London College of Creative Media (LCCM) held a virtual songwriting camp on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.
The ‘International Songwriting Camp’ was hosted by LCCM and co-organised by the Mumbai-based music college, True School of Music, a specialised institute providing professional and hobby music classes, bringing innovation and global competitiveness to the Indian music industry.
During the online workshop, LCCM and True School students collaborated in groups via Zoom to create original songs in response to briefs from major music labels publishers. From writing lyrics to exchanging music styles, they worked together during the exercise in a creative and professional manner.
The output of the sessions will be pitched to major music labels, publishers and artists as part of LCCM’s continual outreach and industry engagement activities. The Songwriting camp was organized by JD Donovan, Creative Industries Liaison at LCCM, who said: “It was amazing to be able to facilitate such an exciting and educational weekend, fostering international collaboration through virtual technologies.
“It is a pleasure to be able to scythe through the music industry to collect fresh briefs and consequently start the ball rolling with such a talented set of students in the UK and India. At the end of the day it’s not about hit songs, but about creating a safe space for learning, positive collaboration, and the building of new musical friendships”.
True School aim to equip learners to achieve their personal aspirations while maintaining a clear and in-depth awareness of the professional industry and the opportunities it presents. Saurav Ghosh, Associate Dean at True School of Music, said: “I am so glad to have been able to provide our students with the opportunity to learn and collaborate with LCCM students.
“It is vital we continue to help them to foster positive international partnerships and participate in interactive working experiences, for there is much beauty in diversity. We believe that this helps create distinctive culture, art and music. I am looking forward to making this a regular part of our student experience, even during non-pandemic times.”
The event gave students a platform to express their talent and gain access to networking opportunities. Participants enjoyed the creative challenge and group working dynamic as well as the opportunity to try their hand at a real-life industry exercise.
The weekend-long virtual camp was the latest in a series of ‘team-up’ extra-curricular events between the colleges, designed to improve and enhance the student experience and career opportunities for students at both institutions. Previous initiatives included a special ‘London’ edition of True School’s ‘Music Works’ series and a Hindustani Masterclass for LCCM students.