Mike great read...your enthusiasm and advice for the learning curve of not only songwriting but music in general is impressive..and Kudos to Mr Blume for his songwriting classes,tho i would imagine you would need to be up with the birds, to get a seat at one of them.When i went to music lessons as a lad,historically the building bricks were in place,my teacher was using the same musical tools he was taught,tho perhaps with his own stamp on it,but basically they would be the same musical bricks we all use as our foundation,and no doubt these same building bricks will still be in use when we are not here,for future generations..my point is this..when teaching music and musical instruments,there is something tangible,something we all use as a solid guide,handed down thru knowledge and experience thru the generations...HOW can you teach someone to write songs or be a songwriter...my premise is you can only give ADVICE,which is miles removed from actual teaching....i do not think Songwriting can be TAUGHT..no more than you can teach anyone to paint a masterpiece...it comes from within..to me, songwriting is a solitary, lonely, and sometimes exasparating craft,but the finished song dispels all the frustrations and angst of getting there...i dare say Mr Blume and his methods are helpful to some,and hopefully they do find success,but please..do not let us give out the notion that you go out and buy a book on songwriting and it cures all ill's...i will digress for a minute...walk into any large bookshop.."HOW TO WIN AT ROULETTE" hmmn,this looks easy this guy has went to all the bother of writing a book,lets buy this and make my fortune...yea in your dreams...you cannot beat the %..38 into 36 will not go...but people buy them!...in my spare time i love to play texas-hold-em..i have played it long before it ever hit the big time on national tv worldwide...i guarantee at most final tables i ever played in...a smuttering of the same faces were regular participants..constantly...this was not coincidence..or luck..it was because these guys had a natural penchant for the game..nobody taught them they were just natural texas hold em predators,they learned quick about when and where to move in ,and when not to ,and how to suss out an opponent by their style of play,they watched, listened, and learned...in otherwords..natural players..nobody taught them...tho there are plenty books on texas-hold-em,to these guys and people who play the game seriously, they are just stating the obvious...i think these rules apply in all walks of life,..including songwriting..Terry..