Matt Hewson
Belmont High and Surf Coast Secondary hosted songwriting workshops ahead of a September 10 Battle of the Bands in Queenscliff thanks to a partnership between SongMakers and FReeZA.
Trailblazing contemporary music initiative SongMakers held two-day workshops at the Geelong and Surf Coast schools on Tuesday and Wednesday, pairing students from 10 schools in the region with Australian music industry hitmakers.
Focusing on creativity, collaboration and perseverance, the group of world-class mentors included artists such as KLP, Chelsea Warner, Jackson Phelan (RAT!hammock), Elizabeth M. Drummond, DVNA and Reggie Banks.
Students will then be given the chance to perform those compositions at the upcoming local showcase ‘Come Together’ FReeZA Battle of the Bands on September 10 at Queenscliff Town Hall.
Bellarine Secondary College student and participant Marcus Rosman said he was thrilled to get the chance to draw on the SongMakers mentors’ experience and knowledge.
“The opportunities provided by the SongMakers program are of once-in-a-lifetime quality,” Marcus said.
“The experiences of working with talented, active, and successful people in the industry are unmatched and provide us with incredible skills that can only set us up for success.”
Electronic music star and radio personality KLP (Kristy Lee Peters) said she valued the opportunity to share her experiences with the students.
“I think being a mentor for song makers is so important for many reasons; seeing the progress that the students make from the start of the day to the end of the day is amazing to watch,” she said.
“On a personal level, being able to give back, work with young people is really refreshing. The energy here is really incredible, a lot of these kids are super talented and it’s quite exciting to see them discover new things.”
