Music Technology- Workshops for Women

Shiny Shiny are heading to Newcastle in September to deliver the second in their series of Women in Technology Workshops at Sawtooth Studio’s Newcastle. These workshops have been designed specifically for women who are interested in getting into the industry as an electronic musician, producer or DJ, or for musicians who want to add more to their music and live perfor- mance.

Their aim is to provide women an inclusive, educational, creative and safe space to meet like minded others, to feel supported and empowered through using a new creative outlet & to push personal boundaries and thoughts around the ability to be technical & musical. The ultimate result of the work- shop is to produce a track or song using Ableton Live, & recorded live elements such as singing, or instruments.

Participants will learn the software Ableton Live, the foundations of how to use it for writing and arrangement, & the endless possibilities for live perfor- mance. Basic songwriting & inspired content creation activities will also be incorporated into the weekend.

The content will be delivered in a hands on, experiential learning approach, with a theoretical and education based foundation. These workshops are aimed at women and will take a ‘women’s centered’ approach to learning, ie; multiple avenues for delivery of information, straightforward explanations of technical concepts, working from what you are already doing and using, facilitating a variety of ways for women to be involved within the workshop environment & working together as a group to learn, skill share and collabo- rate creatively.

Between them Melania & Patty have an incredibly impressive list of skills, experience & qualifications - including 7 years of experience co-facilitating workshops. From working on the Indigenous Workshop Program ‘Styling Up’, to Women’s crisis centers, to International queer festivals & events they have worked with a variety of participants, ages, skill levels and cultural back- grounds. They facilitate a well rounded workshop program with activities that deliver not only the educational material, but also team building, and personal musical growth opportunities.

Melania & Patty are also the electronic duo “Shiny Shiny”. They recently returned from 6 months in Berlin touring their latest show “The Ironing Maidens”.

“The Ironing Maidens” is a multi-media, eclectic electronic arts piece that is resonant, relevant and thought provoking. Using unconventional gestural controllers & hacked hardware this explorative piece travels through gender roles, queer and women’s issues and technology. Essentially the maidens have hacked domestic irons and ironing boards and use them as instruments and controllers for electronic music and projected visuals. Watch this space for more on these guys in future issues.

“This course has been fantastic. I have used Ableton and written songs for a long time, but this course gave a whole other layer of process, creative writing and collaboration. I learnt things I didn’t expect to; the creative process, and access to other peoples opinions and idea’s. The tutorials/workshops were great. But ultimately to be really true to the integrity of what I am trying to say- Thank you so much Patty and Melania. My song would not be here if it wasn’t for this course and I am proud of what I have done.” -Participant of the Byron Series.

Limited positions, early booking is advised. Info, questions & registrations contact: Melania Jack 0402 604 448 | shinyshinyband@gmail.com |www.shinyshinyband.com