GX SONGWRITING CLUB – starting 2021
I’m Sophie Daniels and I’m Head of Songwriting at ICMP, The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London and I run the Masters Programme in Songwriting.
I’m launching a local club to bring Songwriting to the community where I live called ‘The GX Songwriting Club’. This will be a small group of songwriters who will write and share songs each week. I will personally mentor this group, share some taught content and guide the group to learn to give and receive critical song feedback in a workshop setting.
WHO’S IT FOR?
There will only be 8 places for songwriters 15+ (or by exception) who are utterly committed to songwriting. You can be a beginner or a professional songwriter or anything in between but you must be passionate about songwriting, be prepared to attend club and write and share a song every week, and actively learn to critique your own work and the work of others. These skills are highly transferrable across creative practice. If you have an inkling that this is your passion but previously your work has been in another creative field, this could be for you but you must write a song a week! (for the group, our definition of ‘song’ includes hip hop and any lyric based art form, but not music form with no words.)
You do not need any particular level of proficiency as a player or singer, but you do need to be willing and able to sing live within the group setting and accompany yourself. I will assess applicants (chat and submit one song) on the basis of commitment, ideas and potential.
FEES
There will be some funded (free) places available for teenagers who can’t afford the fees at this time. Please ask an appropriate advocate (teacher, parent, carer or other) to contact me direct to discuss. If you know someone who may benefit from this opportunity, please share. I will also be sharing this via appropriate channels.
For those who can afford fees, the rate is £320 for the 12 weeks. Each session is two hours. You pay for the term and commit for the whole term. You then have the right to a place ongoing each term (so long as you attend).
DATES
The club will take place at my studio in GX each Monday night between 6.30- 8.30pm starting Monday 13th September and finish Monday 6th December with a break for one week during the half term. There is a piano and acoustic guitars that you can use. You can also bring your own instruments and laptops.
CONTENT
Each week we will each play a song and provide an accompanying sheet. We will then discuss and perhaps workshop the piece with the group.
I will teach about song and songwriting including; lyric writing, ideas process, content and genre, structure and shape, creative process and so on. We will examine each writers creative and artistic intention and develop these together on an ongoing basis. We will explore different kinds of songwriting including; commercial songwriting for yourself and others, therapeutic songwriting, artistic songwriting and research based songwriting. I will also recommend resources such as books, documentaries, podcasts and so on. Each creative is different and song briefs will set individually as well as collectively where appropriate
Some Mondays, instead of song workshop, we will go as a group to the London Songwriters Circle Event which I run in London (established in 2012), and you can hear and meet the ICMP London faculty and Bachelors and Masters Songwriting students playing their songs. If you want to know more about this event, follow the links below. I will chaperone the teenagers in the group. Where appropriate, I can connect you to other songwriters through this process who will also mentor you. Perhaps where their musical style matches yours well for example.
EQUALITY
I am totally committed to equality and this group will have a 50/50 gender balance. I also particularly welcome applicants from any under represented group. Where fees are an issue to achieve this equality, we will work together.
RESOURCES
You will need to have a piano, a keyboard, an acoustic guitar or access to a Digital Audio Workstation. For those who do not have access to these resources, I can help out initially as you find your feet. Then as a group we can work to collaborate. Discuss with me at application. I do not teach guitar but I can guide you on piano and will give guidance on musical language. I can recommend music teachers for those who may want them.