Jez attends a Songwriting Camp

I was told about the opportunity by Jo Verrent, Senior Producer at Unlimited, who suggested it would be a good opportunity for me… and it certainly was! I spent five days at the beautiful Waterton Park Hotel in Wakefield with around 15 other aspiring songwriters. The 1700s manor house we stayed in was surrounded by beautiful grounds and a lake. It was so peaceful, which allowed me and the other participants to clear our minds and focus on the job at hand.

Following breakfast and a morning meditation, we spent each day working in small groups with different people. Working together, we listened to and explored different styles of music and then had a go at writing lyrics to fit that kind of song. This included pop songs, slow songs and even some techno and club music.

We then worked alongside the tutors to create the music using instruments and a studio set up in each room. Members of the group then had a go at recording the lyrics we had written with the music.

The song writing camp was awesome! Everything I hoped it would be and more. It was great to spend a week with such a diverse group of people and I have so many ideas for new songs and met some other amazing musicians. It has really helped me think in different ways about making music.

Jez Colborne has been an Artist at Mind the Gap for over 20 years and has written music for some of the company’s most successful productions, including Irresistible, Gift and Contained. Check out the music video for his song I’m Me here…

Find out more about Tileyard Education and their Songwriting camps here…