Toronto Songwriting School

Songwriter Summer Camp
2022-08-03 15:00 - 2022-08-07 10:00 (America/Toronto) | Wingfield Gardens, 948 Wingfield Road, Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario, K0L 1L0, Canada
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the pandemic, it’s the power of sharing a space with people who challenge you and lift you up. The truth is that we live life at a crazy fast pace. Head down, focused on the task at hand, and too-often disconnected from the spark that made us want to become songwriters. Space to think and moments to feel are at the heart of great songwriting.
Songwriter Summer Camp is about reconnecting with you are and who you want to be as a songwriter. It’s about learning new skills, stepping back from the whirlwind of daily life, and finding your people. All with a bucketload of fun and maybe a dip in the pool.
Learn more and register for Songwriter Summer Camp.

2022 Spring Songwriter Getaway
2022-04-22 15:00 - 2022-04-24 10:00 (America/Toronto) | Prince Edward County Retreat House, 193 Clarke Road, Prince Edward, ON, K0K 2T0, Canada
Take a break from daily life for a country songwriting retreat with songwriting workshops during the day and campfire singalongs under the stars each night.
Bordering the Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area, our five-acre property includes hammocks, fire pits, and an outdoor wood-burning cedar sauna that songwriters are welcome to use.
Our Songwriter Getaways always have a great mix of returning songwriters and new guests who enjoy the welcoming and supportive environment. We welcome songwriters of all levels from total beginners to seasoned pros. You’ll head home from the songwriting retreat with new insights on your songwriting process, professional feedback on your original songs, and a new connection to an encouraging songwriter community.
Our Ontario songwriting retreats always sell out, so be sure to register early to make sure you can join us for this inspiring weekend.
Learn more and register for the 2022 Spring Songwriter Getaway.

The Art of Song II: A 3-Day Virtual Songwriting Workshop
2022-02-04 19:00 - 2022-02-06 19:00 (America/Toronto) | Zoom
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Are you a songwriter looking for professional songwriting seminars and workshops, professional feedback on your songs, and a chance to perform for and interact with other songwriters? Then join us at The Art Song II: A 3-Day Virtual Songwriting Workshop on February 4-6, 2022.
We started The Art of Song in 2021 as a way to take the spirit of our weekend Songwriter Getaways online, bringing songwriters across the country together in a period of lockdown. Songwriters enjoyed instruction, collaboration, and professional song feedback.
This year, we’re back with The Art of Song II, an all-virtual weekend with a keynote speaker, panel discussions with professional songwriters, Q and A’s, one-on-one mentoring with professional songwriters, a chance to perform for all the attendees and mentors, and time between sessions to work on your own songs. It’s a burst of warm creativity in the middle of our chilly Canadian winter.

Itinerary
FRIDAY: Keynote Presentation by Hawksley Workman (7-9pm ET)
The weekend will kick off with a Friday evening keynote presentation from Hawksley Workman. Hawksley is a JUNO Award-winning and Gold Record certified singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Since his ground-breaking self-produced indie debut For Him and The Girls (1999) through to chart-topping singles of 2020, Hawksley has careened between major label international smash hits to Canadiana-soaked indie releases. Boasting a catalogue of 17 solo records, Hawksley’s genre defying style strings together folk, chart pop and irrepressible cabaret. His show-stopping vocals on songs about weather, love, heartbreak and tales of end-times have garnered him a league of devoted fans.
SATURDAY 10am-11:30am ET: Panel Discussion
Saturday, we’ll begin with a panel discussion with our professional songwriting mentors Sarah Slean, Colleen Dauncey, and Barry Canning (see below for bios).
SATURDAY 11:30am-2:00pm ET: One-on-one Mentoring
Throughout the early afternoon, you’ll be assigned a mentor and meet one-on-one in a breakout room for feedback on one of your songs. During this time, you are also welcome to hang out in our Zoom space, networking with fellow songwriters or you can use this time to take a break to work on your songs.
SATURDAY 7pm ET: Evening Song Circle
In the evening, all attendees have the chance to join a relaxed, private song circle to share a song and share a few laughs.
SUNDAY: Professional Song Feedback from Mentors (10am – 1pm ET)
On Sunday, attendees will perform their song for our full panel of mentors for feedback.
Our Mentors:
Sarah Slean – We’re delighted to welcome the incredible Sarah Slean back to The Art of Song II. Signed to Atlantic/Warner Records at the tender age of 19, this three-time Juno nominee and modern-day renaissance woman has since released 11 albums in over 10 countries worldwide. Over her 25-year career, Slean has published two volumes of poetry, starred in short films and a movie musical (spawning two Gemini Award nominations), penned award-winning chamber works, held numerous exhibitions of her paintings and shared the stage with 10 of the country’s professional orchestras.
Colleen Dauncey – A captivating vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and live-looping artist, Colleen has been sharing her music through livestream shows 3 nights a week on Twitch.tv. Since she began in January 2021, Colleen has connected with thousands of listeners and found an unbelievably supportive community of new fans & friends. Colleen’s music has been featured on the Canadian classic TV show Hockey Night in Canada, in the film Me Him Her, and on the web series Other Men and Avocado Toast. Colleen is also a musical theatre composer, and together with lyricist Akiva Romer-Segal she has penned the scores to the musicals The Louder We Get, Going Under, Bremen Rock City, and GROW. Colleen led a Songwriting Masterclass for us in the summer of 2020 and blew everyone away with her take on writing creative melodies. We’re thrilled to have her join us for The Art of Song II.
Barry Canning – Originally from Newfoundland, this multiple East Coast Music Award nominee and recent recipient of the prestigious Arts Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Artist of the Year award, has been on the road for over 20 years, has opened for international acts such as Bryan Adams and America, and has hosted the Juno Songwriters Circle with Ron Sexsmith on his right, and Daniel Lanois on his left. His last album, “Last Man Standing”, produced by Great Big Sea’s front man Alan Doyle, garnered great success on the east coast, winning both album and song of the year at the Music Newfoundland and Labrador Music awards. He’s been a part of our Muse or Monster Songwriter Series, and we’re so happy to have him with us for The Art of Song II.
Registration
The cost for the full weekend is $285. All panels and workshops throughout the weekend will be recorded for those who can’t view them in real time.

Fall Songwriter Getaway
2021-10-29 15:00 - 2021-10-31 10:30 (America/Toronto) | Prince Edward County Retreat House, 193 Clarke Road, Prince Edward, ON, K0K 2T0, Canada
Take a break from daily life for a country songwriting retreat with songwriting workshops during the day and campfire singalongs under the stars each night.
Bordering the Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area, our five-acre property includes hammocks, fire pits, and an outdoor wood-burning cedar sauna that songwriters are welcome to use.
Our Songwriter Getaways always have a great mix of returning songwriters and new guests who enjoy the welcoming and supportive environment. We welcome songwriters of all levels from total beginners to seasoned pros. You’ll head home from the songwriting retreat with new insights on your songwriting process, professional feedback on your original songs, and a new connection to an encouraging songwriter community.
Our Ontario songwriting retreats always sell out, so be sure to register early to make sure you can join us for this inspiring weekend.
Learn more and register for the Fall Songwriter Getaway.

Navigating the Family Music Scene
2021-05-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Live on Facebook & YouTube
Toronto Songwriting School presents Navigating the Family Music Scene through our Business of Music Series on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7pm ET.
They may fly under the radar if you’re not a parent, but musicians are carving out thriving careers writing and performing music for kids and families. Music has been shown to improve brainpower, language skills, and math skills in children. It also inspires creativity and expands social skills. But not just any old music will do. Kids — and their parents — want music that is engaging and enjoyable for the whole family. This month, we’ll speak with 2013 Grammy nominee and three-time Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Winner Alastair Moock about how songwriters can find their niche in the family music scene.

Our special guest: Alastair Moock
Alastair Moock is a 2013 GRAMMY Nominee, three-time Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Winner and recipient of the ASCAP Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award. Long one of Boston’s premier folk artists, Alastair turned his attention to family music after the birth of his twins in 2006. The New York Times calls him “a Tom Waits for kids” and The Boston Globe declares that, “in the footsteps of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, Alastair Moock makes real kids music that parents can actually enjoy.” Moock and Friends’ live shows are rowdy, rootsy, singin’ and dancin’ fun for the whole family!
In 2020, he released “Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders)”, which looks to the social justice heroes of the past and present to inspire kids to move the ball forward. Said Nora Guthrie (daughter of Woody Guthrie) on the album’s release, “How lucky we are to have Alastair Moock around these days! When too many adults are role modeling the pursuit of fame, fortune, or personal gain, Alastair’s songs encourage our kids to pursue goodness, kindness, awareness and courage. Adults might listen up!”
Alastair is also a frequent contributor to NPR’s Cognoscenti blog, where his most recent piece speaks to a year of re-examination around allyship, advocacy, and his decision to decline a second Grammy nomination. Recently, he was inspired to create Opening Doors, a new music and interview series featuring top national and largely BIPOC talent playing music and discussing issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion –– within the music industry and beyond.

Making Money as a Self-Publisher
2021-04-26 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Live on Facebook & YouTube
Toronto Songwriting School presents Making Money as a Self-Publisher through our Business of Music Series on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7pm ET.
For independent songwriters acting their own music publisher, the world of royalties can be confusing to navigate. The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) works on your behalf to collect and distribute royalties earned by your music on the radio, digital platforms, television syncs, music videos, and social media. In this conversation with Rebecca Webster of CMRRA, we’ll break down how it all works.

Our special guest: Rebecca Webster
Rebecca Webster is the Director of Industry Relations & Communications at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA), a SoundExchange company. She joined CMRRA in 2019 after running highly-respected music public relations company Webster Media Consulting Inc. for the last ten years in Toronto. Known for her roster of award-winning artists, she helmed the Canadian publicity campaigns for Arcade Fire’s ‘The Suburbs’, French-Canadian rock band Karkwa, Netflix docu-series Hip Hop Evolution host Shad, Children’s music entertainers Splash’N Boots as well as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Third Man Records’ Margo Price, among others. Prior to launching Webster, she built and ran the Toronto media office for Montreal’s Distribution Fusion III. She is an honours graduate of Ryerson University’s esteemed Radio & Television Arts and Public Relations programs.

The Art of Song: A 3-Day Virtual Songwriting Workshop
2021-02-19 19:00 - 2021-02-21 21:00 (America/Toronto)
Are you a songwriter looking for professional songwriting seminars and workshops, professional feedback on your songs, and a chance to perform for and interact with other songwriters? Then join us at The Art Song: A 3-Day Virtual Songwriting Workshop taking place February 19-21, 2021. The all-virtual weekend will include keynote speakers, panel discussions with professional songwriters, Q and A’s, one-on-one mentoring with professional songwriters, a chance to perform for all the attendees and mentors, and time between sessions to work on your own songs.
Itinerary
FRIDAY: Keynote Presentation by Joel Plaskett (7-9pm ET)
The weekend will kick off with a Friday evening keynote presentation from Juno-Award winning songwriter Joel Plaskett. Joel’s songs are a perennial part of the national playlist, a fixture on “best of” lists, and the soundtrack to the lives of faithful fans across the country and around the world. His accolades over a quarter century include a Juno, numerous East Coast Music, Canadian Folk and Music Nova Scotia awards, and two Polaris short list nominations.
His new project, 44, is his most detailed musical weave yet. A sprawling box set comprised of four 11-song albums connected visually and thematically, at its heart 44 is an imaginative rumination on trying to slow down and grow up in a rapidly accelerating world.
SATURDAY: Panel Discussion and One-on-one Mentoring (10am-11:30am ET Panel, followed by one-on-one sessions)
Saturday we’ll begin with a panel discussion led by our professional songwriting mentors Sarah Slean, Sameer Cash and Craig Cardiff (see below for bios). Then you’ll meet one-on-one with one of the mentors for feedback on one of your songs. In the afternoon, you’ll attend a songwriting workshop by Toronto Songwriting School President Murray Foster. Murray founded Toronto Songwriting School after two decades touring as a member of Great Big Sea and Moxy Fruvous.
There will also be time during that day to work on your songs individually. That evening, all attendees have the chance to join a private song circle to share a song, share a few laughs and connect with the rest of the attendees. The song circle will begin at 7pm ET.
SUNDAY: Professional Song Feedback from Mentors (10am – 1pm ET)
On Sunday, attendees will perform their songs for our full panel of mentors for feedback. We’ll end the weekend with an open mic performance that will be broadcast on social media so friends and family can tune in. The open mic will begin at 7pm ET.
Our Mentors:
Sarah Slean – Signed to Atlantic/Warner Records at the tender age of 19, this three-time Juno nominee and modern-day renaissance woman has since released 11 albums in over 10 countries worldwide.
Sameer Cash – Raised on a diet of rock & roll records and Hindu fairy tales, he released three albums with the scrappy powerfolk band Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs and is now finding critical acclaim as a solo artist.
Craig Cardiff – This Juno and CFMA nominated songwriter’s songs have earned over 100 million streams. His cover of “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” was featured on NBC’s This Is Us.
Registration
The cost for the weekend is $250. All panels and workshops throughout the weekend will be recorded for those who can’t view them in real time. Register here:

There are no upcoming events

Sponsors
Toronto Songwriting School gratefully acknowledges the support of SOCAN Foundation in making this event possible.

Music and Mental Health
2020-11-23 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Facebook Live
Toronto Songwriting School presents Music & Mental Health through our Business of Music Series on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 7pm ET.
The topic of mental health for songwriters is so important to us that we’ve invited Sarah Hagerman of Unison Benevolent Fund to join our next Business of Music Series event on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 7pm ET. For those not familiar with Unison Benevolent Fund, they are an assistance program created and administered for the Canadian music community, by the Canadian music community – designed to provide discreet relief to music industry professionals in times of crisis. They offer two distinct types of support – financial assistance and counselling and health solutions. On Monday evening, Murray and Sarah will chat about how these support systems work, how songwriters can access them in times of need, and how we can all support the important work Unison is doing.

How To Book Better Shows
2020-10-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Live on Facebook & YouTube
Toronto Songwriting School presents How to Book Better Shows through our Business of Music Series on Monday, September October 19, 2020 at 7pm ET.
There’s nothing like the thrill of a live performance. Concert promoter Jesse Lundy will discuss how to get started as a live performer and how to grow your tour circuit. He’ll tackle questions like:

Where to start? Are open mics a good idea?
How to get booked at a club you’ve never played before?
What is important to promoters when booking a new act?
Are music conferences worth the money?

Jesse Lundy has been working as a concert promoter and publicist in Philadelphia area since 1995 (Electric Factory Concerts 95-97; and New Park Entertainment/Jack Utsick Presents 97-01). In 2002, he joined Point Entertainment as Talent Buyer and Publicist at award-winning listening room The Point in Bryn Mawr, PA. Since The Point closed in June of 2005, Point Entertainment has been producing shows at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA, concerts series and special events at numerous venues including The Locks at Sona, their new 110-seat collaboration with the team who brought the Tin Angel to Philly. From 2008-2017, Point Entertainment programmed the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He has managed Michael Braunfeld, The Wallace Brothers Band, The Brakes, and John Francis, and he taught Concert Industry at Drexel University from 2005-2018. Lundy is happily married.

Lyric Writing Workshop
2020-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto)
OCTOBER 2020 – Songs Your Can See, Hear, Taste, Smell, and Touch
Using your five sense to write songs that resonate.
Are you a lyricist looking to improve your craft? In this class, we work on numerous poetic and literary techniques, including rhyme, alliteration and assonance, and study the lyrics of songwriters ranging from Cole Porter to Eminem.
If you are new to songwriting, you will learn how to turn your thoughts and feelings into powerful song lyrics.
Those with more experience will learn new techniques and processes to enhance their songwriting and add new dimensions to your music.
This class meets monthly. Join at any time. No music background or instruments are required for this class.
Have lyrics already written that you’d like feedback on? We invite you to bring one song to share with the class for group feedback.

How SOCAN Gets You Paid
2020-09-21 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Live on Facebook & YouTube
Toronto Songwriting School presents How SOCAN Gets You Paid through our Business of Music Series on Monday, September 21, 2020 at 7pm ET.

What is SOCAN?
SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) is Canada’s largest rights management organization. Their membership includes over 150,000 songwriters, composers, music publishers and visual artists, and over 100,000 organizations across Canada are licensed to play music.
SOCAN serves and champions music creators, music publishers, and visual artists. They advocate for them and work to defend and protect their rights, so that these artists can be compensated for their hard work. Through direct affiliations and reciprocal agreements, they also license the performance and reproduction of musical works and collect and distribute royalties in Canada and throughout the globe.
Our Special Guest: Racquel Villagante
As the A&R Representative from SOCAN Vancouver now based in SOCAN Toronto, Racquel Villagante has spent the last 2.5 years recruiting emerging Canadian talent to SOCAN, connecting creatives, hosting songwriting camps, and helping music creators at all stages in their careers achieve success in this ever-changing, ever-challenging music industry. Previous to working at SOCAN, Racquel worked as an artist manager, as a TA and instructor at Nimbus School of Recording & Media, and as a label manager for Nimbus’ in-house record label, Business Class Records, where she was responsible for signing artists & bands, project managing commercial releases, and building mutually beneficial partnerships with media & sponsors. Racquel had also been a frequent reviewer & contributor to the go-to online blog for talent discovery in Vancouver’s music scene, HipHopVancouver (HHV). In February 2020, Racquel co-founded and co-hosted “Womxn Rising”, a 2-day conference supporting the career development of up-and-coming female-identified, trans, non-binary, and 2-spirit artists and providing touchpoints for mentorship from female-identified, BIPOC industry professionals. Racquel’s true passions are in supporting emerging talent from underrepresented BIPOC communities, and building meaningful bridges between artists and between artists and industry.

Songwriting Masterclass Series
2020-07-12 19:00 - 2020-08-23 20:30 UTC | Facebook Live
This summer, Toronto Songwriting School invites some of the best songwriters in North America to present a Songwriting Masterclass at 7pm EDT every other week on Facebook Live.
Our Songwriting Masterclass lineup includes Colleen Dauncey, Erin McKeown, Dan Bern, and Julian Taylor. Each will lead their own masterclass, and then we’ll open the comments section for a live Q&A. For those who may not know all of these names, let’s do a quick introduction.
July 12 – Colleen Dauncey
Colleen Dauncey (full bio) is a Canadian musical theatre powerhouse who is best known for her musicals Going Under, Bremen Rock City, Rumspringa Break!, and Prom Queen: The Musical (recipient of the 2016 Stage West Pechet Family Musical Award). But don’t put her in a box. In addition to her musical theatre work, her songs have been featured in movies, television, and most recently, the 2020 web series Avocado Toast. RSVP to her July 12th Masterclass.
July 26 – Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown (full bio) is a musician, writer, and producer known internationally for her prolific disregard of stylistic boundaries. Over the last 20 years, she has performed around the world, released 10 full length albums, and written for film, television, and theater, all the while refining her distinctive and challenging mix of American musical forms. Her first musical, Miss You Like Hell, written with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in 2018. It was nominated for 5 Drama Desk Awards, including Best Lyrics, Best Music and Best Orchestrations, and The Wall Street Journal named it Best Musical of 2018. RSVP to her July 26th Masterclass.
August 9 – Dan Bern
Dan Bern (full bio) may be best-known for his songwriting masterpieces like “Jerusalem,” “Marilyn,” “Tiger Woods” and “God Said No,” but he has also released 25 albums and EPs, and played thousands of shows across North America and Europe. He is a captivating live performer with a loyal, multi-generational following. His songs have appeared in numerous films and TV shows including films Walk Hard — The Dewey Cox Story and Get Him to the Greek, and the Amazon Prime kids program, The Stinky and Dirty Show. RSVP to his August 9th Masterclass.
August 23 – Julian Taylor
Julian Taylor (full bio) doesn’t fit in a box. A Toronto music scene staple and a musical chameleon, he is used to shaking it up over the course of 10 albums in the last two decades. Of West Indian and Mohawk descent, Taylor first made his name as frontman of Staggered Crossing, a Canadian rock radio staple in the early 2000s. Despite being released in a pandemic, his latest solo album The Ridge has been featured in American Songwriter and is already receiving rave reviews worldwide. RSVP to his August 23rd Masterclass.
With tours cancelled and businesses shuttered, we know these are difficult times personally and financially for many people. It’s a difficult time for us. It’s a difficult time for our Masterclass instructors. And it’s a difficult time for many of you. Because of this, we’ve decided to make the Masterclass a Pay-What-You-Can event. Throughout each class, there will be information on how to donate to that week’s instructor. You can also donate by clicking the donate button and selecting the Masterclass presenter you would like to support. Thanks to the generosity of the SOCAN Foundation, we’re able to pay each instructor a stipend for their time, but your donations will make it closer to what they actually deserve for sharing their wisdom and expertise.

We’re excited to be able to bring this Songwriting Masterclass Series to you. Each has their own unique style of songwriting, and there’s a lot we can learn from them so be sure to tune in each week to add their insights to your songwriting toolbox.

Songwriting Masterclass Series Sponsor
Presented with support from SOCAN Foundation.
