MONDAY morning this week saw a group of very talented, (if also very nervous), eager young songwriters arrive at Chalkwell Hall, ready for a magical week where they get to do nothing but hone their craft.
You can see the result of their hard work at a musical showcase evening this Friday, open to the public, at 7pm.
The young people, aged 12 - 18, are at the Georgian manor house situated in Chalkwell Park, Westcliff to take part in SoSlam's Young Songwriter's Lab, an initiative launched by SoSlam (Southend on Sea Live Acoustic Music organisation, which works to keep alive the music scene in the area) in conjunction with arts charity Metal and their ongoing programme of Culture Labs.
The Culture Labs are multi-disciplinary and have worked under the banner of a number of art forms, giving people the a chance for peer-to-peer learning and exchange. Last month - which ran in parallel with the Essex Book Festival and the Pop-Up Writer's House at Metal - saw an adults Writer's Lab, where 12 writers got to not only have the time and space to work in the house and support each other, but take part in workshops, receive mentoring and listen to talks and advice given by published authors and poets.
The musicians on the Young Songwriters Lab, whose instruments of choice range from keyboards to drums and percussion, from guitars to singers and lyricists, are all taking part in a packed programme across the week and beyond. The schedule includes jams and creative time, as well as various workshop sessions in everything from vocal coaching with singer and teacher Louisa Strachan, to the technical aspects of music making and performing with Paul Finch from the Seacroft Studios, videography with Rob Humm, plus a session on radio performance with Chay Appleyard. There will also be sessions on writing techniques, games, music theory, plus talks and workshops from renowned guest musicians including M G Boulter, Darren Jones and Lydia Kitto.
There will also be further opportunities for the kids, including a live radio performance with Pheonix FM, studio time at the Seacroft Studios where they will get to perform an original track, being involved in the Young Musicians Open Mic and a showcase at Chinnerys in the summer.
Musician Davey Hal, who is one of the facilitators leading the project, said at the end of the busy day on Monday: "The first day has been amazing. We can already see collaborations and friendships being formed between the young musicians with a high interest in them improving their technique in both writing and voice training.
"We can also see the raw eagerness to want to write new material as the inspiration has flowed through the house in Chalkwell Park already. We are noticing the young musicians breaking a lot of their comfort zones open. This is only the first day and we feel so rewarded and honoured to be working with clever minds for the week leading up to their showcase on Friday. It’s such an exciting week."
The Young Songwriters' Showcase will take place on Friday, at Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell Park, Westcliff, at 7pm.
Visit metalculture.com to find out about booking.
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