Eagles Songwriting

8/13/2019 Eagles Songwriting

1/6

Eagles' Glenn Frey teaches

songwriting; talks tourRecommend

1

tweet0

0

1

Print Email
http://twitter.com/#search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fqctimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2Farticle_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.htmlhttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html?print=true&cid=printhttp://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/qctimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/23/f2301bc5-8d8b-5636-acaf-549231e3bc4b/50a5d9b9925d8.preview-620.jpghttp://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/qctimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/9a/d9a7673f-3fce-583d-9600-2cd7cd0a8d9d/50a5d9b802839.preview-620.jpghttp://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/qctimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/23/f2301bc5-8d8b-5636-acaf-549231e3bc4b/50a5d9b9925d8.preview-620.jpghttp://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/qctimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/9a/d9a7673f-3fce-583d-9600-2cd7cd0a8d9d/50a5d9b802839.preview-620.jpghttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html?print=true&cid=printhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fqctimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2Farticle_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html


2/6

Mathieu Asselin

This image released by New York University shows the NYU Steinhardt

orchestral string ensemble performing with members of the Eagles, foreground

from left, Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Joe Walsh at theInaugural Vision Award Gala, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 in New York. (AP

Photo/New York University, Mathieu Asselin)

21 hours ago Associated Press


3/6

(0) Comments

Forty years after Glenn Frey began crafting some of the mostmemorable rock songs ever, the Eagles musician and singer finds

himself in a new role _ college professor.

For the past few months, Frey has been helping to teach a

songwriting class at New York University's Steinhardt Department of

Music. The semester culminated Thursday night with a benefit

concert by the Eagles at the Beacon Theatre, where the opening actwas three of the class's students performing their original songs.

"Their enthusiasm is contagious," Frey said in an interview. He said

that working with the students has energized him: "It'll be

interesting to see where my next batch of songs comes from."

The concert was one of a handful of Eagles shows this year _ theRock and Roll Hall of Fame members play Las Vegas on Saturday

and Dec. 30. They played an abbreviated, tight set at the Beacon,

just an hour long, working seamlessly through classics such as "The

Long Run," "Lyin' Eyes" and "Witchy Woman."

Frey said during the interview there are no firm plans for the Eagles

to record together or do a full tour, but all of that may be in the

works. He said he expects the band, including fellow members

Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh and Don Henley, to gather in the

coming days to determine the next steps. A documentary about the
http://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html#commentshttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html#commentshttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html#commentshttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html#commentshttp://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/eagles-glenn-frey-teaches-songwriting-talks-tour/article_ff1b58ac-8178-59a7-9844-95c8e9cbb2ad.html#comments


4/6


5/6

Galdston said it was Frey's idea that a few of the students perform

as the opening act. Using a violin, a piano, a cello and a guitar, the

three students worked through three songs that received a warm

reception from the audience.

The students and the teachers said the goal of the class was not to

look for the next big hit, but instead how to tell stories through

music and end up with great songs. Weekly assignments included

writing a song with no chorus or with a limited number of chords,

then the teachers and the students worked on the songs in their

next classes.

Tiger Darrow, a sophomore from Dallas studying music composition,

said Frey helped her focus on the idea of telling a big story into a

small package _ a song. She said she and her colleagues weren't

intimidated working with Frey, although she got a bit nervous when

she realized the details of his legendary life.

Frey explained how songwriting classes weren't available when he

was trying to make it as a musician, and he instead worked on his

craft with masters like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bob Seger. "We

just said, `I wonder if they'd like this,'" Frey recalled of songwriting

with those musicians.

A.J. Smith, a senior studying music composition from Washington,

D.C., said Frey helped focus the students on the songwriting process

and the idea that all parts of their songs "should be something

someone can feel and appreciate."


6/6

He also said Frey noted that the Eagles even tried to make their

guitar solos "sing-able" _ thus the reason almost everyone knows

the final minutes of the song "Hotel California," a surefire highlight

of Thursday night's show.

_____

Lou Ferrara is an AP managing editor. He can be followed at

twitter.com/LouFerrara .
http://twitter.com/LouFerrarahttp://twitter.com/LouFerrarahttp://twitter.com/LouFerrara

Documents

Eagles Songwriting