Creative Chemistry: How Songwriting Connects Across Distance and Difference
Based on the Podcast Episode: “Creative Chemistry: How Songwriting Connects Across Distance and Difference” – Episode 53, The Magic of Songwriting with Francesca de Valence
We continue our journey into the woods for our Songwriting Retreat 2024. We talk with songwriters Cath Russell and Mona Verdour, both long-time members of the I Heart Songwriting Club, who live on opposite sides of Australia and come from very different backgrounds.
Cath and Mona met for the first time at retreat, where they were paired together just hours before this conversation. It was fascinating to hear both of their perspectives on how the Club’s weekly songwriting practice supported and nurtured their collaboration. Through the structure of the club, they were able to embrace their curiosity and find common ground creatively, allowing their collaboration to flourish despite their differences.
Listen to the podcast audio to experience a new creation by Cath and Mona, or read to learn more about what we did on Day 2.
Day Two:
Magic Spot
Some of us first meet for the day at 7am where we quietly chitchat next to the coffee pot about our night – how we slept in new beds, the bird song that woke us, and the magnificent views from the A-frames. But we all meet at the tall trees soon after for our first Magic Spot – a guided nature walk. Our retreat co-facilitator, Emma reads a poem from a well-loved green-covered paperback and then guides us into the forest. An hour later we emerge with a new collaborator for our upcoming writing session – nature.
Nature as our Collaborator
Retreat co-facilitator Francesca leads us through a short songwriting exercise to get us ready for our three-way co-writing session – two songwriters and nature. The task to take sensory inspiration from the forest walk and collaborate with it, letting nature lead the way in the writing session.
Cath Russell and Mona Verdour write a song in collaboration with nature
Maddi and Amanda write their song in the key of the forest. Kerrie, Stella and Shauna create with the first nations people of the land in mind. Cath and Mona reflected on their roles in the broader conversation about Australia’s First Nations people, and Kath and Halimah respond to a soulful call from their fathers who had passed. Each collaboration vastly different to the next. The session book-ended with a hearty breakfast and lunch.
Art for Art’s Sake
Emma and Francesca playfully guide the afternoon, taking the songwriters through an art workshop where they inspect various elements of songwriting through the lens of drawing and painting – structure, harmony, texture, line, and of course, collaboration. This workshop becomes a turning point in the songwriting process where the writers are challenged to shift their approach, add texture and harmony, to make changes that might breathe new life into their songs. One small chord change, for example, allowing a song to take on a completely new direction, both structurally and emotionally.
Creative Workshops
Songs in Bruce’s Shed
There are various spots at Wild Mountains where we can share our songs. And after dinner, we met in Bruce’s Shed to share songs from the day, share about the process of writing with nature, share our hearts and share a few blocks of Toblerone. The night ended in a spontaneous group vocal improvisation.
We had learnt to really listen today – to nature, to each other, and to ourselves.
Join us for Day 3 of our retreat in our upcoming podcast episode…
Will you join us?
Join our next Songwriting Retreat
Join us for our next Songwriting Retreat from July 19-22, 2025. We look forward to supporting you to grow as a songwriter.
Retreat Images by Jelightly
