Everything You Need to Write Musical Theatre in One Accessible, Affordable, & Collaborative Course
*Cohort 5 Begins February 21st & 22nd - Apply Now!*
Imagine…
There was a place to learn musical theatre writing that was warm and welcome?
There was no audition, but a short 1-on-1 application process centered on you?
You could actually afford the education with payment options tailored to your needs?
You had all course spaces and materials in one place that you could access from anywhere?
You could learn entirely online without having to move to NYC?
You could learn all the essential foundations in just 20 weeks?
You could meet and collaborators with writers from all over the world without leaving your home?
You had the flexibility to share your work live or pre-recorded with just the click of a button?
You could revisit any course days you missed or revisit the ones you loved through easily-accessible recordings?
You could learn, experiment, and grow in a community that will lift you up when you succeed and catch you if you fall?
By the End of Our Time Together, You Will Have…
The essential foundations of musical theatre writing and song-writing.
6 songs written with various collaborators, and with 3 revised (9 total).
Numerous new approaches to writing songs and beyond.
The knowledge to create a full musical, from structure to development and plenty in-between.
A free membership to the Musical Theatre Writing Collective online community for the course duration and beyond.
A forever community of musical theatre writers.
Recordings of the classes which include lessons, shares, and feedback sessions.
Crucial experience giving and receiving feedback that is actually useful.
An ability to blend your unique storytelling voice with tried and true structures.
The knowledge that you are a writer and that you can do this!
“I learned a thousand times more than I ever thought was possible, and I’m excited to keep writing!” - Megan Rayl
“The best investment I have made into strengthening my confidence and skill as a writer.” - Anne Heintz
When it comes to finding the information you need to successfully write musical theatre, there are very few places you can go.
And these places vary wildly in style, pricing, length, accessibility, gate-keeping, and curriculum.
Do you look at the graduate programs and wonder how anyone can afford those prices?
Have you applied to programs such as the BMI Workshop, but have missed out on the information because you haven’t been accepted or you don’t live in New York City?
Do you wish you had a community of writers that you knew intimately, as you collaborate on songs, share resources, and expand your network?
Are you longing for a hands-on and highly interactive way to learn and expand your musical theatre writing knowledge through actually doing it and in getting quality feedback?
You are not alone, my friend.
This information has been kept behind doors that have been blocked by auditions and expenses for decades, and relegated to self-teaching options in books, interviews, and more recently podcasts and YouTube videos.
If it were all more widely available, then the few programs that do exist wouldn’t tout new record-breaking numbers of applications each and every year!
And we would have a lot more quality musicals in development.
But the truth is that there are only a handful of programs out there, and these programs are gate-kept by expense, auditions that ask you to already have the skills you are looking to learn, and by geographical location.
When you can’t make a big move to New York, or when the finances won’t allow for a big investment, or when you’re life and schedule make a 2 or 3-year weekly commitment almost impossible…well, that’s a tough place to be in.
You feel the defeat of knowing you cannot invest that deeply, or move your entire life around for multiple years.
You feel overwhelmed by the mile-long queue of books and videos that you have bookmarked and need to find time for.
You feel that annoyance flare up when you look at new shows and think about how you could do better, if you just had the knowledge and the practice.
All of these feelings are utterly normal and entirely understandable. And there is another way.
But what if it there was an easy solution for you to find what you’re looking for?
Meet Your Musical Theatre Writing Guide
Hi friend! I’m Michael Radi (aka Musical Theatre Writer Guy) and the Founder of the Musical Theatre Writing Collective, where we bring together musical creators from across the world to connect, find resources, share work, and put new musicals out into the world.
Are you excited to learn everything you need to know to write your musicals, make them shine, and get them stage-ready? Because that’s precisely what I am here to help you do!
Having had two of my musicals produced (so far) and my work heard in distinguished venues such as Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre and Feinstein’s/54 Below - performed by Broadway talent - I certainly know the nitty gritty of what it takes to write musical theatre and make it truly sing. And with a formal and informal education in musical theatre writing that includes the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, working for Pasek and Paul, classes in text analysis, composition, orchestration, and history, as well as hands-on analysis as a performer, musical director, and vocal coach (and more), my experiences and perspectives are both extensive and broad.
My clients from across the world have created entire musicals with stunning speed, have pushed the boundaries of the art form with their stories, and have had their works featured in front of audiences along their paths to production.
I firmly believe in life-long education, that access increases the odds of success, that community and support are utterly invaluable, and that every creator and show needs to be treated as the unique individual entity that they are. We all learn differently, which is beautiful, and we deserve a space to gather, experiment, connect, and be supported as we grow our work and ourselves.
And if can do it while maintaining a healthy level of goofy, silly, and fun - then all the better!
“I feel like this class has supercharged my writing in ways that I didn’t expect” - Julie Richardson
“This course was just what I needed to shake up my perspectives, explore new connections, and freshen up everything I thought I knew about songwriting. The opportunity to collaborate in new ways with new people in an affirming, supportive, and growth-oriented environment did wonders to pull me out of my own songwriting rut, and to feel like part of a community that will grow along with me for the rest of my career. Thanks Michael!”
- Sadie Bowman, Cohort 1
“Michael Radi's Flagship Musical Theatre Writing Workshop Course is everything I could have been looking for as an aspiring musical theatre writer. Michael ensured each lesson was fun and informative, especially in his knowledge on musical theatre voices and history.
Even as a professional composer, Michael's course was rigorous as much as it was welcoming. Aside from the many friends I have now made, I have taken away a newfound confidence in my ability to write musical theatre songs and lyrics, both crafts Michael was thorough in explaining. Participants are required to present, in total, six songs, and though I was nervous to present my work at no point did I feel discouraged to do so. Quite the opposite, I greatly awaited each presentation week thanks to Michael's efforts to ensure an enjoyable, positive atmosphere. I really felt my craft improve with each song!
I highly, highly recommend anyone who has an inkling of interest in pursuing musical theatre creation to sign up for Michael's course. International interest, too. I am from Australia, myself, and my experience was just the same as those based in the United States. Come join the cohort!”
- Lachlan Foster, Cohort 2
“The Musical Theatre Writing Workshop Course is a phenomenal way to hone your skills as a lyricist or composer. The course does a great job of providing a foundation for musical theatre writing by having multiple interactive lessons. One of the best parts of this course is the collaboration you get to have with fellow participants. With fellow participants, you get to utilize the skills learned in class to work on several songs throughout the course. This not only allows you to focus your writing on building particular skills but allows you to start building a repertoire of completed songs. You get to work on multiple songs together and share your work in a positive and affirmative environment. The feedback given in the course is also extremely helpful and always done in a respectful manner. This course helps one develop further knowledge regarding musical theatre terminology, song structure, song types, show structure, etc. I think this course is perfect for someone with a good knowledge of musical theatre, who wants to further their musical theatre writing abilities.”
- Maria Cento, Cohort 2
“The material is so well thought out with all sorts of examples that you definitely won’t find anywhere else.” - Rafael Santos
“So much more than I ever anticipated” - Andy Lebon
The Foundational “5C” Framework
The “5C” Framework is absolutely foundational to success for participants of the Flagship Course, both within the course and moving forward into their careers.
Each “C” contributes to the effectiveness of every other “C,” and musical theatre writers must be able to master them all for their writing tool belt.
Core Curriculum - Including all the essential foundations of musical theatre writing, both in songwriting and beyond.
Challenges - There will be 9 songwriting challenges across 6 songs with focuses on storytelling, various genres, collaboration, experimentation, rewriting, and rapid growth.
Collaboration - Learning in practice: how to collaborate, different types of collaboration, how to write with multiple partner pairings, and how to allow for experimentation.
Constructive Feedback - Using our Feedback Process, learn how to give and receive useful feedback, learn how to center the writers and their goals, and learn to rewrite from the feedback received.
Curriculum Flexibility - Allowing space in the curriculum for sessions and lessons based upon the questions and special interests of the cohort (beyond the Core Curriculum), plus occasional guest instruction.
Core Curriculum
Together we will walk through the curriculum of the course in an open, discussion-style format. Since this course is live and synchronous, you will have the ability to ask questions, receive examples and demonstrations, and add to the discussion as we move through the foundations as a group.
The lessons listed below are part of the Core Curriculum and are included in every cohort of the course.
Why?
Because without these specific foundations in musical theatre writing, especially across our first five sessions together, there would be a gap in the essential knowledge required to write your musical theatre stories with the necessary quality and skill.
The 32-Bar Chorus - AABA & ABAB/C and their various uses
Rhyme - The different types & their uses
Lyric Scansion - What it is & why it’s important in musical theatre
Crafting Song Journeys
The Structure of a Musical - A look at various types
Song Placement - aka “Song Spotting”
Verse / Chorus Songs and Pop Structure
Character Establishment - Within & outside of songs
Composition Foundations
Collaboration - Types & tips
Show Development
Charm Songs
Crafting a Musical World
Musical Motif
Comedy Songs
Writing for the Voice as an Instrument
Challenges
There will be 6 songwriting challenges of varying types and complexity, and you will be experience different collaborations across the songs.
Each writer or team will have two weeks to complete the challenge before presenting their song to the class in a Feedback Process that centers around support, growth, and what you brought to the table.
The latter 3 songs will include rewrite challenges, where the team will have the opportunity to revise their work based on the feedback given.
Collaboration
Since collaboration is central to musical theatre at all levels of creation, we will be utilizing collaborative writing experiences of as many different types as we are able across the 6 song challenges and 3 rewrites.
Whenever possible, writers will be paired up (Composer with Lyricist) for each challenge with as many different collaborators as are available. Every collaboration is different, and each will bring unique challenges and joys!
Occasional outside writing guests may be brought in to provide more opportunities for collaborative pairings. We may also occasionally utilize the flexibility of composer-lyricist participants and exercises as well, as needed.
Constructive Feedback
Throughout our time together sharing the results of the 6 song challenges and 3 rewrite challenges, we will following a specific Feedback Process, centering on support, growth, and what you as the writers brought to the table.
Everyone will take part in the feedback process, which will be moderated by myself and occasional writing guests.
You may feel uncertain about how to give positive and supportive feedback, but I’ve got you. I will lead us through the Feedback Process we will be following, which focuses on what is best for the writers in the vulnerable moment of sharing in order to most effectively help them grow and succeed moving forward.
Good, constructive, and supportive feedback is essential to the entire process from beginning to end, and without it we would not be able to fulfill the promises of our writing and chosen stories.
Curriculum Flexibility
Each cohort brings with it its own dynamics, questions, experiences, and special interests.
In lieu of this, there is built-in curriculum flexibility to accommodate the specific questions and interest topics of each individual cohort group. Additionally, occasional guests are brought in to deliver curriculum as well.
Below is a sampling of flexible and guest curriculum topics from previous cohorts:
Orchestration & Orchestrators
Stage Actions & Direction
The Jobs of the Dramaturg
Knowing Your Audience
Writing Underscore & Incidental Music
Creating Characters that Feel Real
Writing Outside Your Lived Experience
Lyric Mapping & Framing
Working with Collaborative Directors
Creating a New Character Perspective
“What a dream space and community for musical theatre writers!” - Amy Andrews
“Being an international student living in a country that still imports production more than creates its own musical theater identity, this course was definitely life changing for me.” - Tiago Menezes
Further Details
Course Length & Time
The course will be 20 weeks with one 2-hour session each week.
Sessions for Cohort 5 will begin February 21st & 22nd, 2024 and run through July 3rd & 5th, 2024
Sessions take place on Wednesday from 7:15pm - 9:15pm (Cohort 5A) & Thursdays from 12:00pm - 2:00pm (Cohort 5B) - with the listed times in US Eastern.
*Please note that a second time option on Thursdays from 12:00pm - 2:00pm (US Eastern) will only become available dependent on interest. This would be for our friends in Europe - being 5-7 hours ahead - and those who have free daytime hours.
Throughout our time together, you will be able to communicate and grow together through a connected online group inside the Musical Theatre Writing Collective, where you can seek answers to questions as well as support.
Each cohort has their own private space to connect with each other and with me, in addition to all of the resources, tools, opportunities, and semi-weekly labs available within the MTWC online community!
How to Apply
There is no audition for this program.
Instead, there is a personal, collaborative 1-on-1 application call (scroll to the bottom for a quick form), the purpose of which is to be certain that we both feel the fit is correct for this course at this time.
The class size will be capped at 16 writers (8 per cohort section), who can ideally be paired into 8 composer/lyricist pairings, but anyone is welcome and we will make any combinations work.
Since this is an online course, geographical location shouldn’t be a road block. We’ve already had multiple international cohorts.
The official enrollment period begins approximately one month before the start date and goes until Cohort 5 begins or until 16 spots have been filled.
Your Investment
Your investment in this 20-week educational adventure will be $2,200 for the official enrollment period for Cohort 5.
This price includes everything mentioned above for less than an average college course - let alone the available graduate programs - and with no need to move to a big city.
If this number gives you hesitation, do still schedule a chat with me, knowing that we will have a conversation and I will do my best to make this work for you.
Payment options and limited scholarships are available.
Standard payment options:
1 payment of $2,000 ($200 discount)
4 payments of $550
20 payments of $110
“Everything I could have been looking for as an aspiring musical theatre writer” - Lachlan Foster
What previous Cohorts have to say…
“It was a deep joy and an absolute privilege to be part of the very first Musical Theatre Writing Workshop Course cohort with Michael Radi. Michael expertly curated a Zoom room full of kind, intelligent, creative, and fun people with all different kinds of musical theatre writing experience. Over the 20-week course, we learned from Michael, from terrific guest professional artists, and from each other about the wild ride of musical theatre writing. It was AMAZING to watch everyone grow together as writers as we went from a room full of strangers to a close-knit group of supportive friends, colleagues, and collaborators. Michael gets all the credit for creating a space where we could all show up as our truest and best selves to learn and grow into a strong community. This is the very beginning of MTWC, and I cannot wait to see what it becomes. What a dream space and community for musical theatre writers!”
- Amy Andrews librettist/lyricist/dramaturg/producer, Cohort 1
“I am a Musical Theater actor who decided to take Michael’s class because I enjoy writing, I wanted a better understanding of Musicals, and I already had a great deal of admiration for Michael and his work. His class really delivered so much more than I ever anticipated. After 20 short weeks, I feel like I have a full tool belt to continue writing quality songs for the musical stage. Each lesson was engaging and taught in a way that anyone could comprehend (not just people with prior writing experience). The environment was as nurturing and supportive as could be. I developed trust and comfort with Michael and my classmates very quickly. Therefore, I was able to be vulnerable and accept complements/critique with an open mind. I now have 4+ original songs that I’ve written with different collaborators. Overall, if you’re looking for an experience thats equally parts artistic, fun, and cathartic, I couldn’t endorse Michael’s class enough.”
- Andy Lebon, Cohort 1
“Michael's course is a good step even for people who are new to the craft and are timid about moving forward, like I was. Now having completed the course, I am confident that I have what I need to create good work. The course helpfully focused on core principles of effective writing, and taught tried-and-true techniques that are a good foundation and good springboard for folks who want to do more experimentation. The amount of writing required was the perfect level for me: rigorous and challenging, but manageable for someone who works full-time outside the industry. I am thankful for the skills and confidence I gained from this course!”
- Christian Smith, Cohort 2
“Before joining this course, I wasn’t sure if I was able to compose for Musical Theatre. After completing the course, I feel confident that I can compose for the theatre. More importantly, I feel supported and encouraged to continue writing.”
- Megan Rayl, Cohort 2
“This course is tailored for anyone who wants an extremely welcoming and positive environment to grow immensely as a Musical Theatre writer. The material is so well thought out with all sorts of examples that you definitely won’t find anywhere else. It’s equally amazing to find so many passionate like-minded people guided by such a mindful person as Michael. This experience will certainly help you evolve as an artist and enrich your skills as a creator!”
- Rafael Santos, Cohort 2
“Being an international student living in a country that still imports production more than creates its own musical theater identity, this course was definitely life changing for me. It gave me powerful tools as a composer and encouraged me to put my work on the world. I felt very welcome the whole time to ask and to participate in the discussions, and during the course I was constantly being pushed out of my comfort zone. That made me grow as a musical theater artist, as a musician and mostly as a storyteller. This course is perfect for people who want to start in this universe of musical theater composition, because you learn from the basics to some real hard stuff and you challenge yourself to always try new things. I'm always gonna be super grateful that I was a part of that!”
- Tiago Menezes, Cohort 3
“Michael Radi’s course on Musical Theater Writing is the best investment I have made into strengthening my confidence and skill as a writer. I look at the writer I was before the course, and I consider who I am now, and am beyond grateful to past me for deciding to enroll. If I hadn’t gone through with it, I would have missed out on this crucial experience that I needed in order to grow. With this course, first and foremost, you gain a kind, outstandingly knowledgeable instructor with true passion for the art, as well as for the community who creates the art. Michael is open to questions and has an answer for each, based in his personal experience and comprehensive study of the form. You gain the opportunity to create six songs, each corresponding to a particular style of musical theater song. Before I took this course, I had written for the stage, but taking the opportunity to research and live in the world of various types of songs prepared me to recognize each of them in the wild, and to craft each type on my own. You gain the confidence that comes from creating multiple drafts. Songs go through a feedback process, and Michael is able to pinpoint with heart-of-it accuracy the strengths of what you’ve made, as well as the potential directions for improvement. He also facilitates this feedback process with your course collaborators in a way that feels safe, friendly and constructive. I don’t know of any alternative to this experience. I didn’t have to go through a formal enrollment process, as I would at a university, yet this course was more organized than many university courses I’ve taken. I’ve learned so much about the world of musical theater — how to collaborate, how to listen, how to develop projects, and how to write. The depth of this experience cannot compare to a textbook or training weekend. I just have to say, for me, in my journey, this course arrived at the perfect time and opened up a whole world to me. So so grateful to Michael.”
- Anne Heintz, Cohort 3
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have experience writing musical theatre?
You are in good hands! General writing or composition experience is helpful, but if you want to learn how to write lyrics or theatre music, that is enough to come have a chat with me about the course. This all about getting those foundations.
What if I do have some experience and know some of the curriculum?
That’s great! It never hurts to revisit ideas and concepts you’re familiar with as a reminder, and you. never know what else you may learn through hearing it from someone new. Plus, it is always worth it to learn the new material, concepts, ideas, and skills that you have not encountered yet!
What if I can’t attend every session?
I understand that perfect attendance will be hard for most people. Every session will be recorded and you will have access to those recordings throughout our time together. We will also do our best to make the share schedule work when conflicts arise.
What if I can’t afford the listed price?
Payments do not need to be made upfront - there are options available. Come schedule your call with me and together we will do our best to figure out what works for you. Education and community without gates are the overarching goals here.
What if I’m nervous?
That is completely normal and totally understandable. Trying new things and meeting new people can be scary-making. But so often, the reward is so worth it. Plus, we’re here to create a supportive and lasting community of good company - I’d love for you to join!
Do I really need the full 20 weeks?
Oh yes. Definitely! This course is just the beginning of your foundations, and in order to get the full effect and value out of all of the planned curriculum and experiences, the full 20 weeks is a necessity!
Can I work on my own musical projects during the course?
Yes and no. The songwriting challenges are mostly set up in a way that would not be conducive to working on your own show materials during the challenge, and they are also structured specifically to pull you out of your normal boxes and lines of thinking. However, if you want to take the lessons you learn from doing the challenges and apply them to your own material as you take the course, that is strongly encouraged!
How is this program different from the other major programs out there (BMI, NYU, etc.)?
In several ways!
Firstly, this course is fully online, remote, and geographically accessible, which has allowed us to have international cohorts and spread the community worldwide.
Unlike the programs that are structured like graduate school programs, this course is 20 weeks in total. We are not asking for a full 1 or 2-year commitment, but instead just slightly less than six months.
This course begins by tackling the classical musical theatre foundations, similar to other programs, but we then quickly move on to explore contemporary techniques and ideas as well. You will leave well-rounded in all the foundations of the canon.
As a composer, lyricist, librettist, performer, musical director, and vocal coach, I bring to this curriculum a broad perspective on the canon, its uses, and its effectiveness that is not usually available in other settings.
Additionally, unlike the collegiate-style programs, the cost of this course is not prohibitive. The entire course is less than the average cost of a single 3-credit college course, and is a tiny fraction of most full programs. I don’t believe in allowing financials to be a gate to education.
*NOTE: The course name recently changed to the “flagship musical theatre writing workshop course”
