Last Tuesday, our Music School had the pleasure of hosting a special event featuring singer-songwriter, Hannah Jane Lewis. Hannah, with her background in music and English from New York’s Tisch School of the Arts and her experiences touring with artists like Rita Ora, brought a unique blend of expertise and passion to our Songwriting Masterclass and Workshop.

The day was filled with various activities, including one-on-one sessions, group presentations, and collaborative writing sessions, all aimed at nurturing creativity and sharing valuable insights into the art of songwriting.

“We had a wonderful day welcoming Hannah Jane Lewis to College. She connected instantly with the students and their songs, and they were all inspired to develop their pieces over the course of the day. That the students felt sufficiently confident to perform new work at the end of masterclass concert was astonishing, and the students can’t wait for her to visit again.” – Nick Burrage, Teacher of Music and Music Technology.

Participants like Bella shared their favourite moments, highlighting the joy of collaborating with Hannah and crafting an original song by the end of the day.

“I had such an amazing time at the workshop – working with Hannah and writing (and performing) an original song at the end of the day was definitely my favourite part!” – Bella.

For many attendees, the most memorable aspect was hearing about Hannah’s own journey as a young artist, finding encouragement and inspiration in her experiences.

“I really enjoyed the songwriting workshop – it was super helpful, and I learned some new songwriting techniques and gained interesting insight and perspective. I would say that my favourite part of the day was hearing about Hannah’s own experience as a young artist and the events that led to her break in the music industry, as it was really inspiring to hear stories from a professional and it really encouraged me to keep going and persisting with music.” – Miles.

As the day concluded, Hannah graced the stage for the Welly Unplugged Originals takeover of the Tuesday Recital Series, providing a perfect ending to a day filled with creativity and camaraderie.

In Hannah Jane Lewis, our pupils found not only a talented mentor but also a source of inspiration, reminding us of the power of perseverance and passion in our musical pursuits.

For those of you who are interested, you can choose your preferred media destination to check out her work here: https://linktr.ee/hannahjanelewis.