Summer Music Challenge

Take the Summer Music Challenge

Whether you’re a student, in work or at home the summer can be a great time of year to go on an adventure. Do you ever get to September and wonder what happened to all the plans you made for the summer? Well, complete even one of these challenges and make this your Summer of Music.

Challenge Number One: Increase Your Musical Powers

This summer, why not take up something new musically? You could

• Learn a new instrument
• Learn a new technique on an instrument you already play
• Go on a course and kick your music career up to a whole new level. For songwriters, I recommend the amazing UK Songwriting Festival in beautiful Bath.
• You could learn about the music industry at YouBloom in Dublin in June, a great annual conference attended by many music industry movers and shakers there to share their knowledge with you.
• Buy a new music book and learn that piece you’ve always wanted to play… but make sure you play it to an audience by the end of the summer!

Which brings me to…

Challenge Number Two: Get Out There and Play

• Weather permitting, you could get out there and busk this summer. Be sure to get permission from the local council first!
• Ask if you can be a support act at one of the many local festivals which run in the summer. For folk musicians, Fiddlers Green in Rostrevor is great. There are other musically eclectic events like summer Sundays in ward Park in Bangor.
• CMI Ireland have established a monthly songwriter’s event in the Hudson Bar, Belfast. You can register to play on their website. This event will include advice from music industry professionals.
• Why not try to play somewhere you have never played before? If you’re up for a trip, Urbankelt in London welcome Northern Irish acts.

Challenge Number Three: Get a New Song Out There

Why not create something this summer and get it out there?

• Steven McKnight of Green Sea Studios has gone into partnership with us at Eve Williams Singing and Songwriting Tuition to offer a package including 4 singing/songwriting lessons and a professional recording of your work. You can find information about this offer here.
• Once you have crafted a song and you’re happy with it, promote it online via mailchimp and social media.
• You could record an imaginative YouTube video. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. You can find stock footage on YouTube for you to play with and edit here.
• Create a mailchimp marketing campaign to promote your new song: think of inventive ways to encourage people to listen. Generally, people like pictures on Facebook and via email but asking them to invest 3 minutes to listen to a song requires marketing skills. Maybe have a competition involving asking a question about the lyrics of the song, include a great image with your song, tell your readers in what way your song will change their lives!

So, here are my musical challenges to you for Summer 2015. Good luck with reaching your goals! Let me know how it works out for you.

If you’d like to receive more news, music advice blogs, or are interested in singing or songwriting lessons or song evaluations you can contact us here.

You can also sign up for our newsletter here.