Words & Music at Home

Welcome to Words & Music at Home, a space to learn about songwriting, anytime, anywhere.

This page provides resources and inspiration for writers at all levels, from beginners picking up a pen for the first time to current creators who are seeking a fresh approach to their practice. Use our step-by-step guide to start writing songs and gain insights on the creative process from professionals through our Words & Music at Home songwriter conversations series. We hope Words & Music at Home offers all you need to try and explore the beauty and joy of songwriting, wherever you are on your journey.

Maddie & Tae

Madison “Maddie” Font and Taylor “Tae” Kerr started their careers with a splash, topping the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2014 with their debut single, “Girl in a Country Song,” when they were both nineteen. Today, the two young women known as Maddie & Tae are among country’s most successful duos, so far earning six Academy of Country Music nominations for Duo of the Year and six Country Music Association nominations for Vocal Duo of the Year.

Photo of Maddie and Tae on a light blue backdrop.

Breland

BRELAND, who burst onto the music scene in 2020 with his break-out single, “My Truck, is a bold, new artist who is actively working to expand the bounds of country music. His catchy song is considered “country trap,” a combination of hip-hop and country music. But it also reflects the New Jersey native’s broader influences — including country storytelling and Motown melodies — that combine to form a style he calls “cross country.” So identified is BRELAND with his own stylistic moniker that he wrote and released an autobiographical song, “Cross Country,” that speaks to his desire to transcend genre.

Photo of Breland.

Charlie Worsham

By the time he was twelve years old, Charlie Worsham had already won a junior national banjo championship and played on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. By high school, though, the Mississippian realized he wanted to be more than a backing musician, and he began to focus on developing his vocal skills and learning how to write songs. Today, he is among Nashville’s most respected artists, a true triple threat: singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

Photo of Charlie Worsham in front of a plant.

Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth

Live Finale: Co-Write with Sweepstakes

With support from Adam Ollendorff and Kevin Dailey.

Both Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth are accomplished recording artists and songwriters individually, but together they are a musical power couple. Friends since 2006 and married in 2017, they regularly collaborate in songwriting, including on H.E.R.’s hit single “Hard Place,” which earned Grammy nominations in 2019 for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Photo of Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth.

Let’s get started!

Here is a step-by-step guide to lead you through the lyric-writing process.

Music Education Resources

Words & Music at Home: Step-by-Step Guide
Words & Music at Home

Step-by-Step Guide

The Words & Music Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Own Song Lyrics, which supports this Guide, is an optional music education resource for those who have access to a printer.

Words & Music at Home: Workbook
Words & Music at Home

Workbook

The Words & Music Workbook, which supports this Guide, is an optional music education resource for those who have access to a printer.

2020 WM at Home Season 1 Artists

Watch the Season 1 Programs

Watch the Words & Music at Home: Season 1 programs all video recorded in 2020. Program artists include Blanco Brown, Walker Hayes, Carly Pearce, Matthew Ramsey, Tenille Townes, Molly Tuttle, and Brett Young.

Words & Music at Home is Funded in Part by

Country Music Association Logo
Country Music Association Foundation Logo
Metro Arts Logo
Tennessee Arts Commission Logo
National Endowment for the Arts Logo

Words & Music at Home is made possible by the Country Music Association Endowment for Words & Music and is funded in part by Chet Atkins Music Education Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee; CMA; CMA Foundation; Dollar General Literacy Foundation; HCA Foundation; The Memorial Foundation; Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission; Nashville Predators Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; PNC Grow Up Great; Tennessee Arts Commission; and Wells Fargo, with support from American Songwriter and YouTube.

With Support From

American Songwriter: The Craft of Music Logo
YouTube Logo

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