What? |
An excellent opportunity to develop your songwriting craft in a friendly and hands-on setting. Whether you are a beginner, or someone already established, this workshop offers all writers the chance to learn from award winning mentors, network with peers and other songwriters, perform and experience the process of co-writing.
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Pics are clickable
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With: |
Award winning songwriters: Allan Caswell | Matt Scullion | Abbey Lane |
When? |
Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24 |
Where? |
Hotel Blue - 88 Lurline St. Katoomba, NSW |
Cost |
Seminar and Workshop - $250 per person |
Program
Saturday August 23rd |
12.00 pm:
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APRA AMCOS session with Nikki Tuckwell interview with Stephen Kiely
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1.30 pm:
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Critiques and mentoring session on rotation with Allan and Matt
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3.00 pm:
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Interview - seminar with Matt Scullion
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4.15 pm:
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Interview - seminar with Allan Caswell
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5.30 pm:
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Dinner at the Katoomba RSL (Next door) Red Poppy Brasserie
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7.30-10.00 pm:
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Songwriter performances at Hotel Blue
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Coffee / Tea and biscuits available all day at the hotel |
Sunday August 24th |
7:00 am:
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Continental Breakfast (included - if staying at Hotel Blue and Clarendon Guesthouse)
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8.45 am:
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Guest Artist - Abbey Lane interview with Stephen Kiely
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10:00 am:
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Co-writing sessions begin with Allan, Matt and Abbey
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11.30 am:
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Lunch at the Katoomba RSL Red Poppy Brasserie
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| 1:00 pm: |
Co-writing sessions continue
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| 3.30-5.30 pm: |
Performances of all songs co-written over the weekend |
Coffee / Tea and biscuits available all day at the hotel
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*** Meet the Mentors ***
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Allan Caswell - Multi Award Winning Songwriter - Artist
At the 2024 Golden Guitar Awards Allan Caswell received the ultimate accolade in Australian Country Music, when he was elevated to the Roll of Renown. At the 2020 Golden Guitar Awards, Caswell picked up his 8th Award. (with Manfred Vijars for Bush Ballad of the Year).
Caswell is easily Australia's most recorded songwriter with over 960 of his songs being released around the world by artists of the calibre of Cilla Black, Patti Page, The Irish Rovers, The Living End, Slim Dusty, Barry Humphries, Lynne Hamilton, Beccy Cole, The Wolfe Brothers and Ella Hooper and more.
In 1979 Caswell wrote the theme for the Australian television series "Prisoner" (Cell Block H in England)."On The Inside" was a number 1 hit in Australia and New Zealand in 1979 and later reached number 3 in the UK.
Caswell has won 8 Golden Guitars from 48 nominations, winning 16 Awards from the Tamworth Songwriters Assoc. including The Songmaker Award. 9 Awards at the Independent Country Music Awards including Album of The Year for 3 of his albums. He was also included in Tamworth's Galaxy of Stars. He is the go-to cowriter for many of Australia's top artists. At the end of 2020 Caswell formed Lynchburg with multi-instrumentalist Lindsay Waddington, resulting in 3 albums and a whole string of top 10 country hits.
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Matt Scullion - Multi Award Winning Songwriter - Artist
When radio legend Ray Hadley plays your single four times in one sitting, you know you're onto something. That's exactly what happened with Matt's No. 1 hit, Aussie As, released to rave reviews. A sought-after songwriter, Matt's songs have been recorded by Lee and Tania Kernaghan, Sara Storer, Adam Harvey, Jayne Denham, Amber Lawrence, and Cold Chisel, with 26 of them hitting No. 1 on the country charts. His passion for songwriting culminated in winning the 2018 Golden Guitar Song of the Year for Our Backyard alongside Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence.
Growing up in Ulladulla, Matt joined his first band at 16, playing anywhere that would have them. His journey took him from Darwin to Tamworth and Nashville, where he honed his craft. His song Giddy Up featured in the Paul Hogan film Charlie & Boots, where Matt made a cameo as a bar singer. A longtime collaborator with Lee Kernaghan and producer Garth Porter, Matt co-wrote over a dozen tracks across four albums, including Planet Country, which topped the charts for nine weeks.
Now Based in the New England Highlands, Matt balances music with a country lifestyle with his wife Sharon. His latest single Beer Box Man, a tribute to the legend Ted Egan picked up three awards at this year's TSA awards and People's Choice awards in Tamworth.
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Abbey Lane - Multi Award Winning Songwriter - Artist
Abbey is a Sydney-based indie pop/rock singer-songwriter whose sound has been shaped over a decade of musicianship. Drawing inspiration from Australian artists like Middle Kids and Gretta Ray, she has been honing her craft since 2014, collaborating with acclaimed writers such as Yung Bleu and Tenille Arts. Her songwriting has earned notable recognition, including a co-write featured by the US National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators. Locally, Abbey's song, Darling was awarded 'Best Folk Song' at the 2024 ASA Awards and has gained national airplay on Triple J Unearthed, FBI, 2SER, 4ZZZ, and SYN, with features in Music Feeds and AU Review.
A seasoned live performer, Abbey has graced stages across Australia's east coast, sharing lineups with Ula, Eskimo Joe, Surf Trash, Kim Churchill, and Diesel. She has also performed at major events like Old Bar Beach Festival, Rockhampton River Festival, SXSW Sydney, and Never Had So Much Fun. Recently, Abbey has refined her indie pop/rock sound, working with multi-ARIA Award-winning producer Dave Petrovic on her debut EP, released in July 2024, followed by a six-stop tour. With new music lined up for 2025, Abbey Lane continues to cement her place in the Australian music scene.
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Previous Workshops In The Mountains
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| Songsalive! Australia's mission is to support and promote the craft of songwriting in Australia by providing resources, networking opportunities, and professional development for our members.
We aim to foster a thriving community of songwriters and to celebrate the diversity and creativity of Australian music. We believe that songwriting is an essential art form that has the power to inspire, entertain, and bring people together.
We are committed to advocating for the rights and interests of songwriters in the Australian music industry and to supporting the next generation of Australian songwriters. |
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