JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton Music School is hosting a four-week Winter Songwriting Workshop Series for the month January, starting this Friday, Jan. 9, inviting adults to write original songs in a relaxed, supportive setting.
“You’ll be surprised how fun and rewarding the process is,” said Susan Jones, a Teton Music School faculty member and one of the workshop’s facilitators. “If you like words, poetry or journaling and music, creating a song can feel like magic.”
The workshops take place Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. Workshops begin Jan. 9, and continue on Jan. 16, Jan. 23 and Jan. 30, at Teton Music School studios in The Center for the Arts. Participants can register for the full series or drop in for individual sessions.
The series is for anyone 18 and older who writes songs or wants to start. Sessions are structured to offer clear entry points while also leaving room for participants to test new approaches, refine works in progress, and engage with peers around craft, structure, and feedback. No prior musical training is required.
Workshops are led by Teton Music School faculty members Missy Jo (Melissa Elliott), Molly Moon Thorn, Tori Lund and Susan Jones, all working musicians and multi-instrumentalists. Faculty are on hand to support lyrical and musical ideas as they develop, without pressure to perform or perfect.
“When inspiration just isn’t striking, working within constraints can yield the most unexpected and creative results,” said instructor Missy Jo. “Generative songwriting will help you work outside of your musical habits, get out of your head, and turn lemons into lemonade!”
Each session focuses on writing in the room. Participants work on their own material alongside others, with time to experiment and revise, and everyone leaves each workshop with something they created that night — a draft, a verse or a new direction to explore. There is no homework unless participants choose to keep working between sessions.
The emphasis, Lund said, is on creating together: “We can inspire each other.”
Weekly focus
- Jan. 9: Spark & Generative Momentum with Missy Jo (Melissa Elliott). Work with playful tools for getting unstuck and generating ideas when inspiration feels out of reach.
- Jan. 16: Language, Rhythm & Hooks with Molly Moon Thorn. Explore lyric writing through rhythm, wordplay and memorable hooks.
- Jan. 23: Structure & Emotional Clarity aka Three Chords and the Truth with Tori Lund — use simple song structures to support emotional honesty.
- Jan. 30: Feedback & Refinement with Susan Jones. Practice giving and receiving feedback that helps songs move forward while keeping the creative spark intact.
Participants in the series will also be invited to share new work at an optional community open mic event on Friday, Feb. 13, in the Center Commons, with musical support from Teton Music School faculty.
The full four-week series costs $135, with $45 drop-in sessions available. A pay-what-you-can option is offered.
The workshops are part of a growing set of adult offerings at Teton Music School this winter, designed for adults who want space to create, experiment and reconnect with music on their own terms. More information and registration details are available through Teton Music School.
