This summer Hart House welcomes students to a combined session of Producers Circle and Lyricists' Lounge.
The vibe
This creators circle for songwriters, producers, and makers, is not about expertise or competition, but about cultivating community and collaboration.
Over a period of 8 weeks, Hart House’s Hip Hop Education program will offer an inclusive and welcoming space for students and community members to build their knowledge and experience as artists. Each session will feature a combination of guest speakers and/or facilitators, knowledge exchanges, critical listening sessions, and output shares, where attendees will collaborate on various pieces that they are working on, detail the approaches they are taking in the creative process, and provide one another with feedback.
Whether you are an emcee, beatmaker, audio engineer, singer, songwriter, multidisciplinary creative, or a music lover, in this eight week process you will explore your creative ideas and build your knowledge base through information sessions and guided workshops. That said, you do not have to be a maker/creative to hang out. Listeners are more than welcome, too. No pressure 😊.
At the end of this eight-week journey, those who are attending and making will leave with a tangible product – whether it is a complete song, ideas for your next single/ project, or lasting music relationships.
All genres of music are welcome!
Schedule
Week 1: The Song Creation Process
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Map Room
Lead Facilitator: Naseha Chowdhury
Whether you are a seasoned musician or a budding songwriter, establishing a starting point and finding inspiration is an ongoing task. This session will include an engaging discussion and interactive workshop where participants provide personal insight and suggestions on how to turn an emotion, memory or concept into lyrics, melody and/or instrumentals as they shape the beginnings of a song and its structure. During this session we will also explore how to shape your artistic voice, your knowledge and your output by providing writing prompts and engaging in a guided freestyle session to build and circulate ideas and learning the basics of beat selection to compliment the song’s structure.
Week 2: Journey into Music Production and Beat-Making
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Map Room
Lead Facilitator: Bill Xu
To bring creative ideas to life, it is essential to understand the various roles and responsibilities involved in the production process – this includes the roles played by the producer and engineer and the act of bringing together musicians and vocalists. Attendees will have the opportunity to pair up with each other and collaborate on ideas that they have already been working on from previous sessions. This workshop encourages experimentation and real-life understanding of music production by engendering the valuable experience of working in a creative community.
Week 3: Crafting Instrumentals and Collaborating on Outputs
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Chapel
Lead Facilitator: Bill Xu
Crafting instrumentals involves having a thorough understanding of how one takes ideas and concepts and transforms them into sonic landscapes. This process is also a collaborative one where artists generate outputs while also building community. In this session, participants will have the space to experiment with different sounds, textures and rhythms, while also connecting with fellow beat-makers and lyricists to collaborate and exchange feedback on in-process outputs.
Week 4: Recording Techniques and the Recording Process
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: CIUT, 3rd Floor
Lead Facilitator: Dylan Konde Johnson
A significant amount of the shaping of your outputs happens with the help of those with the technical know-how in the arena of audio production. In this session, facilitators will be available to offer insight on necessary recording techniques when engaged in the recording process. Artists – regardless of whether or not they are recording their voice – are encouraged to attend this session in an effort to fully grasp the full song creation process and how to work collaboratively in a recording session.
Week 5: Mixing and Mastering Output
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: CIUT, 3rd Floor
Lead Facilitator: Dylan Konde Johnson
In this session – the last of our co-creating sessions – you will continue collaborating with our music community on the subjects of audio mixing, equalization, dynamic processing and critical listening analysis.
Week 6: Developing your Materials and Producing a Project
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Zoom (synchronous meeting link will be provided to registrants)
Lead Facilitator: Naseha Chowdhury
Guest Speakers: Cam Litchmore, Sami Huda
Before diving headfirst into the world of lyrics, rhythms, and melodies we will begin by thinking through the initial steps of becoming a creative. In addition to framing yourself from a craft and genre perspective during these sessions, we will discuss how to best develop materials and strategies for publicity (such as your artist biography/statement for your artist package, scheduling, and radio/playlist promotion) and how to produce and/or executive produce a project (whether a single recording, an EP, or an LP).
Week 7: Applying for Grants
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Chapel
Lead Facilitator: Naseha Chowdhury
Guest Speaker: Kibra Tesfaye
In order to create a project, resources – particularly in the way of monetary – are necessary to bring a project from ideation to completion. In this session we will discuss how to identify grants for your craft and genre, what grant materials will need to be developed, and how to strategize as you move forward in the grant writing process.
Week 8: Artist Share
Time: 4–6 pm
Location: Chapel
Facilitators: Naseha Chowdhury, Dylan Konde Johnson
This session will entail an artist share and exchange of the materials that members have been working on during this summer session of Producers Circle + Lyricists’ Lounge. In addition to exchanging materials, creatives will engage in open dialogue about the inspirations behind their output, and the artistic processes they used to create their materials. Participants will also have a chance to win one of two Lynx sessions to continue your music learnings.
Facilitators
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Bill Xu
UTSC Student, Online Community Lead
Bill Xu (He/Him) is a seasoned musician with years of experience working with a diverse pool of genres. He is in his third year, studying neurosciences. He helped to shape the music production community, leading and culturing a comfortable space at the Hart House Producers’ Circle. He also teaches and fosters a passion for musical development. With his experience and dedication to the community, Bill is committed to pushing new ideas in the creative industry.
What does Hart House mean to you? Or alternatively, what is your favourite thing about Hart House?
The Hart House community is unique and acts like a hub for creativity. I felt comfortable sharing and learning from others, I remember when I first got involved, I was very surprised by how welcoming the atmosphere was, that has to be my favourite part of Hart House. I had heard how monotonous university life could be but Hart House wasn’t like that at all, after leading some events myself I’ve heard the same comments from newcomers. There were plenty of opportunities and events you could get involved in and I’m really grateful to the people that maintain the space.
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Naseha Chowdury
Singer/Songwriter, Creative and community builder and organizer
Naseha is a Bangladeshi/Canadian Toronto based Singer/Songwriter. Her sound blends rich R&B and neo soul vocals with versatile beats. Raised in a strict and religious household in Scarborough, music quickly became her secret love. Naseha began to write poetry and perform spoken word during her Undergrad at UofT to come to terms with her own struggles with religion, mental health, and relationships. She currently works at for the Hip Hop Education department as an Administrative and Creative Program Lead and is passionate about community development and creating opportunities for marginalized artist through her previous work with Serious Betty collective.
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Dylan Konde Johnson a.k.a. Caijo
Artist
An artist who uses rap as his main expressive force, the Zimbabwean lyricist sees Hip-Hopas a doorway to explore the human condition. His expression of his own identity, to sex positivity, to not-so-subtle political undertones that discuss issues of the dictatorship in Zimbabwe, and address questions to the system of white supremacy - there is no stone Caijo seems to be willing to leave unturned.
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Sami Huda
Community Builder, Artist Manager, Creative Director, Photographer
Sami Huda is a Toronto based music writer, creative director, artist manager and photographer. He is currently serving as the Social Media Strategist and Community Manager for Ebay Luxury & Streetwear. Sami is passionate about community development and has been an instrumental figure guiding and connecting marginalized artists with local opportunities. Through his prior involvement with SeriousBetty he has organized showcases and released online publications for new releases.
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Cam Litchmore
Guest Speaker
Cam Litchmore is a national publicist based in Toronto, Canada. He develops marketing strategies to elevate musicians’ media awareness and build sustainable relationships with their audiences. Most recently, he has led national campaigns for artists like Thundercat, Yaya Bey, Hiatus Kaiyote, Arlo Parks, Jayda G, and more to develop and support marketing strategies for their respective album releases and tour announcements. These campaigns led to interviews, features, and radio play coverage on CBC Music, SiriusXM, Exclaim!, RANGE, Cult MTL, and more. He believes that each artist has the opportunity to find a lane for themselves and the music they are sharing with a wider audience.
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Kibra Tesfaye
Guest Speaker
Kibra, an emerging Toronto-based R&B and Soul artist, effortlessly captivates audiences with her seamless blend of smooth soulful melodies and captivating vocals. Drawing inspiration from her diverse upbringing and life experiences, she curates a unique musical journey that fearlessly tackles social issues, fosters hope, and inspires love.
Her single, “Rain or Shine,” has amassed over 300,000 streams and garnering accolades on Spotify editorial playlists. In addition, her soul-stirring performance of her single “Laydown” went viral, amassing over 1 million views and the highest number of interactions ever achieved by a Canadian artist on the notable Instagram platform, RNB Radar. Kibra has headlined prestigious stages such as TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), Afrofest Canada, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and Yonge and Dundas Square. Her performances transcend boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on her audience. She has also graced international stages, including SXSW in Austin, Texas and AfroChic in Accra, Ghana, where her magnetic stage presence and heartfelt connection with the crowd elevate her performances to extraordinary heights.
Kibra is also passionate about community building. She has an extensive background in workshop facilitation and public speaking with local organizations such as the Toronto District School Board, Black Women in Motion, and the Art Gallery of York University. She also founded the collective, “the Greenprint Network.” The mission is to create spaces for artists to exchange knowledge, organically collaborate and grow. Through GPN, Kibra and her team have managed to put together several workshops series’, artists’ retreats, and events, designed to equip emerging artists with the tools and opportunities necessary to thrive in the creative industry .
Website