This is an immersive development programme designed to encourage and elevate new voices. Working with tutors and industry professionals over 8 months, you are taken from generating song ideas, through developing and recording a collaborative album, all the way through to album launch and live performance. This group will consist of 12 people in total aged 16-25. Please note, you can apply if you are a young person in Scotland with lived experience of the care system up to the age of 30.
Important Dates:
1st – 6th December 2025 – residential writing and recording week with Boo Hewerdine and Michele Stodart. During this week, you’ll learn about the nuts and bolts of songwriting including form, melody and lyric. Mid-week, we’ll welcome a recording artist and session musicians to fully realise and record your song.
February 2026 – date TBC – Visual Brand Identity residential course with Elly Lucas
In a world where your potential audience is constantly exposed to new content during every waking hour, there are a few things which will make you stand out amongst everything else – and high on that list are the visuals you use to represent yourself and your work.
During this workshop Elly Lucas will share the skills she has developed over the course of her career which will enable you to create authentic and meaningful visuals. We’ll discuss how to represent both your personality and creativity and learn what the key points to consider when choosing creative collaborators. By the end of the weekend, not only will you find yourself equipped with new knowledge and skills, but you’ll have a couple of professional headshots to start you on your way too.
At this short residential, we’ll be designing our album cover in preparation for a launch in a few months.
May – date TBC – Album launch at award-winning live music venue, Green Note in Camden.
July – date TBC – Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival performance, curated and supported by the music interns. See below.
What will happen during this programme?
Album
We’ll create an album that includes a song from every artist and, as a group, design a cover that makes this collection sing. Songs will be launched at the performances listed above.
Performance
We’re working in partnership with Belladrum and Green Note to provide 2 opportunities to perform your songs. We’ll co-design the events and each will be supported by the music interns.
Industries Masterclasses – Online Masterclasses
We’ll work with participating songwriters and experts to design a short series of masterclasses that teach you about the music industry. These may cover marketing your songs, navigating the music industry, developing a daily writing practice and funding your work, with the final programme being responsive to the needs of the participating songwriters. Dates for these online workshops to be announced.
Creative Internships
We are offering three places on the project to songwriters who want to learn more about the music industry and develop creative industry skills. The actual programme will be co-designed with those participating but it’s likely to include – involvement in project management, communications, shadowing opportunities, co-facilitation of sessions, sound and lighting and programming opportunities.
Your Tutors:
Boo Hewerdine is a singer-songwriter, musician, producer and experienced tutor and mentor. He has written songs for Eddi Reader, k.d. lang, Chris Difford and many others. He has produced numerous albums, run a record label and been involved in music as a business for many years. His latest album, Understudy (a commercial and critical success), was released in 2022.
Caribbean-born Michele Stodart is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London. She is best renowned as bassist, vocalist and co-songwriter of Mercury-nominated, double-platinum selling band, The Magic Numbers, with whom she continues to play and tour world-wide. Michele has also always pursued her own writing and nurtured a love for artists such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch. She has released two critically acclaimed solo albums of cinematic folk/Americana, and melodic country-blues influenced songs and has become known for her intimate, heart-wrenching live performances. Her third solo album is due for release in September 2023.
FIRST STAGES is part of The Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI) which is administered by Creative Scotland. The YMI creates access to high quality music making opportunities, enables young people to achieve their potential in or through music and supports the development of the sector for the benefit of young people.
