Composition and Songwriting Lessons
Songwriting Lessons
For beginners, emerging artists, and curious creatives of all ages
Taught on option of piano, guitar or ukulele
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These one-on-one songwriting sessions focus on both craft and practical musicianship, helping you turn ideas into finished songs. Lessons are adapted to your genre interests and move at a pace that feels supportive and purposeful.​​​​​​​​
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Songwriting lessons can include:
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Song structure, melody, harmony, and lyrics
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Developing your unique voice and creative process
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Vocal coaching and singing for songwriters
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Recording your music at home (beginner-friendly setups)
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Introduction to releasing music and albums
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Live performance coaching and preparation
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Composition Lessons
Beginner to early-intermediate
Main instrument used in lesson: piano
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Composition lessons to help students create original music, can include notation, improvisation, or digital tools. These sessions are especially great for young musicians, teens, and adults who want to explore how to write and record their own music.
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Composition lessons may include:​
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Writing short original pieces
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Introduction to film and media composition
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Creative listening and score analysis
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Basics of home recording and music production
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Beginner training in Cubase for composing and recording
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For younger students, lessons are playful, imaginative, and age-appropriate and can include beginner piano lessons.
For older students, we can explore storytelling through music, film scoring concepts, and digital composition tools.
Background and Qualifications
Lora Bidner is an Emmy, 2x CSA, and 5x CASMA-nominated, four-time SOCAN Foundation award-winning screen composer and award-winning songwriter. Recognized for her evocative melodies and rich, experimental vocal textures, she has carved out a distinct voice in the music and film industry.
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Bidner is a board member of the Screen-Composer Guild of Canada, an alumna of the esteemed Slaight Family Music Lab at the Canadian Film Centre and holds a Master’s in Music Technology from the University of Toronto. She received her Bachelor of Music from Carleton University with a specialization in songwriting.
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Bidner has taught private music lessons on piano, guitar, and ukulele for many years and was formerly an early childhood group music instructor with Monkey Rock Music. During her masters she worked as a Teacher's Assistant to renowned composer and songwriter Christos Hatzis.
Her standout work includes co-scoring the acclaimed fantasy series Ruby and the Well (Family Channel), composing the main theme for Malory Towers (BBC/Family Channel), and scoring the feature thrillers Terror Comes Knocking(Lifetime/A&E) and Welcome (Dark Wolf Prod.).
With a gift for crafting emotionally resonant scores, she has shaped projects such as the 2023 and 2024 Canadian Blood Services campaigns—credited with helping triple blood donations—Season 2 of the drama mini-series Hogtown (Sahkosh Prod.), and the post-apocalyptic sci-fi short Sanctorum (Paul Bros VFX).
Her diverse portfolio spans over 100 projects, including feature films, TV series', VR video games, theatrical productions, commercials, animations, and short films. Whether composing sweeping orchestral themes or experimental electronic soundscapes, Bidner brings depth, innovation, and a distinct artistic voice to every score.
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