yours.
Gino Gavoni has been making music since picking up the guitar in his early teens, first inspired by players including Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore and Jeff Beck. As his musical education expanded, he became fascinated by the studio musicians behind the records, studying players such as Danny Kortchmar, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and his personal favorite, Tommy Tedesco.
Over the years, Gino played countless live gigs, toured with support acts, worked in recording environments and helped develop studios for artists including Todd Rundgren, Stan Lynch, Saigon Kick and Jimmy Buffett. He has taught hundreds of guitarists across multiple age groups and was one of the original instructors for the Yamaha Rock School program, where he also assisted with curriculum development.
Today, Gino lives and works in Nashville, continuing to write, record and perform with his band Wolf Jackson. Originals Academy brings those decades of experience together to help a new generation turn ideas into songs.
Every week creates progress
A 90-MINUTE LESSON BUILT TO MAKE SOMETHING.
Students don't simply watch. Every lesson moves their song forward and records that progress in their individual Song Planner.
Lecture
Learn one core songwriting principle.
Hands On
Apply it through a guided exercise.
Collaboration
Work with other writers.
Creation
Use the lesson in your own song.
Submission
Save the work to your Song Planner.
Review
Instructor reviews during a short break.
Assessment
Receive individual feedback.
Recommendations
Revise and resubmit during the week.
Your Finished Song Package
THE ORIGINALS BAND PACK.
At the end of the course, your work is organized into a practical package designed to help other musicians understand, learn and play your song.
BRING IT TO THE BAND
Everything a musician needs to start learning your song.
Original Songs
HEAR WHAT ORIGINALS SOUND LIKE.
Preview songs created and developed through the Originals process. Each preview plays for up to 60 seconds and begins fading at 54 seconds.
That Man Tonight
Brent Ramble
Cut The Cake
Caroline Moore
High Vibes
Sean Parker/KxA$$/Pogo
Spanish Rose
Marco Cruz/Alberto Reyes
Girls Like Me
Luna Vale
Pieces
Eddie Foster
This isn't just a class
IT'S YOUR SONG.
You learn the craft, develop a human melody, collaborate with real people, revise your work and finish with something that did not exist eight weeks earlier.
REAL CRAFTTraditional songwriting principles
REAL PEOPLECollaboration and mentorship
REAL SONGSHuman ideas, lyrics and melody
REAL OUTPUTDemo, charts and Band Pack
FAQ
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MUSICIAN YET.
Do I need to play an instrument?
No. Melody can be sung, hummed, whistled or played. The important requirement is that the creative melody begins with you.
Do I need to have written songs before?
Not at all. You can arrive with experience, a few unfinished ideas or simply the desire to write your first song. The course teaches the craft while you create.
Do I need to already have a song idea?
No. If you already have an idea, bring it. If you do not, the process helps you discover a concept, point of view, title and direction.
Is there an age requirement?
Yes. Originals Academy is designed for writers age 13 and older. Participants under 18 require parent or legal guardian consent. We intentionally create a multigenerational and multicultural experience where different influences, perspectives and life experiences can strengthen the Writing Room.
How many students are in each class?
Each cohort is limited to 12 students. Small classes allow everyone to participate, collaborate in Writing Rooms and receive meaningful individual feedback from the instructor.
Is this a self-paced video course?
No. The founding program is a live, structured eight-week experience with collaboration, submissions, instructor review, assessment and revisions between lessons.
What if I miss a class?
Your Song Planner keeps your work, assignments, instructor feedback and progress organized so you can stay connected to the process. Specific attendance and make-up options will be provided with each cohort before enrollment.
Does AI write my song?
No. You develop the concept, lyrics, structure and melody. Technology supports the process and may assist with analysis, organization and, after the song is written, creating a demo and musician-ready materials.
Who owns the song I write?
The writers do. Originals Academy teaches and supports the creative process; it does not take ownership of your song. When writers collaborate, contributions and writer splits are documented as part of the process.
What do I finish with?
A completed original song, your Song Planner, instructor assessment, final demo, Song Blueprint, musician-ready materials and an Originals Band Pack that includes a TapTunes Instant Music Card for your song.
Founding class
YOUR SONG IS IN YOU.
LET'S GET IT OUT.
Join the list for founding-course dates and enrollment details.