MMS Songwriter’s Circle

A collaborative exploration into the world of songwriting

The Songwriters Circle at MMS is an excellent opportunity for songwriters to share their music with a small group of musicians, diving deeper into the craft of songwriting in a safe and supportive environment.   

What the workshop covers:

  • Song Structures

  • Writing and collecting catchy hooks

  • How to tell a story with your song

  • Chord progressions

  • Poetic rhyme schemes and devices

  • The dreaded bridge

What students should be prepared for:

Students should be ready to share one song in any state. It can be fully formed, lyrics only, or just a seed of an idea. All levels are welcome! Guitars and pianos are available to use at the school, just bring your idea, a notebook and pen! 

Dates & Times: 

  • Saturday, October 18th, 6 - 8 PM

  • Saturday, November 22nd, 6 - 8 PM 

$50 per session

Students will receive direct and personalized feedback from acclaimed Bay Area Singer-Songwriter and MMS teacher, Anna Hillburg. Students will also have the opportunity to learn by watching others develop their songs in front of the group!

 
 

Anna Hillburg is an accomplished pianist, vocalist, guitarist, singer/songwriter, and music lover living in San Francisco, CA. She has spent the last fifteen years in the Bay Area working as a live performer, recording session musician, and private teacher. With a dynamic repertoire that ranges from classical works to original indie pop creations, she has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe as a solo artist as well as with a variety of popular bands.

She combined all of these talents in 2013 with the release of “Anna Hillburg”, an album of original songs for which she did the vocals and played a number of instruments including piano, drums, bass, guitar, and harp. She followed up her first record with "Really Real" in 2018, released the critically acclaimed "Tired Girls" in late 2023 on the Speakeasy Studios SF label, & most recently her self-produced and recorded EP “Dangerously Impressionable”

In addition to her own music she has extensive experience performing as a singer, trumpet player, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, and songwriter on several studio albums made in the Bay Area. She has recorded and performed with artists such as Shannon Shaw, The Dodos, Earth Girl Helen Brown, The Moore Brothers, The Fresh and Onlys and many others.

Anna enjoys teaching trumpet, songwriting, piano, guitar, as well as early music education in a 1:1 setting. In 2017, she developed the curriculum for her songwriting course, which shows students how to use poetry, storytelling and the art of songwriting to express themselves and tap into their own creativity.

Anna enjoys sharing her love of music and songwriting with her students, with the goal of mentoring a new wave of talented and inspired artists.  She is very pleased to share this passion with the MMS community.

Sign-Up to Join the Songwriter's Circle!