Songwriting & Music Production
Waltons New School of Music
Outreach Workshops
Post-Primary • Youth
Acclaimed songwriter Niall Donnelly and musician-producer John Colbert facilitate a range of songwriting and music production workshops with Waltons New School of Music that are suitable for post-primary schools and youth centres. These include a two-hour Songwriting Taster; two four-hour songwriting and music production modules that can be taken individually or together over the course of two different days or on two different weeks; and an ‘in-depth’ six-hour module that allows time for the writing and producing of several songs.
Songwriting Taster
This two-hour workshop is an excellent introduction to the art and craft of songwriting. Participants will work together as a team and actually write and record a song in just two hours!
After the workshop, your school will receive an mp3 track of the song for easy sharing with other students and staff.
Workshop Outline
Songwriting (75 minutes)
- Lyrics – choosing your subject and approach
- Music – choosing a style and arranging music
- Developing the song
Recording & Production (45 minutes)
- Preparing the song and musicians for recording; what instruments and sounds to use
- Arranging parts, harmonies, backing vocals, instruments and solos
- Developing dynamics and mood
- Recording the backing track (guitars, drums, percussion, etc.)
- Recording vocals (lead and backing)
- Recording soloist(s)
- Mixing
Workshop Details
- Day/Date • By arrangement (please contact us)
- Length • 2 hours
- Number of Participants • Maximum 30
- Equipment Provided • Laptop running Pro Tools, Logic and Reason music software, MIDI controller keyboard, guitar, percussion instruments, microphones, etc.
- Facilities/Equipment Needed • Whiteboard (ideally interactive) or projector
DEIS schools and registered charities receive a 10% discount off the fee for this workshop.
Songwriting & Music Production Basics
This four-hour workshop is an excellent introduction to songwriting, music production and the music industry and can also serve as the first module of a two-day workshop, followed by Advanced Songwriting & Music Production (see following tab).
Workshop Outline
Introductions (30 minutes)
- Introduction to the music industry – starting off
- From the angle of a solo artist
- From the angle of a music producer and session musician
- Advice, suggestions, questions and answers
Songwriting (90 minutes)
- Introduction – types and examples of songs
- Lyrics – choosing your subject and approach
- Music – choosing a style and arranging music
- Developing the song
Music Production and Arranging (120 minutes)
- Preparing the song and musicians for recording; what instruments and sounds to use
- Arranging parts, harmonies, backing vocals, instruments and solos
- Developing dynamics and mood
- Setting up a room for recording
- Mic’ing up instruments and vocals
- Programming beats & keyboards
- Recording audio and over dubs
- Operating Protools and Reason
- Stage 1 – recording the backing track (guitars, drums, percussion, etc.)
- Stage 2 – recording vocals (lead and backing)
- Stage 3 – recording soloist(s)
- Stage 4 – mixing
Workshop Details
- Day/Date • By arrangement (please contact us)
- Length • 4 ½ hours (with 30-minute break)
- Number of Participants • Maximum 30
- Equipment Provided • Laptop running Pro Tools, Logic and Reason music software, MIDI controller keyboard, guitar, percussion instruments, microphones, etc.
- Facilities/Equipment Needed • Whiteboard (ideally interactive) or projector
DEIS schools and registered charities receive a 10% discount off the fee for this workshop.
Advanced Songwriting & Music Production
This four-hour workshop follows on from Songwriting & Music Production Basics with more information on the music business as well as in-depth songwriting and recording analysis.
Workshop Outline
Introductions (20 minutes)
- Introduction to the music industry – the music business
- From the angle of a solo artist
- From the angle of a music producer and session musician
- Advice, suggestions, questions and answers
Songwriting Analysis (60 minutes)
- Classic song analysis – ‘Dead Flowers’ (Rolling Stones), ‘Dreams’ (Fleetwood Mac), ‘A Day in the Life’ (The Beatles)
- Lyrics, music arrangements, instrumentation, history of band at time of writing, public reaction, video and audio examples
Production, Engineering and Programming (120 minutes)
- Recording and editing with Protools, Reason, Garage Band and Logic
- Choosing the best recording system
- Recording sounds and creative looping and sequencing
- Classic recording analysis – multi-track Protools versions and video presentations of ‘Superstition’ (Stevie Wonder), ‘Is This Love’ (Bob Marley) and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (Queen)
Business and Promotion (40 minutes)
- Web based promotion – social networks for audio, visual and socialising
- Performing live – songwriting showcases, support slots with big bands, entering competitions
- Developing an identity and sound
- Management, publishing and record deals
- Selling your music
Workshop Details
- Day/Date • By arrangement (please contact us)
- Length • 4 ½ hours (with 30-minute break)
- Number of Participants • Maximum 30
- Equipment Provided • Laptop running Pro Tools, Logic and Reason music software, MIDI controller keyboard, guitar, percussion instruments, microphones, etc.
- Facilities/Equipment Needed • Whiteboard (ideally interactive) or projector
DEIS schools and registered charities receive a 10% discount off the fee for this workshop.
Songwriting & Music Production in Depth
This six-hour workshop is a more ‘in-depth’ version of Songwriting & Music Production Basics, allowing participants to develop and record two or three songs and to learn much more about the process of recording and production.
Workshop Outline
Introductions (40 minutes)
- Introduction to the music industry – starting off
- From the angle of a solo artist
- From the angle of a music producer and session musician
- Advice, suggestions, questions and answers
Songwriting (160 minutes)
- Approaches to songwriting and examples of songs
- Lyrics – choosing a subject
- Music – choosing a style and arranging music
- Developing and recording two or three songs
Music Production and Arranging (160 minutes)
- Preparing the song and musicians for recording; what instruments and sounds to use
- Arranging parts, harmonies, backing vocals, instruments and solos
- Developing dynamics and mood
- Setting up a room for recording
- Micing up instruments and vocals
- Programming beats & keyboards
- Recording audio and over dubs
- Operating Protools and Reason
- Stage 1 – recording the backing track (guitars, drums, percussion, etc.)
- Stage 2 – recording vocals (lead and backing)
- Stage 3 – recording soloist(s)
- Stage 4 – mixing
Workshop Details
- Overall length • 7 hours (with two 30-minute breaks)
- Number of Participants • Maximum 30
- Equipment Provided • Laptop running Pro Tools, Logic and Reason music software, MIDI controller keyboard, guitar, percussion instruments, microphones, etc.
- Facilities/Equipment needed • Whiteboard (ideally interactive) or projector
DEIS schools and registered charities receive a 10% discount off the fee for this workshop.
Facilitators
John Colbert
John has been a professional musician for over two decades and has had the pleasure of performing and recording with some of the very best musicians in the Irish music industry, including Jack L, Damien Dempsey, Paddy Casey and Jerry Fish. He has toured all over the world and extensively in Ireland the UK. In addition to producing his own material, he has also had the pleasure to work with some of the world’s finest producers, including Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Ozzy Osbourne), Mike Hedges (The Cure, Travis, Manic Street Preachers), Ger McDonall (U2, Ah-Ha, Kasabian) and Gavin Glass (Lisa Hannigan, David Keenan, Paul Brady). With his own band, Black Bank Folk, John has recorded two critically acclaimed albums – Rising (2016) and Last Star Fall (2019) – and acted as guitarist, bassist, singer, songwriter and producer. Fusing rock with Irish traditional music, Black Bank Folk has been praised by the Irish Times (‘stories of love, faith, loss and vision told with fluency and grace’), Hot Press (‘makes the marriage of rock and folk seem the most natural pairing in the world – sheer class’) and many others.
Niall Donnelly
Niall hails from Bray, Co. Wicklow and has been a professional musician for over 25 years, having worked with a number of bands as front man, guitarist and principal songwriter. He first came to prominence as a songwriter after being selected to write material that ended up as part of Even Deeper’s debut EP on U2’s Mother Records label. This led to Niall setting up his own band, Alligator, in the early 90s, which recorded an album with Leo Pearson, U2’s producer. Alligator’s next incarnation was a band called Sixteen Layers, with songs co-written by Niall and Wayne Hector of Sony ATV (responsible for writing ‘Flying Without Wings’ among other songs. Their first single, ‘Torch’, released in the mid-00’s, went to the top 20 in the UK indie charts. Since then Niall has been working independently with numerous artists – including Luán Parle, Scott Maher and Springbreak – and he has shared the stage with Declan O’Rourke, Snow Patrol and Sharon Shannon, among others. Niall is a dynamic performer and teacher, and a creative goldmine; there’s never a dull moment when he’s about!
Fees
Songwriting Taster
| LENGTH | PARTICIPANTS | FEE | DEIS FEE | APPROX. FEE/PERSON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | Up to 30 | €340 | €306 | €11.33 €10.20 (DEIS) |
Songwriting & Music Production Basics
Advanced Songwriting & Music Production
| LENGTH | PARTICIPANTS | FEE | DEIS FEE | APPROX. FEE/PERSON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | Up to 30 | €540 | €486 | €18.00 €16.20 (DEIS) |
Songwriting & Music Production In Depth
| LENGTH | PARTICIPANTS | FEE | DEIS FEE | APPROX. FEE/PERSON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 hours | Up to 30 | €740 | €666 | €24.67 €22.20 (DEIS) |
Booking
To book one of these workshops, please complete our Outreach Booking Form.
Questions about these workshops?
