Seth Lakeman inspires budding singer-songwriters at Plymouth University

He is used to playing in front of thousands at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues – but folk sensation Seth Lakeman performed to a much smaller audience when he led a workshop for students at Plymouth University.

The Devon-based musician spent time working with nine budding singer-songwriters ahead of their performances at a festival being staged in Plymouth next weekend.

Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005, he performed some of his work and spoke to BA (Hons) Music undergraduate students about their own songwriting and inspiration.

Seth, currently celebrating the success of his seventh solo album Word of Mouth, said: “This workshop was a great chance to share my practice as a singer-songwriter with young and upcoming musicians and to pass on the dying traditions of storytelling. You really have to get into the subject matter and become deeply involved to reveal the heart of an interesting story.”

Plymouth graduate Magdalena Walker, who performs under the name Miss Walker and helped to coordinate the workshop, added: “The students chosen for this workshop all write their own original material, so it was great for them to hopefully learn from someone who employs such a novel approach to songwriting. It gave them a chance to think about how they might source their future inspiration, and offered them a real insight into the workings of the global music business.”

The nine students will be performing at the Peninsula Arts Words and Music Festival, sponsored by the Suzanne Sparrow (Plymouth) Language School and the B-Bar, taking place over two days next weekend (March 22-23) at The Hub in Plymouth.

As well as the student showcase, it will also feature the premiere of a major new piece by internationally renowned composer Roxanna Panufnik, with the lyrics based on the words of William Shakespeare.

Miss Walker, who completed her BA (Hons) Music at Plymouth University in 2011 and her MA in Performance Practice in 2013, will also be launching her powerful new album, He(a)d Zirkus.

For more about the Festival, visit the Peninsula Arts website or call the box office on 01752 585050. To find out more about studying music at Plymouth University, visit the Course Pages.