About
The New South Wales SongMakers Program is presented by APRA AMCOS with generous support from Sound NSW.
The Victorian SongMakers program has been made possible with the support of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and the Community Support Fund.
The New South Wales SongMakers Program is presented by APRA AMCOS with generous support from Sound NSW.
The Victorian SongMakers program has been made possible with the support of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and the Community Support Fund.
Why
SongMakers?
SongMakers addresses a gap in contemporary music education by connecting young people with working songwriters and producers. Through collaborative songwriting, students develop creativity, teamwork, confidence, communication skills and awareness of career pathways in the music industry.
The program uses the mentored creation of new songs to take young people behind-the scenes in the music industry while also modelling transferrable skills like working in teams, pushing through comfort zones, working to deadlines, and being enterprising. Participants gain valuable insight into the processes, people and career pathways that drive today's music industry.
SongMakers is partly inspired by Sweden, whose music export success is attributed to its high-profile music role models, including ABBA and Max Martin, and decades-long State support for contemporary music learning for Swedish young people inside and outside school. Per capita, Sweden is the world’s top exporter of music.
After our workshops:
75% of students are more confident writing songs
70% collaborate more with others
54% become more interested in music careers
Testimonials
2-DAY
School
workshops
We take young people behind the scenes in the music industry through the mentored creation of new songs.
Students learn transferrable skills like working in teams, pushing through comfort zones, working to deadlines, and being enterprising.
For Students
SongMakers Program
School Workshops
Over 2 consecutive days, prominent Australian songwriters and music producers work with young creatives to write and record new songs.
Locations
ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA
Duration
2 days
Cost
$550
More
programs
SongMakers supports music education through a suite of programs for young creatives and teachers across the country.
Learn more about the programs we offer.
For Students
SongMakers Program
SongMakers Academy
During an intensive 3 days under the mentorship of industry professionals, participants will write, produce, and record THREE original songs in professional recording studios.
Locations
NSW, VIC
Duration
3 days
Cost
Free!
For Students
SongMakers Program
Holiday Workshops
Mirroring the core SongMakers School Workshop program, the holiday program is delivered over 2 days during school holiday periods in regional Victoria and New South Wales.
Locations
NSW, VIC
Duration
2 days
Cost
Free!
For Students
SongMakers Program
SongMakers Live
With guidance from industry mentors, 16 bands will learn the art of taking their songs from the studio to the stage. From stage craft, setting up gear, sound checking and building confidence on stage, everyone will leave with the tools to build an unforgettable live show.
Locations
VIC
Duration
2 weekends
Cost
Free!
For Teachers
SongMakers Program
Initial Teacher Education
Offering insights into practical, creative and collaborative songwriting across curriculums, this program ensures future educators are equipped with valuable, creative and inspiring tools before entering the classroom.
Locations
VIC
Duration
1 day
Cost
Free!
For Teachers
SongMakers Program
Teacher Professional Development
SongMakers mentors guide music teachers through a compacted version of the SongMakers School Workshop, equipping them with creative and practical strategies to incorporate similar lessons into their classrooms.
Locations
VIC
Duration
1 day
Cost
Free!
For Students
SongMakers Program
Flexible Learning
This program is significantly different to our core workshop program. Delivered over 6 weeks during the school term, sessions are task focussed and outcome based, designed to best engage with students in these learning environments.
Locations
VIC
Duration
6 weeks
Cost
Free!
Who
we are
Mentors
SongMakers mentors’ depth of experience is one of the reasons our programs are unique. Between them they are multiple ARIA, APRA and even Grammy Award winners.
Mentor
Anna Laverty
Producer
Anna Laverty is one of Australia’s finest production talents, with credits on projects by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Courtney Barnett, Meg Mac, Lady Gaga, G Flip, Montaigne, Ali Barter and Kira Puru. Honing her production and engineering skills under the tutelage of producers Paul Epworth (Adele) and Ben Hillier (Blur, U2), Anna worked on releases by Bloc Party and Depeche Mode at London’s Miloco Studios. In early 2020 Anna was awarded the inaugural Mushroom Music Producer Award and finished the year by receiving the Australia Council Fellowship for creative activity and professional development.
Alumni
Chitra Ridwan
Artist
Growing up surrounded by the diverse musical influences on the Bellarine Peninsula, Chitra’s sound is unrefined by formal training and blossoms with the self-assuredness and freedom of a coastal kid. Chitra’s debut self-titled EP was recorded with James Cecil (Architecture in Helsinki) and covers complex narratives of unspoken thoughts and self preservation. Chitra was triple j Unearthed’s 2019 The Drop festival winner, winner of the 2020 Victorian Up Start Award, has supported the likes of Tyne-James Organ and graced festival stages from Port Fairy to Brisbane’s Mountain Goat Valley Crawl.
Participation year - 2014 VIC
What I remember the most about [SongMakers] was it taught me more about working with other people on a project. The only other people I had worked with were band members at that stage. To have a producer come in and to workshop a song with everyone was a first for me, normally it's quite an intimate process but this was really insightful; to be thinking further about how it sounds sonically and how to get it there with someone specialising in that area.
Mentor
Blake Rhodes
Artist
Blake (aka Mr Rhodes) is a Sydney-based artist hailing from Lismore, one third of award-winning hip-hop trio Teddy Lewis King.
Mentor
Ninajirachi
Producer
A finalist in triple j’s Unearthed High competition in both 2016 and 2017, Ninajirachi has been punching above her weight in the world of electronic producing and performing ever since. Her debut single, 'Pure Luck (feat. Freya Staer)', topped the Spotify Australia Viral Charts, received support from Zane Lowe Beats1 and was added to high rotation on triple j. On the live circuit, Nina has toured with Mallrat, What So Not, Hermitude, Crooked Colours and has performed at Falls, Listen Out Festival, Splendour in the Grass and Groovin' the Moo. Beyond her own releases, Nina has produced remixes for deadmau5 & The Neptunes, Flight Facilities and Hermitude.
Alumni, Mentor
Tia Gostelow
Artist
Tia Gostelow won triple j Unearthed’s 2016 Indigenous Initiative and scored a place in their Triple J Unearthed High 2016 Top 5, and hasn’t slowed down since. 2017 saw 6 nominations at the Queensland Music Awards, including 2 wins in the Schools and Folk Singer/Songwriter categories. In September 2018, Gostelow released her debut studio album, Thick Skin to rave reviews. At the 2019 Queensland Music Awards, Gostelow made Australian history by being the youngest winner of Album of the Year. In February 2020, her 2018 single "Strangers" went certified gold in Australia and she released her second album “Chrysalis”.
Participation year - 2015 QLD
For me [SongMakers] was just an incredible experience. To work with someone like Thelma and especially with me being so young it was a bit of a dream come true. It was just really cool to watch someone I admired so much in their element and also being able to study her songwriting process.
Mentor
Joel Quartermain
Writer/Producer/Artist
ARIA and APRA award winner Joel Quartermain is a founding member of the broadly acclaimed rock trio Eskimo Joe. Beyond a successful recording and touring career, Joel has immersed himself in the roles of producer, co-writer, mixer and engineer on projects from Meg Mac, Dan Sultan, G Flip, Merci Mercy, British India and Dustin Tebbit and even SongMakers alum Fergus James.
Alumni
Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers
Artist
Anna Ryan, Scarlett McKahey, Neve van Boxsel and Jaida Stephenson all participated in SongMakers together and now make up one of Australia’s coolest rock outfits - Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers. Formed in Canberra, Teen Jesus have performed alongside acts such as Polish Club, Northeast Party House, Alex Lahey, Press Club, Spiderbait, WAAX and Slowly Slowly. They have graced stages at Groovin’ The Moo, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Falls Festival, Lost Paradise, Spilt Milk, and Stonefest, on top of an at-capacity showcase at BIGSOUND which landed them atop many a list of ones to watch. The four-piece have been feature artists on triple j Unearthed and were winners of an Unearthed Level Up grant in 2020.
Participation year - 2017 ACT
The SongMakers workshop was a great experience for all of us. We were all quite young and hearing about the industry from people that had years of experience was definitely super inspiring. I in particular remember being put in a rehearsal room and told to just write something all together which we hadn’t really done until that point. Ilan [Kidron] gave us great pointers and challenged us to step outside of the box with our music and work together.
Alumni, Mentor
Taka Perry
Producer/Artist
A SongMakers participant in 2015, Taka Perry is one of Australia’s most exciting producer/artists. He has since signed a worldwide record deal with TMRW Music and global publishing deal with Downtown Music; hitting the ground running as soon he left school. With a credit list consisting of Ruel, Denzel Curry, Stellie, JP the Wavy, Thomston, Max Frost, SACHI, and A.GIRL, his creative contributions have now amassed over 130 million plays on Spotify. He recently performed one of the best triple j Like A Versions of the year, covering Kanye West’s ‘Jesus Walks’.
Participation year - 2015 ACT
Mentor
Alice Ivy
Producer
Alice Ivy is an ARIA-nominated electronic producer who has performed with Billie Eilish, Foster The People, Flight Facilities, Vera Blue & The Jungle Giants, and at SXSW, Falls Festival, Listen Out and Splendour In The Grass. Her triple j featured and 'J Award' nominated second album, ‘Don't Sleep’, containing collaborations with Thelma Plum, Odette & Montaigne saw Alice Ivy catch nominations for 'Best Dance Release' and 'Best Engineer' at the 2020 ARIA Awards.
Alumni, Mentor
Chelsea Warner
Producer/Songwriter
Producer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chelsea Warner creates forward-thinking R&B, pop and hip-hop from Sydney, Australia. As well as her own collaborations with Emalia, Tentendo, and Vetta Borne, she has credits on releases by Ūla, Urthboy, Liyah Knight, BVT and more. A 2022 finalist in the Hip Hop/Rap/R&B/Soul category of the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards, Chelsea also attended the Bali Songwriting Invitational alongside MNEK (Dua Lipa, Beyoncé), Smoko Ono (Chance The Rapper, Kanye West) and others.
Participation year - 2016 NSW
Alumni, Mentor
Chloe Dadd
Writer/Producer/Artist
Writer/producer/artist Chloe Dadd is herself a SongMakers alum, from regional NSW. She has worked with Lime Cordiale, Meg Mac, Courtney Barnett and others. She was a featured artist at music industry conference, Big Sound 2022. She tours with MAY-A, and has just returned from a sold out European tour and a gig to thousands on the steps of the Sydney Opera House opening for 5SOS.
Participation year - 2016 NSW
I think [SongMakers] was pivotal because for kids in the regions you don’t get to meet people from the industry, or get a chance to talk to them about music. I remember giving Robert Conley a USB with some of my stuff on it and wanting to soak up as much as I could of the experience.
Mentor
Milan Ring
Writer/Engineer/Artist
Sydney-based singer, rapper, guitarist, producer and mixing engineer, Milan Ring directs each and every aspect of her creative process. Milan has toured with The Avalanches, Sampa The Great, Genesis Owusu, Winston Surfshirt and The Rubens, has graced festival stages across the country and recently was nominated for a 2021 APRA Award for her self-released single 'Say To Me'.
Mentor
Woodes
Producer/Artist
Woodes is an artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Melbourne who has toured with Client Liaison, features on Set Mo’s platinum single ‘I Belong Here’, has appeared on triple j’s Like a Version and released her indie-pop album ‘Crystal Ball’ in 2020.
Mentor
DVNA
Writer/Producer/Artist
Dana is an artist, songwriter and producer hailing from the Gold Coast who has graced stages for Baker Boy, BigSound and festivals around the country. Her track ‘Looking Like A Snack’ was nominated for Song of the Year at Gold Coast Music Awards.
Alumni
Matilda Duncan
Artist
North-Queensland up-and-coming singer/songwriter Matilda Duncan has a vibe that combines indie, folk, and elements of pop rock in her own style. Matilda writes about her experiences as she's growing and discovering herself and finding her way through life. With a range of influences, Matilda's sound is continually growing and evolving from her typical ballads to fast-paced pop rock tunes. Matilda was a triple j Unearthed competition winner which saw her open for The Rubens on the Cairns leg of their album tour in 2018.
Participation year - 2017 QLD
Of course I remember [SongMakers]! I met some of my best mates in that workshop. Being thrown into that sort of sink or swim environment was a great push for me. I was really able to surprise myself with what we created in such a short time frame. The idea of writing anything and having it heard let alone recorded and critiqued by such reputable, *actual* musician/producers is terrifying as a sixteen year old - but it really solidified the idea that anything is possible and every opportunity needs to be given 100%.
Mentor
KLP
Writer/Producer/Artist
KLP is a singer, songwriter, producer and DJ. She tours with the likes of Art Vs Science, has worked with Skrillex and Slumberjack, graced stages from Splendour in the Grass to SXSW and has her own distinctive sound of layered vocal harmonies. KLP’s track ‘Energy’ with Stace Cadet peaked at Number 1 on the ARIA club chart, scored her an ARIA nomination for Best Dance Release and has been certified as a Gold single.
Alumni
Alumni
Chitra Ridwan
Artist
Growing up surrounded by the diverse musical influences on the Bellarine Peninsula, Chitra’s sound is unrefined by formal training and blossoms with the self-assuredness and freedom of a coastal kid. Chitra’s debut self-titled EP was recorded with James Cecil (Architecture in Helsinki) and covers complex narratives of unspoken thoughts and self preservation. Chitra was triple j Unearthed’s 2019 The Drop festival winner, winner of the 2020 Victorian Up Start Award, has supported the likes of Tyne-James Organ and graced festival stages from Port Fairy to Brisbane’s Mountain Goat Valley Crawl.
Participation year - 2014 VIC
What I remember the most about [SongMakers] was it taught me more about working with other people on a project. The only other people I had worked with were band members at that stage. To have a producer come in and to workshop a song with everyone was a first for me, normally it's quite an intimate process but this was really insightful; to be thinking further about how it sounds sonically and how to get it there with someone specialising in that area.
Alumni
Matilda Duncan
Artist
North-Queensland up-and-coming singer/songwriter Matilda Duncan has a vibe that combines indie, folk, and elements of pop rock in her own style. Matilda writes about her experiences as she's growing and discovering herself and finding her way through life. With a range of influences, Matilda's sound is continually growing and evolving from her typical ballads to fast-paced pop rock tunes. Matilda was a triple j Unearthed competition winner which saw her open for The Rubens on the Cairns leg of their album tour in 2018.
Participation year - 2017 QLD
Of course I remember [SongMakers]! I met some of my best mates in that workshop. Being thrown into that sort of sink or swim environment was a great push for me. I was really able to surprise myself with what we created in such a short time frame. The idea of writing anything and having it heard let alone recorded and critiqued by such reputable, *actual* musician/producers is terrifying as a sixteen year old - but it really solidified the idea that anything is possible and every opportunity needs to be given 100%.
Alumni
Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers
Artist
Anna Ryan, Scarlett McKahey, Neve van Boxsel and Jaida Stephenson all participated in SongMakers together and now make up one of Australia’s coolest rock outfits - Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers. Formed in Canberra, Teen Jesus have performed alongside acts such as Polish Club, Northeast Party House, Alex Lahey, Press Club, Spiderbait, WAAX and Slowly Slowly. They have graced stages at Groovin’ The Moo, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Falls Festival, Lost Paradise, Spilt Milk, and Stonefest, on top of an at-capacity showcase at BIGSOUND which landed them atop many a list of ones to watch. The four-piece have been feature artists on triple j Unearthed and were winners of an Unearthed Level Up grant in 2020.
Participation year - 2017 ACT
The SongMakers workshop was a great experience for all of us. We were all quite young and hearing about the industry from people that had years of experience was definitely super inspiring. I in particular remember being put in a rehearsal room and told to just write something all together which we hadn’t really done until that point. Ilan [Kidron] gave us great pointers and challenged us to step outside of the box with our music and work together.
The SongMakers team
Breanna Jones
New South Wales Program Coordinator
Breanna Jones has been making noise in bands and annoying neighbours since 2010. She also has over a decade of experience supporting others to do the same. Breanna has been Station Manager at fbi.radio, a creative advisor for Accessible Arts’ Songsmiths program, a board member for not-for-profit disability-led label Off The List Records, mentored at Girls Rock! Australia camps and sat on judging panels for the Music Victoria Awards, and Accessible Arts’ Bundanon Artist in Residence program. Passionate about access and inclusion in music spaces, Breanna works hard to ensure everyone has an opportunity to play loud and compete for the title of World’s Worst Neighbour.
Dr Tina Broad
Program Founder
SongMakers was founded by Dr Tina Broad in 2013. We thank and acknowledge her for her expertise in establishing the program and leading it over the decade that followed.
Kathryn Taylor
Victorian Program Coordinator
Kat started at APRA AMCOS in September 2023 as Executive Assistant to the Head of Membership and Melbourne Office Support. Kat brings over 15 years experience in the music industry at Warner Music and Festival Mushroom Records in publicity and marketing.
Katie Wighton
National Program Manager & Writer/Artist
Katie Wighton is an ARIA-award winning songwriter and musician. She has shared the stage with artists ranging from Midnight Oil to The Backstreet Boys. Based in Melbourne, Katie has 15 years of experience in the education sphere in both high school and tertiary environments. Katie has vast experience in the music industry and a strong track record in co-writing, including in Nashville. She has been a SongMakers mentor since 2018.
Kaysei Krzewina
National Program Coordinator
Based in the beautiful Somerset Region in Queensland, Kaysei Krzewina (pron. Casey Shaveena) is passionate about supporting emerging artists, songwriters, and producers. She has experience in coordinating, facilitating and developing professional development initiatives for young musicians and teachers, and provides mentorship and management advice to emerging QLD artists, thriving in the space of supporting others to do what they love.
Reg Harris
New South Wales Program Manager
Reg Harris is an obsessive music fan, musician and music programmer with a passion for platforming and supporting emerging artists. Reg has been NSW Program Manager for SongMakers since November 2025. Over the last 15+ years Reg has worked in various facets of the music industry, including roles as Music Festival Program Manager at SXSW Sydney; Music Director at Sydney community radio station FBi Radio - where he was a broadcaster and volunteer for over 12 years; and on the Writer Services team at APRA AMCOS.
Why
we do it
SongMakers is an important part of Australia’s industry development ecosystem because it encourages a stronger culture of creating original songs, collaboratively.
Being able to collaborate is vital.
When young people participate in SongMakers, they flex their creative thinking muscles, building all-important skills.
We see improvements in their:
+ Motivation to complete tasks and sustained improvement in overall attitudes to learning
+ Confidence and clarity around goal-setting
+ Improved disposition to group work: creative thinking, collaboration, problem solving
+ Confidence and self-esteem in being able to meet a challenge, to a deadline, and push boundaries
+ Willingness to collaborate with others and value their input
+ Generate greater peer respect, for improved social connections
Songwriting can be a site of resilience in schools, helping students cope with the challenges of adolescence.
Group songwriting can help build empathy.
International and Australian research finds that arts education generally and music education specifically are uniquely beneficial to students’ learning at school. The academic and policy community, and major global employers such as Google and Tesla, say students must develop the 21st century skills of creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration over more narrow, technical skills. These are the bedrock principles of SongMakers.
While music is one of the most dramatically-changing industries and presents exciting opportunities for young creatives, the pace of change makes it near impossible for teachers to keep up with developments. The SongMakers program bridges that gap to help teachers deliver relevant popular music education that matches the industry’s opportunities with their students’ aspirations.
In the longer term this kind of focused investment in the ecosystem around music creating will see cultural and economic rewards for Australia. How? Because Australia will be established internationally as a centre of excellence; as more Australians become engaged in creating music, there will be more excellence and commercial success for our writers. This will move Australia closer to being a net exporter of music like Sweden, the UK and the US.
Participant feedback
SONGMAKERS 2023 PATTERNMAKERS PROGRAM EVALUATION
say songwriting improves their mood
AGREE
90%
of participants agree the program taught them to collaborate on a song
AGREE
96%
say they’re proud of the song they made in the workshop
AGREE
96%
have written an original song since attending the workshop
AGREE
96%
Teacher feedback
SongMakers 2025 NSF Victorian program evaluation
of teachers who attended SongMakers Teacher PD felt more confident teaching songwriting
AGREE
100%
of teachers incorporated more songwriting and music production into their teaching after participating in SongMakers
AGREE
93%
of teachers observed improved self-expression in their students
AGREE
93%
of teachers reported improved student collaboration following the program
AGREE
100%
Get
songmaking
Engaging, challenging and rewarding, SongMakers fast tracks young people’s understanding of opportunities in today’s music world.
If you would like to register your interest in a SongMakers workshop, complete our EOI form and we will be in touch.
