Catcohenblueshirt CAT COHEN is a prolific author, educator, NARAS and ASCAP songwriter with pop, R&B, jazz and blues songs cut by recording artists Cheryl Lynn, Syreeta, Freddie Hubbard, Bo Diddley. He's had his work featured in the HBO movie The Rat Pack and the Universal feature film Undercover Brother. Cat teaches songwriting and artist development and has taught at UCLA Extension, Musicians’ Institute & Cal Poly Pomona. He’s has also been a speaker and industry panel participant for songwriting organizations such as Taxi, Songsalive!, Songnet and The Songwriter’s Co-op.

Classes, Workshops, Concerts, and Events

In Progress
When What Type
2 Feb – Mar 9, 2010 Writing Songs For An Original Act Class
Past
When What Type
7 Nov – Nov 7, 2009 Writing Songs For Your Original Act Workshop

 

Cat's Successful Alumni & Colleagues

Many of Cat’s numerous students & colleagues have worked in the recording industry, TV, films & musicals, performing their completed songs, and released their own CDs.

Read bios of such notables as: Tony Danza, Bo Diddley, Stephen Bray, Arthur Hamilton, Dianne Reeves, Mark Winkler, Liz Howard & so many more.

An Alumni at random:

Richard Soriano
Richard is  a songwriter turned filmmaker who took his abundant creativity with words and music and expanded it into the visual medium.  Under the auspices of his company guerillafillmakers.com he has written, shot and produced several indie films including an underground film on speed dating, a chick flick, and his current project, a Bollywood-inspired film entitled SILICON BOMBAY.  Richard studied ...Keep reading about Cat's Alumni, Richard Soriano

A Colleague at random:

Tracy & Fabreze Vignati
Fabreze and Tracy Vignati have created a new style of music, Gypsybilly, which blends English and French vocals with gypsy orchestration including acoustic guitar, clarinet, accordion and violin, swingin’ drivin’ rockin’ drum beats with modern/vintage instrumentation of electric guitar and upright slap bass as used in Rock-a-billy In addition, the Southern twang of honky tonk-esque piano and pedal steel season ...Keep reading about Cat's Colleague, Tracy & Fabreze Vignati

See 113 more biographies of Cat's Alumni & Colleagues →

Anatomy of a Hit Hit Song Analysis

Cat analyses the top hits of each year, reviewing and delving into their anatomy to explain how they are structured and why they are today's hits.
2009
Owl City
Fireflies Ocean Eyes
Album Cover: Ocean Eyes
Owl City offers up a refreshingly new youthful electronica sound with an intelligent earth friendly message. Read Why the song Fireflies is a hit →
Carrie Underwood
Cowboy Casanova Play On
Album Cover: Play On
Carrie Underwood outdoes herself with this sassy uptempo country rocker about a cowboy too hot to handle. Read Why the song Cowboy Casanova is a hit →
Michael Jackson
This Is It This Is It
Album Cover: This Is It
A release from the late Michael Jackson archives shows how his writing and singing are still relevant some twenty-five years after this was originally recorded. Read Why the song This Is It is a hit →

like these? Read 39 more Anatomy of a Hits →


Grammy Gets Its Groove Back
by David "Cat" Cohen | 2010-02-01 | Category: Blog

Last night as a voting member of NARAS I was fortunate to be inside Staple Center for the 2010 Grammy Awards.  I am happy to report that after some fair to middling award ceremonies in the past few years, the Grammys have returned to the standard of excellence that they have given us in the past.  It was a welcome ...Keep reading Grammy Gets Its Groove Back

January Blog
by David "Cat" Cohen | 2010-01-04 | Category: Blog

HAPPY NEW YEAR GREETINGS TO ALL,2010 STARTS WITH WARM WEATHER EVEN IN THE HIGH DESERT After a very chilly end to 2009, the new year is warming up nicely at its start, even here in the high desert.  It was so warm last night I didn’t even need to make a fire in my wood burning stove for a change. ...Keep reading January Blog

A Nation of Liars
by David "Cat" Cohen | 2009-12-07 | Category: Soapbox

A NATION OF LIARS   By Cat Cohen If 2008 was the year of hopes and dreams and historic change, it seems to me that 2009 has become the year of lies and hoaxes.  Not that I am accusing political dreamers like Obama as well as those of us who voted for change of turning away from our sincere desire for ...Keep reading A Nation of Liars

Cat Cohen's December Blog
by David "Cat" Cohen | 2009-12-02 | Category: Blog

Good December to you all, This goes out to all my alumni, colleagues, friends, relatives, and various and sundry gypsies, tramps, and vagabonds I have been fortunate to come across in the past few years.  A hearty welcome to the talented and creative songwriters and performers I met at last month’s Taxi Road Rally.  Welcome to my blog!HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASONED ...Keep reading Cat Cohen's December Blog


Cat Cohen is a prolific author, educator, NARAS and ASCAP songwriter with pop, R&B, jazz and blues songs cut by recording artists Cheryl Lynn, Syreeta, Freddie Hubbard, Bo Diddley and has had his work featured in the HBO movie The Rat Pack and the Universal feature film Undercover Brother. Cat has taught songwriting and artist development at UCLA Extension, Musicians’ Institute &
Cal Poly Pomona. He’s been a speaker and industry panel participant for songwriting organizations such as Taxi, Songsalive!, Songnet and The Songwriter’s Co-op. Cat wrote the chapter on music theory for John Braheny's book The Craft and Business of Music. His columns have been featured in LASS/NAS Musepaper magazine and The Music Connection. His colorful
passionate hippie-rock musical Lightflow played to rave reviews in the early '70s while his anti-drug children's musical The Not So Great Escape commissioned by Opera Pacific was performed extensively in schools throughout Southern California in the '90s. After years of writing songs for others in 2006 Cat completed his own CD entitled Songs Of Survival And Sweet Surrender. Produced by Ed Tree,
this recording features ten of his best songs a collection of Cat’s songs with a New Orleans meets Motown flavor that was awarded Indie Artist Of The Month by Keyboard Magazine. As an author Cat has written several books including Songwriting For Your Original Act, My Desert Blog Cabin, Chicken Soups From Around The World, and Whine Connoisseur’s Guide. Read more of Cat's Biography...


 

Classes & Events


 
 
Caution! We're currently in Beta as we're finishing construction of this website. Thanks for your patience and pardon the mess!
© 2000-2010 Cat Cohen Unlimited