Music courses, covering every aspect of what we do at Artist Studios!
If you're interested in recording or singing, writing or performing your instrument, our courses give you fast track access to these areas, whether you have done it before or are just getting into it all!
We have courses running for 8 weeks, 4 weeks and one off workshops.
Please note, there are minimum and maximum numbers of people per course but we will accept single applicants or small groups. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Click here to enroll.
The Craft of Songwriting (8 week course)
Our songwriting course is open to beginners, intermediate and regular songwriters of all ages.
You don't have to be a musician to write and you don't have to have any writing experience!
You will be finding new ways of creating lyrics and music and you will strengthen both aspects by using a variety of starting points.
You will be able to practise traditional writing methods and modern methods using music technology as a tool for creating your finished song.
You will be able to collaborate and write on your own.
You will exercise methods for accessing creativity and finding the right inspiration.
Choosing from the ideas we create in the first 3 weeks, you will write, perform and record a new song.
You are encouraged to use the studio facilities outside of the class on your own or in collaboration and extra one to one sessions are avaiilable outside of the course structure. Only £149. Click here to enroll.
Sample of a song written on The Craft of Songwriting with extra one to one sessions.
'I Would Mind' (Berkova/Woodward 2009):
Objectives:
Create a variety of new lyrics and music from scratch.
Find new ways of writing.
Develop new ways of finding inspiration and creativity.
Collaborate or work on your own songs.
Craft your ideas into songs
Go away with:
A CD of all your recordings.
Our booklet outlining the techniques in the course.
Meet singers and musicians to collaborate with.
Collaboration Songwriting (One off workshop)
In this 2 hour session you will take part in writing two original songs from scratch, perform them and record them!
We explore simple yet effective ways to get started with writing and explore ideas using our self-coined 'Lyrical Jam' and more conventional musical improvisation.
We split into two groups and choose the style, melody and phrasing to craft the songs over two different musical ideas. We arrange the verses and the chorus, craft the structure and decide on any other ideas to put in the song.
We will learn the song and perform it to the other group by the end of the session.
The one off workshops are £25 each and run on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Click here to enroll.
Fast Solo Writing (One off workshop)
Getting stuck is a common problem when you're writing on your own. In this session you will quickly write a song, explore new ideas and find ways of avoiding blocks that stop us finishing songs.
You may or may not not finish the song in one session, but the ideas can help you complete many other songs outside of the workshop. You're welcome to take the one off session again to work on the same song and we offer one to one sessions if you would like some more assistance.
This workshop is a hands on practical session, mainly for lyric writing and are £25 each and run on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Click here to enroll.
Studio Composing (4 week course)
Using Logic Pro, you will look into more of the musical side of writing.
We take a closer look at composing melodies, harmonies, choosing chords, arrangement and orchestration. We analyse other arrangements and see what aspects we can use to inspire our own songs.
If you're interested in developing your music theory, this is a very practical way in which you won't get bored of reading the rudiments but you will actually get down and use them. As we go, we explain what we are doing and you will be able to pick it up quickly.
Vocal improvisation with poetry, music and rhythm. It doesn't matter if you've done it before or not, you will soon break out of the boundaries and develop a style, free of conventions. You can rap, sing, speak, scat and make up the words on the spot.
We look at what makes us stop being so free to improvise and we find ways of greater impromptu expression, in rhythm, with rhymes!
Only £10 per session on Monday evenings at 7pm. There are no set term dates for the improv session, so you are welcome to come and go as you please Click here to enroll.
Intro to Singing (4 week course)
A course for anyone with little or no training, interested in the fundamentals of singing technique. Looking at breathing, posture, 'projection', tuning, range and more. We will pick songs you will be singing in a group with solo opportunities.
One of the mysteries of the universe (of singing anyway), is how we should breathe. We often hear advice that may not neccesarily be right for you.
We break the myths and look at different methods of breathing and posture to find out what suits you and what you will be singing.
We give you breathing exercises to take away and train and you may find that coming back another week we will be able to develop your breathing to the next stage.
This class is suitable for anyone if you use your voice, from never-sung-before, to professional. There are no set term dates for the improv session, so you are welcome to come and go as you please. The more frequently you come, the quicker you will develop!
For intermediate and advanced singers. We explore the potential of your voice, try out new sounds and styles, learn about vocal science, warm up technique, vocal modes and mic technique for performing and recording yourself.
This is an intensive course to cover all aspects of the voice. You will get the opportunity to perform solo, as a backing vocalist, learn how to harmonise and improvise, you will learn how to record your songs and perform them.
We cover a variety of different schools of voice which is very useful for advanced singers who would like to get to the next level.
We include a releasing tension workshop which draws on Alexander Technique and we will look at how to characterise your voice for different styles.
As every singer is different, we don't just throw all the theory at you!
We include one-to-one coaching and you will work in teams to coach eachother.
We offer extra one-to-one coaching for voice and instruments outside of the course at a discounted rate when you enrol.
On the course you will be able to sing as a soloist or as a group and you will record and perform your songs.
The course puts equal emphasis on both Studio Recording and Performance. You will go away with a complete CD of all the recordings we do and you are invited to perform at our regular event at a venue.
You could perform on your own with a backing track, with guitar or piano accompaniment or with our full session backing band. You will also be given a free voice training CD you can use to regularly exercise and maintain your voice.
Explore, experiment with and develop your voice, singing as a group and as a soloist with short one to one sessions.
Get singing and harmonising on songs with other people.
Learn about your voice – understand warmups, training techniques, vocal modes and terms like neutral, twang, head/chest register.
Build confidence with your voice.
Perform, Record and Improvise using your voice!
Go away with:
A CD of your recordings.
Our booklet and a FREE training CD.
Meet singers and musicians to collaborate with.
Discounted one-to-one lessons with the course
Intro to Studio Recording (4 week course)
Get to know the equipment and more importantly what you use it for!
You will be learning about sequencing, recording live instruments and using music production techniques. We can record course members if you play an instrument and work with a song you've written or one we have on the shelf.
You will be able to mix a pre-recorded band demo and look at aspects such as compression, eq, effects and more.
Perfect if you're new to music technology and want a 4 week practical introduction! Only £85. Click here to enroll.
Band Studio Recording (4 week course)
In your first session, you will help set up and record a song played by a live band. We will look at live takes and overdubs, mic technique and multitrack recording. In the following sessions we will mix and master the recording, to finish it off by the end of the four weeks.
If you want to be the band we record, please apply here!
Suitable for beginners, but always better if you've done our intro to studio recording course. Only £85. Click here to enroll.
Sequencing and Track Production (4 week course)
We take a closer look at sequencing, using MIDI and audio.
You will learn about synthesis, samplers and programming beats. You will produce an electronic track, create the melodies and find out what chords go well with each other and assign them to different instruments.
Suitable for beginners, but always better if you've done our intro to studio recording course. Only £85. Click here to enroll.
Artist Production (4 week course)
We pick a solo artist off the street (apply here!) and combine audio recording with electronic production to see how we can tastefuly produce the artist into a full commercial track.
We look at stylistic conventions of music production, using the equipment and techniques we covered in the introductory course and the sequencing course. In the first week, we look at recording the voice and instruments and in the following weeks we will produce the track with specific guidelines towards certain styles. Each course term will be different and entirely creative, with a different artist and different style every time!
The Artist Production course is only £85 and requi res previous experience. Having done any of the previous recording courses will give you the required experience. Click here to enroll.
