Extension Courses 2024
for creators, developers, producers, and lovers of musical theatre
Enrich your understanding of musical theater development, analysis, or production with these short-form courses from the Academy for New Musical Theater. Designed to accommodate the busy schedules of students or working adults, each is bite-sized and focuses on a single aspect or area of musical theater. All offerings are available online, and several have in-person attendance options for those in the L.A. area.
Our first lineup, detailed below, includes programs for lyricists, bookwriters, composers, and more - as well as a return of our popular PITCH Conference. Accelerate your musical theater journey with insights from seasoned professionals!
About us: For over half a century, the Academy for New Musical Theatre (the curriculum branch of New Musicals Inc.) has been providing intensive training and guidance in writing for musical theatre. Find out more about New Musicals Inc.
Intro to Dorico for Musical Theatre - FREE
Instructor: John Barron
Course Type: ONLINE
In this free seminar, John Barron of Steinberg’s Dorico team gives a beginner-friendly introduction to Dorico, then demonstrates its application to musical theater. An extended Q&A invites attendees to ask any and everything about the software. Perfect for those curious about Dorico, or Dorico users who’d like to enrich their expertise. (Ownership of Dorico is not required for the seminar.)
Saturday, March 16 / 10am to 12pm PST / FREE
Your Lyrics: Analysis and Feedback
Instructor: LT Cousineau
Course Type: ONLINE
Have song lyrics in progress that you love artistically, but are unsure about dramaturgically? Award-winning lyricist and NMI Lyric Lab instructor LT Cousineau will provide analysis and constructive feedback on your in-progress or completed song lyrics. Feedback includes overall assessment of the clarity of storytelling, the character’s voice, and the placement of the song in a larger work, as well as a detailed assessment of the song’s structure, progression, prosody, and rhyme
$60 per song / 10 songs for $500
“Write a Kid’s Musical” and “Outline to Rough Draft” start next week - last chance to register!
Write a Children’s Musical
Instructor: Catie O’Donnell Heckel
Course Type: ONLINE
Maximum of 5 participants/teams
Join forces with Musical Theatre West in this inspiring course that merges creativity and education. Each team will fashion a 30-45 minute musical, with MTW’s guidance on topics, as well as consideration for future presentation and production.
Wednesday evenings (Feb. 28; Mar 6/13/20; Apr 3/10/17/24 - no class March 27) 6:30pm-9:30pm PST / $500 per team
Outline to Rough Draft
Instructor: John Sparks
Course Type: ONLINE
Maximum of 8 participants/teams
Our most extensive development course. Bring your story idea and, over the process of eight weeks, develop it, outline it, and turn it into a 60-90 page rough draft ready for song-spotting.
8 Saturdays - Mar 2 - Apr 20 (plus ad hoc reading sessions) / 10am to 1pm PST / $295 per team
ONLY 14 MORE TEAMS CAN JOIN THE PITCH CONFERENCE EFORE REGISTRATION IS CUT OFF!
Pitch Your Musical!
Instructors: Scott Guy/Elise Dewsberry/plus Industry Professionals TBA
Course Type: ONLINE
Step into the future of pitching with Pitch Conference 2024! Connect virtually with writers and producers worldwide for a dynamic weekend of writing, honing, and practicing your pitch with expert guidance from NMI Staff and our industry professionals. In the week that follows, secure two personalized virtual meetings with multiple producers. Take the stage one-on-one, pitch directly to industry professionals, and make your mark in the global creative landscape.
April 19-26 / $225 per team ($195 Early Registration)
Beyond the Piano/Vocal: Demo Production for Musical Theatre Writers
Instructor: Angela Parrish
Course Type: ONLINE
In this 6-week course, learn to create demos for your musical that reach beyond the basic piano/vocal recording. Find out how to produce tracks that bring your creative vision to life and record broadcast-quality audio that makes your musical shine!
Angela Parrish is a songwriter and music producer whose production work can be heard in shows for Disney, Apple, and Warner Bros.
Six Wednesdays (Mar 6/13/20/27; Apr 3/10) / 6:30-8:30pm PST / $295
A Crash Course in Writing Musicals
Instructor: Scott Guy
Course Type: ONLINE
Don’t have two years to spend studying the craft of writing musical theatre? Want to get writing right away? This Crash Course walks you through the entire process of creating your musical from start to finish, in a single weekend!
Saturday, March 23 (10am to 4pm PST) and Sunday, March 24 (12pm to 4pm PST) / $395 per team
Storytelling/Outlining: The Basics
Instructor: Elise Dewsberry
Course Type: HYBRID
Maximum of 15 participants/teams
A story outline is the crucial tool that few musical creators realize that they need! Learn the six essential steps towards writing a musical outline, and transform your intentions into a compelling narrative.
Saturday, March 16 / 2pm to 6pm PST / $95 per team
other offerings from ANMT
The Academy for New Musical Theatre also offers a year-long collaborative musical theater curriculum, self-paced online courses, a comprehensive textbook on musical theater development, and more!
Core Curriculum
Instructor: Elise Dewsberry
Course Type: HYBRID
The infamous collaborative program from New Musicals Inc. that culminates in the production of your 15 Minute Musicals.
Find out more on NMI’s CORE CURRICULUM page
Craft Labs
Book Lab, Lyric Lab, Music Lab
Take these labs on your schedule. These are the required courses for the Core Curriculum, offered by our sister-site, WritingMusicalTheatre.com.
For more info, visit WritingMuscialTheatre.com
Textbooks on Writing Musicals
Author: Scott Guy
Twenty years in the making, at last, ANMT’s famous courses, now in book form! Elevate your skills with “A Crash Course in Musical Theatre”, “The Craft of Writing Musicals”, “The Business of Musical Theatre”, and “The Musical Theatre Writer’s Toolbox” - your complete resources for mastering the craft of musical theatre.
For more info, visit TEXTBOOKS ON WRITING MUSICALS.
Address
5628 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood CA 91601
Phone
(818) 506-8500