Bonnie Hayes wants you to throw out the idea that songwriting can only be done when inspiration hits. Hayes is the director of Berklee Online’s new Master of Arts in Songwriting degree program, and has designed the curriculum to prepare students to write marketable songs at a moment’s notice.

Margo Nahas and Jay Vigon are partners in life, love, and business, and have designed classic album covers by iconic acts like Fleetwood Mac and Prince. The pair discuss what it was like to work with these artists as well as how they met, why they moved from LA to Iowa, and the secret to a long-lasting partnership.

In honor of Black History Month, we highlight 28 Black musicians whose names you should know, from unsung heroes to up and comers who you’ll hear from soon.

Eddy Grant began his career in the 1960s with the Equals, and 20 years later he made some of the biggest hits of his life, like “Electric Avenue” and “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” by fusing rock, reggae, and elements of electronic music. He continues to pioneer new sounds like soca and ringbang.

Great song hooks break boundaries surrounding genre, generational listening preferences, and longevity. Here are five characteristics to consider when writing a hook.

Trevor Horn is not only a co-writer of “Video Killed the Radio Star” and a producer of mega-hits for Yes, John Legend, ABC, and more. He’s also a Berklee Online student!

Beyoncé is hitting the Grammys hard this year, so we look to her (and a whole bunch of other Grammy grabbers) for advice on songwriting.