About Holistic Songwriting

The #1 Online University for Songwriter-Producers

Wait ... isn't Songwriting just talent?

Hell no.

If there is one thing I am sure of it's that songwriting is a skill that can be learned like any other.

Need proof? I really hoped it wouldn't come to this...

I started writing songs in 2005. Here's the first track I ever recorded, from 2006. This is me singing, playing guitar, writing and recording.

OUCH! BAD SONGWRITER! STOP! NEVER WRITE ANOTHER SONG EVER AGAIN, PLEASE!

Be honest with me: Does that sound like I was "talented"?

Does it sound like I have music in my blood? Like I have a natural sense for groove, timing, sound or writing lyrics?

Clear "NO" to all the above. I'll bet it's the most cringe-worthy thing you've listened to this year.

If songwriting was all talent, then clearly I'd have no chance to ever write anything good.

Well, here's a song I produced in 2020:

And yes, that's still me on the vocals and guitar. Same writer, same producer, same everything.

That's a bit of a difference, don't you think?

And it's not just the recording and the performances, it's the songwriting, the melodies, the lyrics, the chords, the arrangement, the production, the sound design, the groove.

I had to teach myself how to do all of these things, because none of them came naturally to me.

The good news is: I made ALL the mistakes so you don't have to. And I'll teach you how to do it right the first time.

Meet the Team

Friedemann Findeisen

- Founder and CEO

Friedemann comes with the highest recommendations from industry giants like Conrad Pope (John Williams' orchestrator), Erwin Steijlen (Pink, Shakira), Jeff Rona (Mission Impossible 2) and René Merkelbach (Within Temptation).

Friedemann is a best-selling author and a Bachelor of Music. He has written over 1000 pieces of music in a wide variety of styles (find his latest project here, or listen to an old showreel). He is a frequent guest speaker at conservatories all over Europe and coaches some of Germany's biggest songwriters.

Ra Wilson

- Coach for Holistic Songwriting Academy

Ra has been writing songs since the birth of the internet. After years of classical guitar noodling and flittering though jazz school he found himself signed to Universal and then Warner where he wrote charting songs that gathered quite a lot of streams . Ra is a trained Speech Level singer and has toured (festivals and headline shows) in over 20 countries.

As a coach for Holistic Songwriting Academy, he shares his hard earned experience and skills with the students, and guides them through the process towards songwriting mastery.

Bruno Rocha

- Coach for Holistic Songwriting Academy

Bruno started writing songs in the early 2000s, first as a hobby, but in 2008 some of those songs were released on a solo album. In 2012 he released another album with his band Box, which completely comprised of original songs he wrote. A new EP was released a few years later. During Covid Bruno took online mixing/mastering courses, and now releases songs 100% written, produced, mixed and mastered by himself.

As an HSA coach, he uses his knowledge to help students in completing their music projects, from the early ideas to fully finished songs.

Robert Lanting

- Customer Service & Course Development

Robert is a media composer and songwriter with a passion for personal development and education. His music has been licensed in countries all over the world. He also creates custom music for all kinds of projects, such as podcasts, documentaries, movies, games, and more.

For Holistic Songwriting, Robert takes care of customer service, and course development. Got any questions? Want to know how HS can best help you become the best songwriter you can possible be? Just reach out to support[at]holistic-songwriting.com (replace [at] for @)!

Nils Schink

- Creative Director, Content Creator & Video Producer

Nils has been with Holistic Songwriting since the beginning of HSA. Starting out as a self-taught video editor, he now runs his own media production business “New Light Productions”, specialized in creating high-quality online programs.

He produces most Holistic Songwriting content, does the video shoots for HSA, organizes the Holistic Songwriting Camps and makes sure that all content is created and designed in a cohesive way, leading to the most enjoyable and effective learning experience for students.

Niklas Heer

- IT, Web Development, and Programming

Niklas has over ten years of experience as a software developer and focuses on infrastructure and best practices in his day job. For Holistic Songwriting, he acts as a jack of all trades for web development, hosting and other IT related topics. Thus his work is mainly behind the scenes.

Songwriting has changed.

Quick question:

In your experience, what do you learn at "songwriting school" (i.e. YouTube videos, coaches, etc)?

My guess is you probably answered one of the following:

• Lyrics: Using metaphors, perfect rhyme, telling a story

• Chords: Dominant 7ths, Minor maj7, Half-Diminished

• Harmony: Cadences, using secondary dominants

• Music Theory: Counterpoint, Tuning Systems

Ok, good. Now how about this question:

In your experience, what are the cornerstones of modern songs?

Here's how I would answer this question, see if you agree:

• Groove/Arrangement: How do I make my listeners move? How can I create an experience that touches many but still feels personal?

• Melody/Performance: How do I write something that sticks, while sounding genuine and authentic? How do I get that "magic" performance that sends shivers down my listener's spine?

• Sound/Production: How do I sound fresh, new, different, so that my song sticks out after 2 seconds?

• Marketing/Image: How can I use music to create an exciting persona that people can relate to, to establish myself as an artist, not just a musician?

You see the problem? The lists don't match.

And that's the reason I created Holistic Songwriting, to answer the questions that ARE important.