CREATE Poetics in Music- A Workshop for A Musical Life
July 15, 2026, Start here.
Richard: I would have loved to be a music student in the academic year 1939-40. To just be an observer as the professor began his 6 lecture series on "Poetics of Music."
I was unaware of the concept until a telephone call in early March with my father Robert Beattie. I was working on an album and concert series with the Richard Beattie band, two fingerstyle guitarists, flute and winds, and a percussionist. We were doing a concert series in Denver and I wanted to be sure we had enough music and lyrics that would fill a two sided record and concert. My father was the chair and Dean of Architecture at New York Technological University in New York and taught design, architectual practice and overall curriculum. On one of our many phone conversations, I told Dad that I was struggling with Writer's Block. The words were flowing, yet melodies, chord progressions and rhythm patterns were not as fluid as I needed them to be. True to form, Dad lowered his voice and asked, "Well Richard, have you read "Poetics of Music?" "I told you Dad, lyrics are not the problem." "Once you grab the concept Richard, there is no writer's block. Do what you know."
Poetics in Creative Process
My father was benchmarking- music for architecture students. If an architecture student spent time drawing lines, angles, making connections-doing what she knew- daily, incrementally - 300 to 365 days a year, they could rebuild Rome! The first thing my father did, was send a book of the lectures from Igor Stravinsky. And, I keep the copy as a handbook. When I look at it's inscription, "to Rich, 3/2/86, Love Dad- I get a lump in my throat. How many times since his death on March 4, 2010, do I wish I could pick up the phone and call him. And how many times, when I teach Songwriting do I turn to the little book of the lectures of Igor Stravinsky, "Poetics of Music" In the form of six lessons.
"I know I have more music in me, nevertheless. And I must give; I cannot live a purely receiving life," Stravinsky tells his students.
Elements- Words, music, voice, rhythm, instrument, technique, melody, harmony, point and counterpoint are all part of poetics. Lyrical poems and the song poet make up in part a large portion of my work. It was the poetics of music that has allowed me to find my instrumental voice on guitar and learn other instruments. It was poetics of music that let me allow my session musicians to lend their voice to pieces- like jazz. When we get to know our song language we can begin to understand the integration of guitar, piano, instruments, voice as instrument in melody and harmony, story and song.
"The exact meaning of poetics is the study of work to be done. The verb poiein means simply to make, or to do." (Stravinsky)
Aristotle's work on poetics talks of materials, personal work, arrangement and structure. Or as I do in my studio use guitar, piano, my voice, a pen and an empty page. For the last ten years my poetics - to make and do is more of a flow chart rather than a things to do list.
1. Story and Song- Topic- what story would you like to convey? And then write a song on that topic.
2. Unique Pallet- what skills or medium will you use?
3. Collaboration- who are you working with? I work with musicians, authors and producers
4. Cultivation of Ideas- an index of development to products, services, businesses and organizations
5. Endeavors- which of those ideas become endeavors?
6. Service- Who am I serving today at home, through work and in my community?
7. Spirit and Soul- Ignite the creative spirit in my soul and in the souls of others.
CREATE Daily
Monday- Community Building
Tuesday- Recreation
Wednesday- Education
Thursday- Arts and Media
Friday- Travel and Transportation
Saturday- Entreprenuership
"Throughout my course and on every hand I shall call your taste for order and discipline. For they feed, inform and sustain - positive concepts from what the basis is called "Dogma." Stravinsky
Rudiments of Poetics
This is not just my opinion, it is the creative and scientific process. It has nothing to do with my style or preference, it is the scientific method that will prove out to you through daily discipline of theory, rhythm, melody and harmony integrated with chords.
Left Hand Chordings
I A-B-C-D-E-F-G
II D-E-F-G-A-B-C
III E- F -G -A -B-C-D
Or as country music has called it Three Chords and the Truth
Guitar- open strings and lead
E-A-D-G-B-E and tuning
Excercise- Record in different keys a verse and melody using 4/4 nd 3/4 time using I IV V chord patterns
Use the Daily SUCCESS three times this week
Right Hand Patterns
Three Quarter Time- three notes per measure
and standard 4 quarter time- 4 notes per measure
Next week we will add relative minor chords to the list. If you would like to schedule a Singer-Songwriter- Guitar workshop with Richard Arnold Beattie email richardbeattie809@gmail.com.