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“The course provided Ellie with confidence, friendship and above all skills in songwriting which have only increased her love of music. Thank you for all you do.”

“I immediately felt like I knew Rebecca, and be myself with her. Her natural gifted style and manner has helped me develop my songwriting to another level.”

“Thanks Harry, the recording you forwarded was fabulous! She really enjoyed the time with you guys! Such a great opportunity to develop in different ways and get new skills! Thanks for all yours and Rebecca's efforts!”

“Melody enjoyed the course a lot! Also the live video sounds amazing and I'm very proud of what Melody and Lottie achieved, I can't wait to hear what they come up with next.”

“When I met Rebecca for a chat about my daughter's songwriting, she instinctively knew that working with my daughter's personal style was going to be the best way forward. She encourages, listens, adapts, and teaches in a way that I can only describe as fabulous.”

“Thank you so much. She absolutely loved every minute of the course with you all and her confidence is really growing. Love the song too. Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm and encouragement, it is amazing.”

“Olivia had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed the course. She's asked for a keyboard for her birthday next week :)”

“Jake really enjoys these courses that you guys put on. Thanks for another fantastic week. He will always want to take part in them.”

“Judging from the non-stop singing coming from his room this week he has really enjoyed it. Very proud, and love that rap section! Thanks to you both for running the course.”

“Thank you so much Harry. This is the first time Kody has tried songwriting and he's really enjoyed the week. I've only ever heard him sing musical theatre (and pop in the car like everyone else!) so it's lovely. Much thanks to you and Rebecca.”

What do people think of SongCraft?

about.

SongCraft is a songwriting course which is accessible to everyone, and focuses on improving confidence, communication, and collaboration in a fun environment. The course is different to any other musical syllabus in that it is student-led, and completely interactive; there is plenty of inspiration and guidance as opposed to 'teaching'. This approach turns songwriting into a relaxed subject where there are no wrong answers!

SongCraft is all about learning brand new musical skills, honing existing ones and, most importantly, exploring self-expression in a safe, non-judgmental space.

Who is behind SongCraft?

What is SongCraft?

Rebecca Bates

Harry Sayers

Rebecca is a professional singer, pianist, and educator. As a professional pianist and vocalist Rebecca has performed all over the UK in musical ensembles including; a soul duo, an all-female close-harmony group, a folk orchestra, as a solo singer-songwriter, and as a resident jazz and classical pianist, playing original compositions as well as arranging popular pieces. Rebecca has been teaching piano since 2008, and has developed a holistic songwriting syllabus which she has implemented in private lessons across three schools to date. Rebecca endorses the benefits of giving specific, actionable feedback for students to work on at their own pace with support only when necessary. Alongside this approach to guidance, Rebecca's skills across many instruments, and expertise in teaching songwriting is what makes SongCraft run so smoothly, and stand out as being such an exciting creative environment.

Harry has been a professional musician since graduating university with a BSc in Music Technology in 2013. Harry has performed at hundreds of events, and extensively toured the UK with original music performing on both bass and guitar. Harry's other passion is education, and between 2014-2016 filled a number of roles at a comprehensive secondary school; working in the Special Educational Needs department, tutoring GCSE English and Maths, organising an English As An Additional Language club, and teaching A Level BTEC Music Technology. Being a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, having a degree in Music Technology, and a wealth of experience working in education allows Harry to help deliver SongCraft courses with a breadth of knowledge and skills, and to offer a flexible, considered approach to any situation.

What happens during a SongCraft course?

Being an interactive, student-led course, SongCraft is different every time! But the focus is always on having fun, developing a love of learning about music, and exploring songwriting in a curious way.

Typically though, as well as learning about chords, melody, harmony, rhythm, and discussing lyrics, on a SongCraft course we might delve into production skills, learning how to structure and arrange a song effectively, how to record instruments and vocals, and how to use software to write groundbreaking music.

In the past we've featured workshops as diverse as;