Welcome to Kwikspell, a new magical correspondence course in column form! Each month, you’ll learn some how-tos to help you make cool things in the wizard rock world. Although this column is called “Kwikspell,” it’s unfortunately not written by the band Kwikspell (or QuickSpell), just by Grace Kendall.

A song is a magical thing – most people can’t see it, but you can hear it and feel it. It pulses through you, changes your mood, and causes a reaction. Maybe you have a connection with the sounds or the words or the vibrations. Songs cause feelings and connections, and they’re very powerful.

So, how can you make your own musical magic? Here are a few ideas inspired by the Hogwarts course catalog to help you tap deeper into your inner musical core. Don’t be afraid if you’ve never made a song before – it’s easier than you think!

Transfiguration: Modify something that already exists

Sometimes the easiest way to get started in music is to play with something that already exists. Creating a song parody is really popular for people who want to jump right into writing lyrics; it gives you a song structure and a melody to play with and lets you concentrate on just one part of creating. You can write new lyrics and sing them along to a karaoke track for a full rockstar experience! There are other ways to transfigure songs, too: start with premade beats or drum loops or backing tracks that are available through music recording software or online through creative commons, allowing you to make your own melodies without having to start from scratch. Or ask a friend that’s written some lyrics if you can try setting them to music. Start with something that already exists and just play with it!

Cast a patronus: Turn your intentions into something corporeal

Every song starts as an idea. Maybe it’s a little melody you have in your head, a set of words that strike you as interesting, or a sound you heard somewhere. Maybe it’s a big idea of something you wish existed, like a song in a certain style or genre. These are the building blocks of your music! Just like Harry had to channel his deep feelings into a corporeal patronus, you have to turn your ideas into something tangible. Get them out of your head and into physical form – hum a demo into an audio recorder, jot down some lyrics, or take a quick video of a drum beat you thought of. You want to remember your ideas so you can build off of them. You can keep these a secret, but don’t be embarrassed of your early ideas – magic takes time to evolve!

Sign up for advanced classes: Keep learning more!

Once you have those building blocks of your song, challenge yourself to make them move in interesting ways. There’s so much musical theory you can learn if you want to challenge yourself, and there are free tutorials, podcasts, and classes all over the internet if learning from others helps keep you motivated. Cover other people’s songs, re-record your older songs, and keep learning wherever you feel inspired. Listening to other music and thinking about why you do or don’t like it is a great way to learn! And just like Hogwarts lets you specialize your course load as you hit third year, don’t be afraid to focus on just the parts you like. You don’t have to master everything to make a great song!

Don’t go at it alone: Collaborate with others

Harry was always trying to run off and handle things by himself, but things tended to work out better for him when his friends got involved. Other people have strengths that you don’t, ideas that might never occur to you, and their own unique styles of artistic expression. Collaborating with others instead of trying to do everything alone will let you create something you might never have done on your own! It can feel scary asking someone to help you or trusting them with something you created, but it’s a great way to make something really cool and can help forge new or deeper friendships.

Remember you’re not being graded: Relax and have fun!

Your first attempt at putting a song together probably won’t be as grand as what you dreamed up in your head. That’s okay – even Hermione has to work on spells over and over before mastering them. It takes time to get better, so if you want to improve just keep creating! It can be hard to see your own progress, so occasionally revisit your earliest creations and celebrate how much you’ve grown. And don’t stress out too hard about making something perfect! Just like Ron and Harry had a good time making up ridiculous dream diaries for divination, you can always ignore the rules and ideas of what you’re “supposed” to be doing or what something’s “supposed” to sound like and just have fun making stuff, whether you’re by yourself or with your friends. If you’re having fun and nobody’s getting hurt, then there’s no problem.

Defend against the dark arts: Filter out the negative responses

Just remember that if you share your work online, you might get comments on it that will make you feel not-so-awesome. While the wizard rock community is a pretty encouraging group, people who don’t understand what you’re going for might post responses that could hurt your feelings. Take a few steps to protect yourself – be careful where you post things, don’t get too caught up in comments from trolls, and remember that making a new piece of art is always something to be celebrated. Cast a protego charm and focus on enjoying what you made. The world is better and brighter for the art you put in it!