The SongMakers Program acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owners of country throughout Australia. We pay respects to them, their culture, and their Elders past, present and future.
A flagship of Australia’s music rights organisation, APRA AMCOS, SongMakers is an intensive program about the creative process. Prominent Australian songwriters and music producers work with young creatives over 2 consecutive days, to write and record new songs.
The program uses the mentored creation of new songs to take young people behind-thescenes in the music industry while also modelling transferrable skills like working in teams, pushing through comfort zones, working to deadlines, and being enterprising.
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.
The program creates learning opportunities and access to industry professionals which may not otherwise be available, especially in the regions.
Over almost 10 years of running the schools program, our alums include Western Sydney artist Rebecca Hatch (Campbelltown PAHS) and Sydney artist Fergus James (Newtown PAHS).
As well as, Award winning artist/producer Taka Perry, signed to global KOBALT group and securing a platinum gong for his work with Ruel (Narrabunda College, Canberra), Award winning artist/writer Tia Gostelow (St Patrick’s Mackay QLD), Sydney producer/writer Chelsea Warner (Kellyville High, NSW) triple j favourites, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (Canberra College), artist/producer/engineer Chloe Dadd (Ulladulla High), and regional VIC’s Chitra (Bellarine SC). There are many, many more!
SongMakers 2-day in-school workshop is under subsidy from APRA AMCOS. The fee balance for schools is $550 incl GST.
Day 1
Students work in groups of 4 with our industry professional mentors to write a song each from scratch. They perform this song at the end of the day, ready for Day 2!
Day 2
Working to a tight deadline, students record their song with our mentors to be played back during a listening party at the end of the day.
SongMakers helps young people find their own voice, emphasises the value of their own and others’ creativity.
It opens their eyes to the diversity of careers in the creative industries and the skills required to sustain those careers.
SongMakers mentors’ depth of experience is one of the reasons the program is unique. Between them they are multiple ARIA, APRA and even Grammy Award winners.
SongMakers 2-Day Program
Please note. This is a suggested program run time - all times are flexible and our mentors will assist with this during the workshop days.
DAY 1
9:00 - 10:30
Introductions: Mentors outline the aims and processes of the program, give career summaries, talk about why creating original work is important for today’s career musician and different ways of doing it. Students introduce themselves including their musical influences and any song writing experience.
Getting creative: Mentors offer strategies for getting started with a song when collaborating. Outline benefits of having to work to a deadline. Tips for overcoming barriers. Mentors facilitate a creative exercise to get the young people started.
Collaborative groups: Writing groups established. Students go off to rooms in small groups (4 groups of 4), as mentors roam to coach each session.
10:30 - 12:30
Each small group works towards bringing a finished song back to showcase to the big group, with mentors roaming to help set directions and troubleshoot.
12:30 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:00
Small group work continues, with mentor support. (Producer/s may even start recording if any of the songs are on a fast-track to ready).
2:00 - 3:00
Big group reconvenes to perform songs acoustically, troubleshoot any issues, reflect on their experiences and discuss the plan for day 2. Mentors outline pre-production planning, tips about arranging and recording, and make decisions about song groups that will demo first on day 2. Mentors take phone recordings of each of the songs to prepare session templates overnight for students’ tracking the following day. Recording gear set up for Day 2.
DAY 2
9:00 - 9:30
Quick regroup to direct students into allocated recording rooms. Producer-mentors get set up.
9:30 - 11:30
Producer-mentors start recording demos with groups 1 and 2. Producer-mentors do basic multi-tracking for each song, with students playing in, or singing, their parts. Please note we don’t record live drums. Groups 3 and 4 continue to work with Facilitator-mentor to get their songs ready to demo. This is also an opportunity for Facilitator-mentor to have industry discussions including information about APRA AMCOS and song ownership.
11:30 - 12:30
Groups 3 & 4 begin recording with Producer-mentors. Facilitator-mentor to work with groups 1 & 2 to have industry discussions including information about APRA AMCOS and song ownership.
12:30 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:00
Groups 3 & 4 continue recording. Students whose songs have already been recorded can work deeper on lyrics, go online to view view APRA AMCOS’/SongMakers website; storyboard a video; start a new song, etc.
2:00 - 3:00
Listen back to all songs in large classroom. Reflection on learning: recap, tips, encouragement, students share their feedback, final Q&A. Mentors distribute song files.



