Join us at East Cork Songwriting Festival to unleash your musical potential! Workshops by Cormac O'Caoimh, Nicole Maguire & Lynda Cullen
Get ready for East Cork Songwriting Festival, a vibrant one-day event celebrating the art of songwriting! Whether you're a seasoned musician or a budding lyricist, this festival offers a unique opportunity to learn, collaborate, and perform in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
Workshops
Explore essential songwriting techniques and ignite your creativity with hands-on sessions led by experienced and renowned mentors. Gain valuable insights while working alongside fellow songwriters in a nurturing environment. Choose two of the following:
Songwriting Techniques & Methods - Cormac O'Caoimh
Cormac will explore different ways to write songs and different tools to use. He hopes this will help you to write a song a way you may not have before. If you have never written a song yet… that is no problem. If you don’t play an instrument that is also no problem (but brilliant if you do). Topics include titles, music, rhythm and lyrics.
Overcoming Writer's Block -
Lynda Cullen
As songwriters, we all suffer to varying degrees with writers’ block. Unlock your creativity and break through writer’s block in this engaging songwriting workshop. We’ll explore practical techniques to spark new ideas, from creative prompts and lyric exercises to melody experiments and collaborative brainstorming. Whether you’re stuck on a single line or starting from scratch, you’ll leave with fresh inspiration, new tools for your writing process, and the confidence to keep the creative juices flowing. No matter your experience level, this workshop is designed to help you rediscover the joy of writing songs.
Songs from the inside out - Nicole Maguire
Nicole's workshop combines collaborative group work with the opportunity for individual creative expression. Participants will explore ideas together, while also having space to develop something personal and unique. Nicole aims to creates a fun, interactive, and completely pressure-free environment where everyone feels comfortable to contribute, “I truly believe that we all have a song within us - sometimes we just need the right space and encouragement to let it out.”
Collaboration
Dive into dedicated co-writing sessions where you can develop ideas from the morning workshops. Connect with others in small groups to craft brand new songs together, blending your talents and inspirations.
Performance
Experience the thrill of stepping onto a professional stage! You'll have the chance to perform your new creations in a warm and encouraging setting, celebrating your progress and creativity.
Mentor Performance
To cap off this exciting day, enjoy an intimate in-the-round performance from our esteemed songwriting mentors. Let their artistry inspire you as we bring the festival to a close.
More info about our songwriting mentors:
Cormac O Caoimh:
Cork singer-songwriter, who has released 6 albums. He was album of the week on RTE Radio 1 and Lyric FM (in 2020 and 2023) and he has consistenly received national airplay for all his singles in the past 10 years, most of which were playlisted on RTE Radio 1.
His 2020 album charted in the official IRMA charts and previous albums topped the independent album charts. As well as singing and performing he is an accomplished guitar teacher and runs Songwriting workshops , Guitar workshops, Rhythm workshops and individual and group guitar lessons.
Lynda Cullen:
Wexford-born songwriter Lynda Cullen released her debut solo album ‘Paper Boat’ in 2014. ‘Smoke Without a Fire,’recorded in North Carolina, was released in August 2019. In 2023, she released an album with her long-term musical collaborator, Fintan Lucy, entitled ‘Live at Bluesbüro’. In recent years, Lynda has been based in The Black Forest, Germany where she continues to perform at various folk festivals and shows throughout Europe. In her 20s, she spent 5 years in South Korea where she was a member of fusion group Second Moon. Her captivating performances, insightful lyrics and unique finger picking guitar style have won her a loyal fan base in Ireland and internationally.
Nicole Maguire:
Nicole Maguire is a singer-songwriter from East Cork whose heartfelt, relatable songwriting has earned her recognition both in Ireland and internationally. After travelling to Nashville to write and road-test her material across the United States, she worked with multi-Grammy-nominated producer Mitchell Froom (known for his work with Pearl Jam and Randy Newman).
Nicole has shared the stage with celebrated artists including Paul Brady, Glen Hansard and Vince Gill, and has toured extensively throughout Ireland, Switzerland and the U.S. Two of her songs featured in the film Wild Horses, directed by and starring Robert Duvall. Her second studio album, Wishing Well (2016), includes a duet with Paul Brady on the title
track.
Join us at the East Cork Songwriting Festival and unleash your musical potential!
