Beginner's Guide to
Making Music
with Avanti NagralLove music? But don’t know what to do with it? Start here. This is a beginner’s guide to making, performing and marketing music - right from your bedroom to the stage. Whether you are considering music as a career, want to pursue it in college, or simply want it to be an active part of your life, this course covers the basics of artistry, auditioning and the music industry.
Throughout the course we will be creating a song together, and figuring out strategies and techniques of how to perform and distribute it, while learning important concepts. We also have two grand masterclasses with a top vocal coach from the Berklee College of Music, and the head of one of the biggest music distribution companies globally. Whether you play an instrument, sing in the shower or have performed on stages, this comprehensive music and business course is for you!
The Art and Craft of Music
As an artist, your craft is the foundation for everything. Whether you’ve trained extensively in a musical form, or are a beginner, in this chapter you will learn how to hone your craft, and learn about aspects that might be new to you. In the beginning we will cover the role music plays in your life and why that’s relevant, along with strategies that you can employ to make practicing more fun, and work on different aspects of your craft. Toward the middle and the end we will write a song together completely from scratch, the elements of songwriting, and learn best practices for recording a song and producing it.
Performance
Whether you sing in the shower, perform on Zoom, or have been on a stage before, performance is all about putting your best foot forward. The first few episodes will cover showcasing your previous work (also known as a portfolio), auditioning tips, and exploring what studying music full time looks like. The last episode is a grand masterclass by one of the top vocal coaches at the Berklee College of Music, covering performance tips, strategies and a live workshop that will stretch your imagination as to what performance entails.
The Music Business
There’s a reason it’s called the music INDUSTRY - because there is a whole infrastructure around artists, and several opportunities to be involved in the business of music. As an artist, you’re much like an entrepreneur, except you are also the brand and the product which makes it a bit tricky to navigate. The first episode covers what it means to be that brand, and how to grow and showcase it. The second episode talks about how to publish your songs to Spotify and other platforms, what you can do as a young artist to get yourself heard, and much more! This is in the form of a masterclass conversation with the India head of one of the biggest music distribution companies in the world. Episode three is all about marketing, and how to get yourself and your music out there (or someone else’s!). Lastly, we will be talking about all thing social media - its role in the music industry, your life, and your music.
Instructor
Avanti Nagral
Avanti Nagral is a singer, songwriter and content creator that
graduated from Harvard in 2020 with a degree in Psychology and
Global Health, along with a dual degree from the Berklee College
of Music focused on Voice and Music Business. She has performed at
venues across India, the US and Southeast Asia, including the United
Nations and popular festivals like NH7. Her musical background spans
Indian Classical, devotional and pop music. Her own music is centered
around changing societal norms through songs, stories and conversations.
She has also extensively performed in theatre, and was nominated for
Best Actress at the National Theatre Awards in India in 2016. She was
the first South Asian artist to be nominated for Song of the Year
and Pop Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, and her work
has been featured on Rolling Stone India, VH1, Times of India and much more.
With a following of 400k+ across social platforms, and 50M+ views across
verticals, Avanti is well-versed in creating content for digital, building
community, the music industry, and using her voice (in all its forms) as a
vehicle for change.
