Unsigned Music Makers (12-18yrs) & Music Production – Play it, Mix it (18+) (2-day)

Open to children (aged 12 – 18yrs) and young adults (18+) with some experience of music either singing or instrumental. This is now 2 days long but includes all the below!

The two courses will run in parallel but will be structured and taught separately.

The workshops are focusing on songwriting and composition techniques with both instruments and technology. Under the guidance of professional musicians you will learn how to compose, arrange and produce a demo using DIY techniques you can use in your bedroom.

Day 1 will consist of an introduction and ice breakers, what instruments do you play, what kind of music do you listen to and want to make. You will learn commonly used chord progressions and compositional techniques across multiple genres before splitting into smaller ensembles to work on your own ideas. The course leader will provide you with starting ideas if you want.

Day 2 will start with a small recap of the previous days learning and work before having some time to continue working on your ideas. We will then learn fundamental arrangement techniques and basic writing for different instruments. The aim would be for your song or group song to contain multiple elements with various members of the group playing a part including some technology aspects made using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

Day 3 will be about DIY recording techniques that can produce great results outside a ready made studio. We will then get some recording done before learning basic mixing and production techniques. By the end of the course you should leave with a fantastic sounding demo having contributed as
an instrumentalist or songwriter

Material / Equipment
Participants should bring their own instruments e.g. guitar, violin, (no drumkit).
If wanting to explore technology aspects students could bring their own laptop/ipad device (though some might also be provided).

Tutors
Peter Lewington