Andrea Stolpe on Finding Your Sound and the Courage to Keep Going
I first met Andrea Stolpe in Fresno, CA, during one of her songwriting retreats. I wrote about that experience here.
As a follow-up, she agreed to an interview with me to discuss her unique approach to sharing her wisdom in a way that helps develop artists and encourages the growth of the community.
What struck me about working with Andrea wasn’t just her depth of craft—it was her gentle way of coaxing out what is needed at the right time. She doesn’t simply give you tips based on what she would do with “expert notes” and bookish wisdom. Instead, she asks, “Where are you stuck?” Then she helps you move the one lever to get you moving again.
My hope is you’ll stop reading right here and give the full interview a listen. If your in a rush, here’s a few of my takeaway messages and lessons from Andrea’s talk.
“There are lots of ways to fix a song. I try to find the underlying principle that will create the biggest shift.”
In our conversation, Andrea traced the windy road from teaching at Berklee College of Music, to securing three publishing deals, to writing hit songs while learning that teaching is what fills her up the most. Along the way, she’s worked with more than 20,000 songwriters—and refined a way of teaching songwriting craft with the support of mentors and a connected community of professionals. Her new online education program, Emerging Musicians Coalition & Institute (EMC for short), is now open and helping a new generation of songwriters find their own way, with Andrea shining the light.
The Nashville years—and learning what to keep
Andrea moved to Nashville in the late ’90s, chasing her love of a lyric with a story rather than a Country music pedigree. After three separate publishing deals, Andrea learned that it’s not often the songs you think they’ll love that get celebrated. She learned that trends come and go, but that there is something about an honest song that always carries through. She instinctively turned her ear to listen for the spark inside a draft rather than perfecting a song or trying too hard to control the final form.
“There’s something beautiful about inexperience—you can hear the young blood in the work.”
Why she teaches (and why it works)
Andrea says teaching made her a better writer. Sitting with thousands of student songs sharpened her awareness: Am I bored? If so, when did that happen? Am I confused? When did that start? It’s this natural curiosity and love of learning that helped her separate song bones from production gloss, and meet each writer where they are—not where she is.
Her tendency is to work in this order: lyric → melody → chords → groove—but if your favorite tool is harmony or rhythm, she’ll grab your tool first. It’s important that artists lean into their unique sound and influences rather than trying to map her own preferences onto a song she didn’t write.
Andrea’s Three Principles: The Songwriter’s Roadmap
In her retreat and books, Andrea often focuses on three powerful art principles to help her zero in on what a song might need:
Prosody — Music and lyrics amplifying each other so the whole means more than the parts.
Momentum — The motor that keeps a song moving through contrast and section flow.
Restraint — Saying less so the listener feels more (I personally love how Andrea jokes about all of us overwriting and being real about that).
She says, “Does anyone EVER say we need more lyrics or more music? Usually, we need less to say more.”
EMC: Learning in public, together
Back in May, I joined EMC (Emerging Musicians Coalition), a community for musicians (not only “songwriters”). Andrea shares in the interview that EMC is about teaching the shared language of music—arranging, critical listening, theory for songwriters, chords for songwriters, production basics, and more.
Join anytime (each month has new offerings)
$100/mo or $1000/yr (at the time of this writing)
Mix of courses, masterclasses, and community collaborations
Designed to be affordable, flexible, and accountable
She adds, “You can know all the theory in the world, but if you don’t honor what you feel, you’re no further along.”
There are two other deeper dives possible to work with Andrea: Retreats & Mentorship
Andrea’s retreats bring 20–30 songwriters together for co-writes, deep feedback, and lasting community. Expect co-writes, deep feedback, safety, and a clear path forward. The vibe is people first, craft next, industry last. I’m still in touch with many from my retreat a year ago and actively writing and working with several of them.
For deep mentorship, her private 1:1 mentorship program zooms in to help you set and achieve personal goals and to identify your strengths—genre included—so you’re building the version of artistry that fits your fingerprint.
A closing note I loved:
Andrea’s reminder from a current “Chords for Songwriters” cohort: theory’s a map, but feeling is the compass. Everything’s been done—but it hasn’t been done by you. She adds, “I can’t intend the part of the road I can’t see. I can only start walking.” There’s a song in the making right there :)
Helpful Links
If this resonated, share it with a songwriter who needs a nudge—or drop a comment with your next small, brave step.
—Dave
