Invite from music masters

By Nickie Wang

How does bonding with music masters like Ryan Cayabyab, Gary Valenciano, Joey Ayala, Noel Cabangon, and Jim Paredes sound? How about playing songs and getting pointers from contemporary music artists like Rico Blanco, Chito Miranda, and Yael Yuzon, to name a few?

This year, 7101 Music Nation, an organization dedicated to the development of programs and platforms that will serve to discover and enhance local artistry in music, stages The 1st Elements National Songwriting Camp on the shores Dumaguete.

Aspiring songwriters will have the chance to enhance their talents and learn from the masters while enjoying city’s famous cityscape as the venue and source of inspiration for their music.

Whether it’s by a neat campfire in the pools of Bahura Resort or a field workshop amid the rain forests at Lake Balanan, Elements aims to create a unique experience that combines fun and education with something that everyone loves—music.

“We want to make it clear, we are not going to create a new pop star or make an album. We are going to stage this music camp to share our ideas and experiences with young talents who are willing to expand their learning,”said 7101 Music Nation artistic director Ryan Cayabyab.

The first of its kind, Elements is going to be an annual songwriting camp for aspiring and professional songwriters. For its maiden voyage, artists of different genres and disciplines and aspiring songwriters will be treated to an out-of-the-classroom mentorship from Nov. 14 to 18, all expenses paid.

Sixty participants will get to learn from and make music with OPM icons. Of these 60, 20 slots would each come from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

To apply, log on to their official website http://www.7101musicnation.com.ph. Application period is until Aug. 22. Live auditions and tryouts will be handled and overseen by Cayabyab and his team of songwriters. The final list of chosen songwriters will be announced on Sept. 22.