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Island retreat to focus on the art of songwriting

Songwriter Richard Bassett is spreading his wings and his love of songwriting by having an on-Island retreat for budding artists.

The Bermuda Songwriting and Artist Retreat 2006 is set to take place between October 5 to October 8 at the 9 Beaches Resort.

Mr. Bassett said they were bringing in three industry workshop hosts and also pulling on the talents of a local songwriter and musician for the event.

?Jason Blume is a professional songwriter. His songs have been featured on more than 50 million albums/units,? said Mr. Bassett.

?He writes for artists such as Brittany Spears, Jessie McCartney and Back Street Boys.

?Steven Memel is a performance coach from LA. He has worked with artists from Atlantic, BMG, Jazz J Records, Dreamworks and more.

?Gilli Moon is a singer/songwriter/recording artist and she is going to focus more on artist development and looking at being an independent artist and what that means.?

Although the event is set to take place at the 9 Beaches Resort, there will be other events taking place outside of the resort.

?There will be performances at Chewstick and the Bermuda Folk Club, tying in with what we are doing,? Mr. Basset added.

?One will also be at 9 Beaches and the Chewstick event will be open to the public and is set to take place in Dockyard after the Bermuda Music Festival. The Bermuda Folk Club event will be in Hamilton.?

The idea of a songwriting retreat may be new to the public, but it has been on Mr. Bassett?s mind for quite some time.

?When I was running the Bermuda Songwriters Association I always wanted to do it,? he said.

?But I never felt in a position to do it and that was in the mid 90s.

?But since then there have been a lot of artists who have come to the forefront and raised their profile significantly ? people like Heather Nova and Collie Buddz who are doing big things and a lot of others who we don?t even know of.

?So I felt that the timing was right for Bermuda to have an event like this and 9 Beaches seemed like a nice place to have it.?

The Bermuda Songwriters Retreat is also gaining international exposure from interested parties.

?We?ve had songwriters who are flying in from Los Angeles and another songwriter is flying in from Australia,? Mr. Bassett said.

?Also for the people who are flying in they can also attend the Bermuda Music Festival at their own expense.?

Speaking more about the workshop team, Mr. Bassett said: ?Gilli Moon is a dynamic singer and songwriter and she operates independently .

?I think in Bermuda it is an option to consider. I know that everyone is potentially focused on a deal from a major record company and if you haven?t, then you haven?t made it. But there are opportunities to promote yourself independently as a recording artist that can sustain you and help you to achieve. She is doing that and there are a lot of valuable lessons (that she can impart).

?She also looks at performance and stage presence, which is a very important element for a recording artist.?

Jason Blume has had so much success in the songwriting arena and he hopes to help artists find their magic.

?He?s going to be looking at lyric writing and giving your songs that extra oomph. He will help songwriters to write lyrics that effectively communicate what?s in their hearts.

?He will help participants look at what music business executives really want. He will also help craft melodies listeners can?t forget (and explain) how to use successful song structures, take care of business, produce successful demos, understand royalties, publishing, pitching and music publishing contracts.

?He will also offer constructive and supportive critiques, creative exercises )and) collaborations.?

The workshop will also offer tips on independent promotional and marketing strategies.

Mr. Bassett said: ?Steven Memel will help with understanding the unique challenges facing the singer/songwriter. He will look at magic of elements, presence, charisma and truth.

?Mr. Memel will analyse the story of your song, getting the most emotional impact out of your song ? on stage or in the studio ? breaking patterns and how to make room for spontaneity.?

Meanwhile local songwriter/musician Mathew Joseph will host a Production Workshop highlighting some of the features of Reason software.

For more information on the retreat please contact Richard Bassett on 234-2312 or email SongRetreatbermuda.com or visit www.songs-and-music.com.

Mr. Bassett said the workshops are $225 for four days and accommodation at 9 Beaches is available for attendees from $115 or $155 per day. For more info email or telephone 239-2999 to book a room at this promotional rate.