ASPIRE workshop gets creative juices flowing

Creativity was in full flow at St Mary’s Catholic College, Gateshead as ASPIRE held a song writing workshop with some of the senior students who were shortlisted in the 2018 Song Writing Competition.

Anna Kerrigan PUBLISHED January 14, 2019

Students who attended the afternoon session included Cassidy Watts (St Joseph’s, Aberdeen) Leianna McCloy, Stella Keogh and Serafina Angeli (St Pius, Adamstown), Helayna McCloy (St Francis Xavier’s, Hamilton) Jordan Snowden (St Paul’s, Booragul), Michael Pockran (St Mary’s, Gateshead) and this year’s song writing competition winner Conor McCamley (St Mary’s, Maitland).

The group members were given a rundown of some of the themes and plot points for the 2019 production before they set to work coming up with ideas for original compositions to compliment the storylines.

Having original music created in collaboration with young people as part of the production is just another way of ensuring the production each year is highly relevant to and resonates with its young performers and audience members.

To write to a brief is also a great exercise for aspiring professional muso’s and a fantastic skill to develop.

It’s extremely exciting that ASPIRE is able to bring these talented students together and give them the opportunity to be part of the creative process.

In just two-and-a-half hours the group of students had the beginnings of three original songs.

We can’t wait to share them with our audiences next year!