How to Write Songs is Keppie Coutts and Benny Romalis.
We are both professional songwriters, who also have had the privilege of creating songwriting courses and teaching at some of the best contemporary music institutions in the world.
Keppie –
As a songwriter, I have released 3 studio albums, 2 EPs, as well as co-writing songs with other artists and bands that have collectively streamed over 10 million times in the past 2 years, and recently had an album of original songs commissioned for release on the Penguin Random House audiobook, Mothertongues.
You can find my music and collaborations here: www.keppiecouttsmusic.com
In equal measure to my passion for songwriting is my love of sharing the craft with others. I started teaching songwriting on faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2010, and since then have taught around the world, at the Songwriting School of LA, for Berklee Online, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Australian Institute of Music, and the Australian College of the Arts.
Benny –
My musical journey began with poetry and guitar playing as a young child – which led to the writing, recording and release of two original albums under my own name. I’m a founding member, songwriter and slide-guitarist for the alt-country band The Green Mohair Suits – who have to date released 4 albums and 3 eps of original material.
In 2013 I founded Silamor Studios, a boutique studio specializing in composition for film, television, gaming and video production. In addition to releasing music as Silamor, I’ve also composed for major brands including Adobe, Cathay Pacific and Citibank… and I’m currently scoring a video game in production.
I’ve also spent the past 8 years creating and teaching courses on songwriting, production and composition at universities and colleges in Australia.
You can find my music here and here.
Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our belief, having worked with thousands of songwriters, is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we’ve had the privilege of gathering over the past 20 years, with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.
Who is this site for?
This website is a portal for songwriters dedicated to taking their craft to a professional level, as well as for songwriters who are interested in improving their craft and developing an engaged relationship with their listeners at any stage in their career. Through intensive workshops, online courses, songwriting groups, and live song feedback sessions, we help the creative process of songwriters, using craft and creativity to elevate your songs to the highest possible level.
John Mayer says Keppie’s “voice is beautiful, just gorgeous. She’s like a contemporary female Nick Drake…and her guitar playing is so beautiful, so raw…”
The Boston Globe says “Coutts’s songs marry soul and folk so gorgeously, you’ll cheer when they get stuck on endless repeat on the jukebox in your brain.”