Over the course of the fall 2018 semester, three workshops were held, involving eighteen students, nine singer-songwriters, nine instrumentalists and nine producers. Two masterclasses were also held, one focused on the business side of the industry, and one on working with a music producer. When asked about his desire to work with Frost students, ReMi said “I want to help them feel confident in what they are working on now, and give them some pointers and extra tools to help them excel in the real world, either now or after they are finished with school. I want to plant seeds in the soil to help the next generation of artists and business people grow.” He further added how much he enjoyed “seeing the students sparkle where what they did musically worked well, and embrace exploring ideas they had not considered yet.”
Plans are in the works for offering additional workshops, and for a master class about producing music for film and television.
“We were thrilled to have SaLaAM choose the Frost School as the place to engage with the next generation of musicians and producers. His extensive and diverse musical background makes him a perfect role model for students who don’t see themselves as fitting solely into one style of music or another,” said Frost School of Music Dean Shelly Berg.
The students participating were equally excited and grateful to be included.
“I was excited to participate in this workshop as it was a chance to test my production and collaboration skills amongst my peers as well as a professional from the music industry. I learned how important it is to produce music efficiently while focusing on the details after the song structure is complete,” said Jack Manning (junior, Music Engineering major).
“I was very excited to participate in a workshop with SaLaAM because he is incredibly well versed in production and has a lot of experience doing the type of work that I hope to do. I learned that it is important to be flexible with ideas and truly connect with the artist when entering a session. That way you can tap into a creative mindset that will speak to their needs,” said Alex Arnaout (junior, Media Writing and Production major).
“Working and talking with SaLaAM gave me more of an insight into the daily tasks of a professional music producer. He was kind enough to be open about sharing his experiences and really tried to get to know our own personal goals and interests. I thought the overall experience helped me get a hand at working under pressure in a more professional songwriting setting,” said Alice Kim (senior, Musicianship, Artistry Development and Entrepreneurship major, Bruce Hornby Creative American Music minor).
