Tuniversity is a songwriting, production and theory learning experience brought to you by Derek Fawcett and Ethan Hein
Hi, everyone! Derek Fawcett and Ethan Hein here. We’re pretty different from one another. Derek was born and raised in Michigan, then “adult-ed” in Chicago until the wind blew him to Hell’s Kitchen. Ethan’s a lifelong Brooklynite. Derek toured the country and beyond as a singer/songwriter. Ethan gigged in New York as a multi-instrumentalist and produced, composed and arranged for theater and film. Derek teaches singing and songwriting; Ethan teaches music theory. What we have in common is a love of music, the process of making music, and building community around both.
Making music isn’t easy. Sure, it offers a joy that can sustain your entire life, but dedicating years to building your skills is slow, and it can feel lonely. Many musicians yearn for a place where they can learn, share, get feedback, and feel like they’re part of a community in the process: Like college, but with only one class that’s all about making music. We are building that community. We call it Tuniversity, and it’s going to be several things:
- An eight week online class about how to write songs, section by section
- Monthly, in-person Tune-Ups: part mini-class, part showcase, part social club
- Solo and duo coaching with Derek and/or Ethan
- Other special topic sessions, driven by community interest
For starters, we hope you can join us for the inaugural Tuniversity Tune Up session, which will include a couple brief musical lessons from Derek and Ethan, some q&a, an opportunity for you to share music both live and recorded, and otherwise hanging out with fellow musicians. Please register at this link and feel free to share with anyone you think might be interested.
Great communities are groups of people who share things in common and have an outlet to express the things that make them uniquely them. Tuniversity is for anyone who is serious about building community through studying music-making: Consider yourself invited.
Musically,
Derek & Ethan
Tuniversity Upcoming Calendar
5/6/26: Session 1 – Melody & Choruses pt. 1, Zoom
5/13/26: Session 2 – Melody & Choruses pt. 2, Zoom
5/20/26: Session 3 – Lyrics & Verses pt. 1, Zoom
5/27/26: Session 4 – Lyrics & Verses pt. 2, Zoom
6/3/26: Session 5 – Harmony & Other Sections pt. 1, Zoom
6/10/26: Session 6 – Harmony & Other Sections pt. 2, Zoom
6/17/26: Session 7 – Editing pt. 1, Zoom
6/24/26: Session 8 – Editing pt. 2, final song presentations, Zoom