What makes a musical theatre song unforgettable?
COURSE OFFERED FALL 2026
Course level: Undergraduate
Course Instructor: Andrew Gerle
Contact: agerle@msmnyc.edu
Manhattan School of Music
Introduction to Musical Theater Songwriting
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This practical and creative course introduces students to the craft of writing songs for the stage. Drawing on examples from over a century of Broadway repertoire, students will discover how melody, harmony, lyrics, character, and dramatic storytelling work together to create songs that move audiences and drive narrative action.
Through analysis, creative exercises, and guided composition projects, students will write and refine two original musical theatre songs while learning the techniques used by some of the genre’s most celebrated songwriters. Along the way, they will explore everything from hook writing and harmonic language to lyric structure and character development.
Ideal for composers, performers, lyricists, and theatre-makers, this course offers a rare opportunity to develop both musical and dramatic storytelling skills in a collaborative and supportive environment.
Credits: 2 ECTS / 2 US Credits
Maximum Participants: 15 students
Course Format:
- 3 live online sessions
- 7 weeks of asynchronous lectures, assignments, and songwriting workshops
Topics Include:
Broadway song analysis, lyric writing, melody writing, harmonic techniques, character-driven storytelling, collaboration, rewriting and editing.