What is Ascension Artist Development Program?
The Ascension Artist Development program is an intensive short course that equips you with creative and practicalskills to navigate your career in the music industry. The program has been carefully designed to encourageindependent development of your identity as a musical artist, and covers songwriting, music business andperformance.
At its core, the program aims to nurture creative and entrepreneurial thought. Artists will be empowered to create new and engaging musical experiences for their target audiences.
Why you will love this program…
If you have dreams of performing your original music in front of an audience but don’t know where to start, AAPD is the firststep to navigating your this.
Here you will learn how to refine your original music and have a live band learn and play your songs for a gig you book andpromote yourself. The music business component of the program covers development of your Electronic Press Kit, how to booka gig, promotion and how to collect royalties for your original songs.
The AAPD is unique in it’s empowerment model which puts the power in YOUR hands. Industry mentors will be there to guideyou through this process, but ultimately we follow your lead and allow you to realize your vision.
What to expect…
The program will consist of workshops in groups no larger than 10 participants in each session, and this is to ensure you canhave enough 1-on-1 time with a mentor to workshop your demos and receive constructive feedback on your music.
We encourage you to bring any songwriting materials you may already have (notebook, laptop etc) and we will explore strategiesfor improving your current songwriting process. You will learn how to create a lead sheets/chord charts which you can performalongside our resident band at the end of the program.
The music business workshop consists of a panel of industry experts who will share insights about different aspects of theindustry and facilitate a Q&A session. The skills you’ve learned and insights gained will contribute to the creation of your EPK.You will write a biography, set up your artist social media presence, communication channels and design personal branding.
During the workshop on copyright and publishing,
you will register as songwriters with APRA so that you may get paid royaltieseach time your music is performed..
The band workshop is a practical session (one hour per participant with the band). The original songs you have composed will berehearsed and performed by the band. During this workshop you will learn how to conduct soundchecks, execute effective mictechnique and direct the band. Additionally, you’ll receive a private performance coaching session which includes stagecraft tips,audience engagement, banter between songs and crafting a dynamic live show.
FAQs
Here’s a great article which outlines what an EPK is and why it’s vital for all serious musicians EPK Class 101
Yes. If you are a serious about building a career in music performance, songwriting or composition, you need an EPK.
You can think of your EPK as a sort of résumé — a one-stop shop for anyone interested in working with you to geteverything they need without having to click around, dig for it, or reach out and request it. It should contain specificinformation and assets for promoters, venue owners, journalists, bloggers, and other industry folks — stuff that youdon’t necessarily want the general public to see or have access to. With a great EPK, you’ll put yourself in the strongestposition possible to pitch your tracks, get press coverage, book gigs, and even attract a manager or label executive.
First, read this article
- Establishing a narrative
- Exploring Themes & Concepts
- Sampling & Interpolation
- Lyric Workshop 2
- Guest Speaker (APRA)
- Copyright & Licensing
- Performance Masterclass
We highly recommend you participate in all sessions to maximize your learning during this program. However, if you are unable tocommit to some of the workshops, let us know and we’ll work out some options with you!
The first three sessions are held in consecutive weeks. The remaining two will be scheduled a few weeks apart to allow you theopportunity to implement the skills you learn, refine your music and prepare for performance/recording.
Yes, you most certainly can! Chat with us about the various options we have available.
