IMC songwriters’ workshop to nurture more talent in 2025
Another cohort of aspiring songwriters will receive expert mentorship at the Island Music Conference (IMC) songwriters’ workshop slated to run from February 20-22 this Reggae Month.
A greatly anticipated event of the annual conference, last year’s Caribbean Development Bank-sponsored workshop saw the likes of the Chairman Shaggy himself, along with Grammy-nominated and Billboard songwriter-producer Constantin “Costi” Ionita passing through and dropping gems. Grammy-winning singer/producer/songwriter Shane Hoosong also stopped by the camp for a chat with the songwriters.
Renowned composer, producer, and songwriter Michael “Mikie” Bennett facilitated the inaugural ‘Punch Lines & Rhymes IMC songwriters’ event’ and is excited that the founders have added an extra day for execution. Bennett was pleased with the development of the songwriters in 2024 and has kept in touch with their progress. He expects the 2025 staging to be an even greater experience.
“We’ve noted the successes from last year and have tightened the curriculum as such,” he said.
The immersive experience continues this year with anticipation high that Stacy Barthe, who has written for Beyonce, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, Nipsey Hussle, and Rihanna to name a few, may well be dropping by this year.
Conference founders Orville “Shaggy” Burrell, Judith Bodley, and Sharon Burke say once again the intimate nature of the panel discussions will bring about a transparency historically unseen in the industry, and foster an environment where established and undiscovered talent can engage in meaningful and demystifying conversations, resulting in critical career evolution.
Music Teacher Audale Martin will be making his second IMC workshop appearance come February.
“I learnt a couple stuff last year, the biggest being Mikie’s four-line songwriting method; that was life-changing for me. This year I will be providing accompaniment via the music. I will create what we call harmonic progression, which is familiar sounding music arrangements that will help people to get moving with whichever genre style. I just create the music, and then everybody will be able to create their song on the music,” Martin shared.
Pianist, composer, and academic Dr Stefan Walcott, who was a 2024 IMC panellist found his way to the workshop and stayed.
“Participating in the IMC songwriting workshop was a remarkable learning experience. Guidance on structuring lyrical narratives — taking the listener on a journey from one stage to the next — shed new light on the art of storytelling. Mikie also highlighted the undeniable power of a strong hook to engage and hold an audience. Beyond the lessons, having creatives from across the region in one space created an unparalleled opportunity to exchange ideas and foster meaningful connections. It was an inspiring and invaluable session with one of Jamaica’s most respected producers. Kudos to the IMC team,” Dr Walcott said.
Grenadian singer-songwriter Valene Nedd, who was among the chosen 25 last year, expressed that her career has received a boost because of the experience. She is encouraging all songwriters from around the world to submit their entries for a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“If you are looking to improve on your writing skills, build your career as a creative, I will encourage any one to participate… To be a part of a group of people from different countries — none of us knew each other — but to learn so much and pool our creative ideas, I can say we are in the right direction,” Nedd added.
Guadeloupean Smiley Gwada, who visited Jamaica for the first-time last year for the IMC songwriter’s workshop, said the camaraderie has continued over the last year.
“It was a wonderful experience because of the opportunity to meet other artistes from the Caribbean, especially coming from a French island. We created a group called the ‘Caribbean Creatives’ where we have been sharing ideas with each other,” said the creative.
Songwriters are encouraged to submit the lyrics to their latest song to islandmusicconference@gmail.com with ‘Songwriting Camp’ in the subject line. This must be accompanied with your name and contact information, as well as a brief bio. The IMC workshop team will select the top 15 for enrolment.
IMC 2025, the third edition, promises a networking week of global music industry leaders converging to build bridges of understanding, strategy, and success. The conference offers insight into practical strategies and tools for music industry professionals to successfully navigate the ecosystem.