The Unique Story of Song Academy
This is a remarkable story of how an idea from my 8 year old daughter, became a groundbreaking business, transforming the lives of countless young people.
My name is Rowena Atkins and I am the proud founder of Song Academy, a vibrant global community of aspiring young songwriters.
The story begins when my daughter Matilda, at the tender age of 8, wrote a spontaneous song titled ‘This Is Me.’ Seeing how much this song meant to her and the joy she experienced when sharing it with me, I was inspired to explore avenues where Matilda could nurture her songwriting talent. To my surprise, there was no dedicated space for her to flourish…And so, Song Academy was born.
VISION
The vision for Song Academy is for all young people, across all backgrounds, to have faith in themselves. To use the power of songwriting and community to empower young people, from every corner of the globe, by helping them to express themselves, discover their voice and find their tribe. I rapidly learnt the transformational power of songwriting, especially for young people during their formative years.
Imagine the millions of young people writing songs in the seclusion of their bedrooms, waiting to be discovered. In addition to many more musical & creative young people who haven’t yet written their first song! Song Academy would inspire and unite these young minds and empower them to have faith in themselves and lead a creative & united future.
START
Although I had a strong business background and love of music, songwriting was not my forte. Undeterred, I sought out professional songwriters who shared my passion for inspiring the next generation.
We started with running weekly songwriting clubs in London, then songwriting workshops in the holidays.
Song Academy became a sanctuary, providing a safe haven for young people to articulate their thoughts and emotions through lyrics and music. We encouraged them to reflect on what’s important to them, their aspirations, fears, and dreams, both within their personal lives and in relation to the wider world. We saw that songwriting boosts young people’s mental health.
ADDITION OF THE YOUNG SONGWRITER COMPETITION
One year on, seeking a broader impact, we introduced The Young Songwriter competition in the UK, later expanding it globally. The world’s most talented professional songwriters eagerly joined The Young Songwriter competition judging panel, inspired by our mission.
Witnessing the power of bringing young songwriters together and nurturing their abilities, we realized the potential for positive change.
SUPPORTING CAUSES CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS
Our young songwriters have also collectively written songs to support causes close to their hearts, such as the creation of ‘Right To Be Loved,’ a song dedicated to raising awareness for the plight of young people in care and emphasizing the importance of adoption and fostering. This uplifting anthem affirms the universal right to be loved.
We were thrilled when ‘Right to Be Loved’ was used by a charity in Tanzania to amplify their mission.
EXPANSION OF PROGRAMMES
Our commitment to empowering young songwriters led to the expansion of our programs—from song feedback reports and summer camps to a mentoring programme for exceptionally talented young songwriters. In addition to the launch of online songwriting clubs & workshops.
We’ve already touched the lives of tens of thousands, but our vision extends to reaching millions worldwide.
JOIN US
Join us on this extraordinary journey, whether you’re a young songwriter, a parent wanting to nurture creative talents in their child, an educator, a professional songwriter eager to inspire, or a member of the music industry wanting to support emerging artists.
Your participation will add a unique note to our symphony of empowerment. Please get in touch and be part of something truly special!
Click here to check out all our songwriting programmes.
SONG ACADEMY NOW – The sound of youth empowerment
Song Academy is the leading songwriting platform for young people aged 8-22.
Song Academy helps young people, from all backgrounds, to express themselves powerfully by writing their own original songs at a formative time of their lives. In addition Song Academy brings young songwriters together & provides a platform for them to get their songs heard & learn about the music business. Inspiring young people to express themselves and share their songs has a transformative impact on their well-being, self-esteem, confidence, creativity, open-mindness, social skills and motivation to achieve their full potential.
Our vision is for every young person to have faith in themselves through finding their voice and their tribe.
Song Academy programmes include weekly songwriting clubs, holiday workshops, summer camps, song feedback reports, school songwriting workshops, mentoring programme and The Young Songwriter competition.
We nurture the next generation of creative leaders (young songwriters, artists, musicians, producers & creative thinkers) who will be shaping the future of the music industry and other creative industries. In particular, for young people passionate about a career in the music industry we provide a springboard to get the best start and attract exciting opportunities.
