Verso U: Songwriting: A Three-Evening Intensive with Jack O'Neill

Course Details

Songwriting: From First Idea to Original Song, A Three-Day Intensive Workshop with Jack O’Neill
Dates: Thursdays, August 6, 13 & 20
Time: 6:30-8 pm
Location: McCall Room

Songwriting is one of the most intimate and demanding creative acts — a discipline that asks the writer to locate something true, then shape it into something that resonates with a stranger. The best songs aren't built on technical mastery alone; they emerge from honesty, observation, and a willingness to follow an idea wherever it leads. This workshop traces the full journey of a song from its earliest impulse: how a story is discovered, how images and language become lyrics, how melody grows out of rhythm and feeling, and how structure transforms raw material into something that holds together and moves people. Drawing on traditions ranging from American folk and roots music to contemporary indie songwriting, the workshop treats the song as a living, evolving thing — something that can always be revised, reimagined, and brought closer to what the writer originally heard in their head. Participants who complete the three-session intensive are also encouraged to continue their creative work at The Westport Library's Verso Studios, where free Community Access Training sessions introduce creators to tools such as GarageBand, Audacity, and Pro Tools, and self-service audio production resources are available to all Library patrons.

Continue Your Songwriting Journey at Verso Studios

Participants who complete the workshop can continue developing their songs through the Westport Library's Verso Studios. Free Community Access Training sessions introduce creators to tools such as GarageBand, Audacity, ProTools, and audio mixing techniques, helping songwriters learn how to record demos, experiment with arrangements, and take the next steps in bringing their music to life. Self-service audio production resources are available to all Library patrons, with optional training and guidance from studio staff.

About The Instructor

Jack O'Neill is a professional songwriter, actor, and co-founder of the nationally touring duo Jackopierce, which he formed at Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1988. Over more than three decades of recording and touring, Jackopierce sold over 400,000 records and shared stages with Dave Matthews Band, Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, Alanis Morissette, and John Mayer, among others. His songs have been produced by Academy Award and Grammy winner T-Bone Burnett, John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Pink), and Stan Lynch of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and he has performed original music on Late Night with Conan O'Brien alongside Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7, as well as with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The son of an army paratrooper and a classically trained pianist, O'Neill grew up moving through army towns across the American South — an itinerant upbringing he credits as the engine of his writing. Based in New York City, he has built a parallel career as a working actor in film and television, a senior creative executive at companies including Comcast NBCUniversal and American Express Publishing, and a voice-over artist whose work has powered major national brands. He is a SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity member, and is currently touring nationally while writing and producing his next record.

Important Information About Verso University Classes

• Classes are usually structured as a consecutive series.
• Class size is often limited.
• Each series has a one-time registration fee covering all classes in the series.
• Registration is mandatory.
• The Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you, please contact JConnon@westportlibrary.org.

Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.

Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund. 

Refund Policy

Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are non-transferable between events but may be passed along to another attendee. All sales are final. Refunds are issued only if The Westport Library cancels an event outright. In the case of a postponement or reschedule, refunds are not guaranteed provided the event takes place within 12 months of the original date. Refunds, when applicable, are issued in the original form of payment.