Lyricist
What does a Lyricist do?
What does a Lyricist do?
A LYRICIST creates and writes the words for the songs in a musical production. The LYRICIST works closely with the COMPOSER to guarantee that the lyrical and musical components of a piece work together in tandem.
Skills
Language | Creativity | Patience | Attention to detail | Collaboration
Pathways
Assisting | Apprenticeship | Self-practice
How to become a Lyricist
How to become a Lyricist
Many colleges and universities offer degrees and concentrations in songwriting and poetry. Due to the competitive and challenging nature of the job, most Broadway lyricists will tell you their successes came from being in the right place at the right time. However, the chances of becoming a working lyricist increase the more one networks, collaborates with different artists, and publishes their own work.
Union/Professional Organization Affiliations
Resources
- Pat Pattison’s Writing Better Lyrics
- Aaron Frankel’s Writing The Broadway Musical
- Jack Viertel’s The Secret Life of the American Musical
Wall Street Journal’s “’Hamilton’ Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Advice for Student”
SHN: Broadway in San Francisco’s “Sara Bareilles’ songwriting process | Waitress in Conversation”
Showbiz U: Cultivating Feedback- Kellen Blair, Joe Kinosian & Tim Kashani