Sessions
July 18-22: Workshopping in Toronto!
Yes, it’s been three years since we’ve been together for a workshop. We have missed you incredibly, and now the wait is over!
We are returning to Toronto this July 18-22 for five days of song workshopping, open mics, seminars, and time face-to-face with the pro’s and with your fellow songwriters.
NOTE: for those who would prefer to attend our online workshop in August, CLICK HERE for all the details.
Let’s face it – we’re so excited to announce this in-person workshop after the long wait. We will be taking advantage of all that we’ve missed – making music together, performing on stages in Toronto, and remembering what we all look like in three full dimensions! And we’ll be enjoying the heart of the SongStudio workshop experience – your chance to play your songs for professional writers and industry experts and to seek their suggestions on how to strengthen your songs and your songwriting.
Our New Location – Centennial College, Story Arts Centre
This July, we are hosting SongStudio at Centennial College’s Story Arts Centre. Dedicated to the creation of digital media, this campus is famous for being the location where CBC’s Degrassi High was filmed. It is located in Toronto’s East York neighbourhood, just a few minutes’ walk from Pape subway station. The address is 951 Carlaw Ave, Toronto, M4K 3M2.
We will be spending our daytimes together at the Story Arts Centre, split between full-group sessions and small-group song workshopping.
In the evenings, we will host open mics at clubs along the Danforth, dedicated to performances by our songwriters and open to a public audience.
COVID-19 and Health Measures
We are committed to the safety and comfort of our participants. We will be following local public health guidelines and the policies in place at each of our venues, and we encourage you to take any precautions that will help maintain your comfort level.
We are prepared to accommodate any registered participant who cannot attend due to a COVID-19 illness, by pivoting their registration to our August online workshop.
Accommodations in Toronto
You are welcome to arrange your own accommodations in Toronto. However, we are pursuing a group booking at Ryerson University’s International Living and Learning Centre, the location at which we have enjoyed group accommodations at past SongStudio workshops. More information to follow.
Your Mentors
Along with our intrepid SongStudio team – Blair Packham and Allister Bradley – we will be enlisting a team of songwriting mentors who are sure to elevate your songwriting. As we confirm each additional mentor, we will announce them right here! Stay tuned.
For a sense of the mentors we have welcomed in the past, visit our Mentors page!
Schedule: Monday July 18 – Friday July 22, 2022
** All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (Toronto). **
** Schedule is subject to change. **
Monday, July 18
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Arrival and Mingling (Room 191, Story Arts Centre) |
| 10:00 – 10:30am | WELCOME ADDRESS |
| 10:30 – 11:45am | KEYNOTE ADDRESS – special guest Rik Emmett |
| 11:30am – 11:45am | BREAK / Sign-up for Afternoon Workshopping |
| 11:45am – 12:45pm | Urban Campfire Warm up your voices… Why do these songs sing so well? |
| 12:45 – 2:00pm | LUNCH BREAK |
| 2:00 – 5:00pm | Song Workshops This time is spent in small groups, each with a workshop leader. Participants each perform a song and seek suggestions from the mentor. |
| 5:00 – 7:00pm | DINNER BREAK |
| 7:00 – 10:00pm | OPEN MIC Noonan’s Pub, 141 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON |
Tuesday, July 19
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Arrival and Mingling (Room 191, Story Arts Centre) |
| 10:00 – 11:15am | Songwriting Lesson |
| 11:15 – 11:30am | BREAK / Sign-up for Afternoon Workshopping |
| 11:30am – 12:45pm | Hooks and Ladders LIVE A lively guest interview focusing on topics in songwriting. |
| 12:45 – 2:00pm | LUNCH BREAK |
| 2:00 – 5:00pm | Song Workshops This time is spent in small groups, each with a workshop leader. Participants each perform a song and seek suggestions from the mentor. |
| 5:00 – 7:00pm | DINNER BREAK |
| 7:00 – 10:00pm | OPEN MIC Mandy’s Bistro, 123 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON |
Wednesday, July 20
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Arrival and Mingling (Room 191, Story Arts Centre) |
| 10:00 – 11:15am | Music Theory for Songwriters with Allister Bradley |
| 11:15 – 11:30am | BREAK / Sign-up for Afternoon Workshopping |
| 11:30am – 12:45pm | Play What? Song Charting with Allister Bradley |
| 12:45 – 2:00pm | LUNCH BREAK |
| 2:00 – 5:00pm | Song Workshops This time is spent in small groups, each with a workshop leader. Participants each perform a song and seek suggestions from the mentor. |
| 5:00 – 7:00pm | DINNER BREAK |
| 7:00 – 10:00pm | OPEN MIC Social Capital, 154 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON |
Thursday, July 21
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Arrival and Mingling (Room 191, Story Arts Centre) |
| 10:00 – 11:15am | Songwriting Lesson |
| 11:15 – 11:30am | BREAK / Sign-up for Afternoon Workshopping |
| 11:30am – 12:45pm | Hooks and Ladders LIVE A lively guest interview focusing on topics in songwriting. |
| 12:45 – 2:00pm | LUNCH BREAK |
| 2:00 – 5:00pm | Song Workshops This time is spent in small groups, each with a workshop leader. Participants each perform a song and seek suggestions from the mentor. |
| 5:00 – 7:00pm | DINNER BREAK |
| 7:00 – 10:00pm | SHOWCASE NIGHT Location t.b.a. |
Friday, July 22
| 9:30 – 10:00am | Arrival and Mingling (Room 191, Story Arts Centre) |
| 10:00 – 11:15am | Industry Day Guest Lecture Discussion on music business topics. |
| 11:15 – 11:30am | BREAK |
| 11:30am – 12:45pm | Industry Day Guest Lecture Discussion on music business topics. |
| 12:45 – 2:00pm | LUNCH BREAK |
| 2:00 – 4:30pm | Demo Derby Pitch a song (live or pre-recorded) to our panel of industry experts, and hear what they have to say about your song on the music market. |
| 4:30 – 5:00pm | GROUP PHOTO & FAREWELL ADDRESS |
Registration Price
$649 (plus tax) for registrations received before June 1, 2022
$799 (plus tax) for registrations received June 1, 2022 or later
** SongStudio alumni and active members of the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) receive a 10% discount off the full ($799) registration price. **
** Registration does not include travel, accommodation or meals other than specified in the schedule above. **
