Agenda

The Agenda for the 2008 Australian Songwriters Conference is still being finalised, however the following is a basic overview of the weekend’s activities. The main seminars (facilitated by Jason Blume) are genre non-specific and all songwriters will benefit from the information in these seminars designed to help you become a better songwriter.

Following is a rundown on the main seminars:

Using Successful Song Structures and Rhymes (Jason Blume)

The vast majority of popular songs are constructed using only a handful of structures. Learn the function of verses, choruses, pre-choruses, bridges, and turnarounds - and how to put them together to create radio-friendly songs that communicate with your audiences. This workshop will also examine how and why to use rhymes effectively and where your listeners expect to hear rhymes.

Writing Melodies Listeners Can't Forget - and Artists Want to Record (Jason Blume)

There are reasons why some melodies stick in the brain - and others fail to do so. Analyze hit songs to identify the common denominators in memorable melodies - and master 10 tools to create and rewrite unforgettable melodies that allow a singer to shine. (No knowledge of musical theory OR ability to play an instrument is required for this non-technical approach.)

Crafting Lyrics that Evoke Emotion - and Express Your Intent (Jason Blume)

There are no rules in songwriting - but there are tools that can help you connect to your listeners. Discover new ways to craft lyrics that touch your listeners’ hearts by incorporating action, color, detail, and imagery - and learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls.

Producing Demos - that Demonstrate Your Song's Hit Potential (Jason Blume)

How good does your demo need to be? Listen to demos of hit songs to learn where the industry standard lies. Learn the differences between artist, song, and live performance demos; home vs. studio recordings; and learn how (and why) to incorporate signature licks. Also includes discussions of chord charts, lead sheets, budgets, choosing the right vocalists and musicians, and more.

This Business of Songwriting (Jason Blume)

A plain English explanation of performance and mechanical royalties; how and why to get a publisher; staff-writing and single-song publishing deals; self-publishing; pitching your songs to artists, publishers, and record labels; TV/Film placements, and more.

Pitching/Placing Songs in International Markets (Jason Blume)

Music is sold and broadcast throughout the world. Why limit yourself to your own country? Find out how to know who’s looking for songs - and how to get to them; pitching for “Pop Star” internationally; how translations are handled; the effective use of tip/pitch sheets; and more.

Group Songwriting Exercise (Jason Blume)

A creative exercise to incorporate specific tools and techniques into the writing of a song that comes from your heart - but is appropriate for the radio.

Open Hearted Lyric Writing to Make Extraordinary Songs (Andrea Rieniets)

Andrea Rieniets is a generous and inspired trainer. Her goal is always to get participants to the ëAhí moment in learning. In this one hour session Andrea will offer a tasting plate of five aspects of her ëOpen Hearted Lyric Writing to Make Extraordinary Songsí process.

Youíll get insights into:

How to organise your creative personas or attitudes when making up songs so that you have a veritable team of writers inside you power housing through songs!
How to use your body in different ways to access different levels of emotional material.
How to go 3 times as far and get 10 times the emotional impact with your lyrics.
How to apply a little known interview technique to get amazingly honest, clear lyrics.
How to make lyrics that stop people in their tracks.

Singing Workshop (Doreen Van Bree)

Doreen's one hour workshop is designed to introduce non-singers to the art of singing and to give experienced singers a chance to learn something new and enjoy a good vocal workout.

Doreen will be explaining the various parts of the instrument within, and has designed breathing and singing, exercises to strengthen the support system. This is vital for voice improvement and will 'tune' the vocal instrument as a result.

All you need to bring is enthusiasm and the willingness to learn. There will be time for individual attention and a Q&A session at the end of the workshop.

plus there's more...

We already anticipate a large contingent of pop, rock and country attendees, so these genres will definitely be covered, and we will use the information collected from the sign up forms to determine the other most popular genres we need to cater for.

Representatives from a wide range of publishing companies (both Majors and Indies). At this stage, each Gold and Silver attendee will have the opportunity to pitch three songs to publishers. The level of commitment from sponsors will determine if we can include more pitch opps.

Australian songwriter organisations will be represented including the Australian Songwriters Association and Songsalive! with others to be confirmed. Representatives from these organisations will be available throughout the conference to give information and advice relating to the services they provide. Reps from other relevant organisations will also be on hand to assist with information and advice. These include specialists in music law, copyright, demo production, publishing and more.

There will be a cocktail party on the Saturday night which will be ‘Networker’s Heaven’. All Faculty and attendees are invited to enjoy the drinks and canapés on offer while passing out business cards and networking to your heart’s content!

The faculty and attendees will enjoy meals together (another fantastic networking opportunity!) and every evening after dinner, attendees will be able to perform their original songs at the Open Mics - so don’t forget your instruments!

Every night after the Open Mic, there will be an informal jam session for those tireless Gold attendees and any faculty members who want to join in.