Busselton’s Esplanade Hotel to host musicians and producers in Regional Session of songwriting workshops

Busselton’s Esplanade Hotel is set to become one of five regional music hubs in WA as a collective of musicians and songwriters get set to exchange ideas with aspiring musicians. APRA AMCOS will be embarking on a tour of five regional towns alongside the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Music Office in The Regional Sessions, a locally-themed event series dedicated to the art, craft and connection of songwriting. Busselton will be the second stop in the tour, with a full-day program of keynote speeches, a songwriter panel and small group workshops at The Esplanade Hotel on Friday March 10. Created with the aim of providing a high-impact day to foster creativity, connections and industry knowledge, the WA Regional Sessions are the third instalment of the program, with previous runs in New South Wales in 2021 and Victoria in 2022. Queensland-born folk artist Darren Hanlon, known for his solo work and his stint with The Simpletons, will be on hand as the keynote speaker and a workshop mentor, giving attendees valuable insight into his career and craft. Joining Hanlon will be Elise Reitze-Swensen, multi-instrumentalist and one half of electronic duo Feels, emerging artist Adrian Dzvuke, Noongar Wongi rapper Joshua Eggington (aka Flewnt), Perth-based folk singer-songwriter Helen Shanahan, and beat-maker and lyricist Blake Rhodes. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their work and get feedback from the artists and develop their skills in music production before the day culminates with a curated performance and post-event networking. Supporting Act’s First Nations community engagement and social worker Cerisa Benjamin will also be joining the artists in Busselton, providing a session around applying for financial support for musicians, managers, crew members or music workers in crisis, as well as touching on services available for those seeking mental health support. Department of Local Government, Sports & Cultural Industries Culture and the Arts executive director Shelagh Magadza said the Regional Sessions were a “great offering for emerging regional musicians in WA with a strong focus on the craft of songwriting”. “It aligns well with the DLGSC’s Contemporary Music Fund objective to contribute to the development of WA contemporary music,” she said. “There is great potential across our State for a diverse range of voices to be heard through contemporary music.” Tickets are available on The Regional Sessions website.