Course Studied: Songwriting
"My visions and ideas for the music I'm writing are much stronger and further developed than they were previously, producing a better overall outcome."
What has been the most important thing you've learned at LCoM?
That there's no right or wrong way to create music - I was worried about my writing taking too long, and about not being able to do everything myself, especially when surrounded by so many different people creating in different ways. I learned how to best apply my strengths, embrace my weaknesses and work with others to offset them, because the music I write, for whatever purpose, through whatever process, is valid.
What are you planning on doing next after you leave LCoM?
I will be staying in Leeds, focusing on the Sunflower Thieves project, releasing singles and continuing to perform across the country. We'll hopefully be organising another European tour, with more dates, following the one we did in 2019, and we have plenty of festival bookings for 2021.
Alongside this, I'll be continuing to write collaboratively with others, which is something I've learned to love, especially during my final year at LCoM.
I will also carry on working with Sofar Sounds in Leeds, which I got involved in during my first year at LCoM. At Sofar Sounds we put on secret gigs in unique settings, with unannounced artist line ups. I love being so involved in the Leeds (and wider) music scene, supporting touring artists like myself, meeting new people and discovering new music, and hope to work with Sofar as a career in the near future.
Is there anything you've encountered over the last few years that has really made you push yourself as a musician or anything new that you had not tried before?
I had never had any production experience before, and am surrounded by others who do, so never really had an interest or made an effort to learn. Through being in sessions with producers, and in lessons, I have been able to both observe and practice, and apply what I've learned to my own music. My visions and ideas for the music I'm writing are much stronger and further developed than they were previously, producing a better overall outcome. I'm still getting to grips with my home recording set up, but I'm enjoying it a lot more, and want to understand the process, so I can keep improving.
What is the best piece of advice you've been given at LCoM?
To ask for help - there was always so much available to me and I didn't always take it at first, thinking I had to work out everything myself, or that people wouldn't have time/want to help. However, the community at LCoM showed me the opposite; everyone wanted to support and/or get involved with projects, and my tutors and friends were all keen to offer their experience or advice. Your network is so important, and is one of the best things I have got out of my time at LCoM. Like any community/network, LCoM is a hub of people with all sorts of varying experiences, backgrounds, interests and skills, and you shouldn't be afraid to explore that. You never know - those people might want your help too.
What has been the best project / opportunity you've had during your degree?
The collaborative project in my final year motivated and challenged me by taking me outside of my comfort zone, but also taught me so much about myself as a writer and musician, and has given me lasting friendships. It was super exciting to be part of a group of writers who were producing such strong songs every week, and the social side of all that collaboration has stayed with me.
What has been the biggest challenge and how has this helped you develop?
Before coming to LCoM, I had never really had any input in my creative process, other than from others working with me on Sunflower Thieves' stuff. I'd written mostly at home, on my own, for myself. It was daunting to let other people into my creative process, especially people I didn't know, but this turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for my writing. It was kind of like being thrown in at the deep end; I wasn't used to receiving any kind of criticism of my writing, letting another person join the narrative, or receiving so much concentrated focus on myself as a writer. I had to learn to be honest about how I was feeling, try new methods of creating, and embrace/improve on my weaknesses.
By establishing a strong working relationship with my one-to-one tutor and my peers, and being open about my processes, worries, and goals, I learned from them, and am now graduating from LCoM with a collection of songs I am so proud of, and with much more confidence in my ability and ideas.
What is your favourite LCoM memory?
Sunflower Thieves put on a headline show at our favourite local venue, Oporto, during my third year at LCoM. This wasn't an event organised through LCoM, but the attendance and support from my peers and tutors was super overwhelming; not being on a performance course, it was great to be able to showcase what I'd been working so hard on, and spending most of my time on, outside of my degree. The feedback and support we got from that show made us really proud, and showed us how special it is to be part of the LCoM community.
What advice would you give to others thinking of applying to your course at LCoM?
Go for it! The Songwriting course at LCoM is relatively new, but has been developed and adapted even during the three years I have been here, and is definitely one of the most relevant, industry-focused courses based around songwriting. Most significantly, the support, interest and encouragement for the students, shown by the tutors, is invaluable.
How would you describe your experience at LCoM in three words?
Vibrant, welcoming, community
