Applications For BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Songwriting Workshop Are Now Open

BMI is currently accepting applications to the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop for its Musical Theatre Songwriting Workshop (formerly known as the Composer/Lyricist Workshop). The once-a-week course take place at BMI’s lower Manhattan office located at 7 World Trade Center, from September through May. The deadline to apply for the Songwriting Workshop is August 1.

The Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is a free weekly program where participants collaborate with peers to develop and cultivate their skills under the guidance of experienced instructors and veteran guest lecturers. Notable Workshop alumni includes EGOT recipient Robert Lopez (Frozen, The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q), Academy Award-winner Kristen Anderson Lopez (Frozen, In Transit), Tony Award-winners Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Shrek - The Musical, Violet), Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel, Titanic), Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical), and the recently Tony Award-nominated Noel Carey (Death Becomes Her) and Benjamin Velez (Real Women Have Curves).

About the Songwriting Workshop

The First Year Songwriting Workshop is moderated by BMI’s Senior Director of Musical Theatre Patrick Cook, and Workshop Administrator Frederick Freyer, who met in the Workshop in 1983. The course is designed to help establish the participants' foundational skills through writing assignments with different collaborators, discussions and in-depth analyses on select musicals throughout history and guest moderators, culminating in the creation of 10-minute musicals at the end of the spring semester.

In the Second Year, Sara Wordsworth joins Cook and Freyer in moderating the workshop where writer teams focus on crafting songs for a full-length musical with an emphasis on content and placement of songs and the use of music and lyrics to convey and develop characters. The Advanced Songwriting Workshop hosts ongoing weekly sessions of talented graduates of the first two years. 

For more information and to apply to the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, please visit: https://www.bmi.com/theatre_workshop.