Vanderbilt University
2400 Blakemore Ave.
Nashville songwriter Odie Blackmon returns to Vanderbilt University with his Nashville Number System for Songwriters and Performers course as part of the university's Blair School of Music. Blackmon developed the course with Mark Wait, Dean of the Blair School of Music, to teach the shorthand musical notation system used by session musicians in Nashville to illustrate the conception of a song through the recording process.
The class is for adults and teens ages 15 and older who write songs, sing or play an instrument but may not read traditional music. Aspects of music notation, theory, chords and charting original songs and classic hits will be explained. Classic song studies will include examining the similarities between Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and Tone Löc's "Wild Thing," as well as an analysis of The Beatles.
Blackmon is one of Nashville's top hitmakers. He's written #1 songs like George Strait's "She'll Leave You With A Smile," Lee Ann Womack's "I May Hate Myself In The Morning," and Gary Allen's "Nothing On But The Radio." The Grammy nominee has had dozens of other album cuts and is one of the most sought after songwriters in the industry. He has won three ASCAP awards, a Nashville Songwriter Associate International award, was named a #1 Hot Country Songwriter by Billboard magazine, and has been profiled by the New York Times.
Classes begin August 23rd and will be held Thursdays 7-9 pm. For enrollment information, click here.