Grenadian entertainers, Laura Lisa Richardson and Neyokan Bain, are among a list of regional songwriters who are participating in the first ever Regional Song Writers Work Camp, which opens in Dominica today, Friday 9 May. The OECS Export Development Unit will conduct the three day work camp for some of the top songwriters and music producers from across OECS Member States.
The Song Writer’s Camp will involve participation of between 15 and 18 of the best song writers and music producers from across OECS Member States, in an attempt to enhance their writing skills, build teamwork and encourage greater collaboration and synergies among writers, producers and performers of various musical genres in the OECS. The camp will most importantly result in the production of a compilation of songs to be distributed and marketed to regional and global music audiences and consumers.
A group of leading music producers and mentors from across the region will facilitate the three day event. Well connected to the regional and global music industry, they will provide training in writing techniques, guide writers on the nuances and particular styles and idioms best suited for regional and global markets, and stimulate a process of coproduction and collaboration leading to the creation of a compilation of songs.
Sobers Esprit, Business Development Officer of the OECS Export Development Unit in Dominica said that the idea behind the camp is to better position OECS music. “The OECS has rich talent, but there is need to enhance so they can take advantage of opportunities,” he said, explaining that the camp will used as a building block to put the music industry in the OECS in a better position.
The Regional Song Writer’s Work Camp is funded under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS Region, and is part of the effort by the regional body to better position the creative industries sector to take full advantage of existing and emerging market opportunities and to build the competitiveness of practitioners working in the sector.
The work camp will be staged at the Atlantique Resort & Spa, Anse de Mai, Dominica, from 9-11 May, and will end with a showcasing of works completed at the camp on Sunday evening.