WOMEN / FIRST NATIONS / GENDER NON-CONFORMING ONLY 

Welcome to Breathe: A Songwriting Retreat. 

Prerequisities: You mustn't be an asshole.

11th - 13th Oct - Tyalgum Hotel, Tyalgum.

A weekend of opportunity to Get Away …..and …Just …Write…Sound like Bliss?

We know

We get it

Creating space in our busy lives to connect deeply with our creative souls and sink into a flow state seems unreachable! So we have created a weekend of space for women just like you to get away and just write, within a nurturing, encouraging group of like minded folks. You are invited for a weekend away from the hustle! The idea is simple. To set intentional time for your songwriting, to rest, reflect and meet some new people. Set down your responsibilities for the weekend, and focus on creating some space, writing some words and reflecting.

We warmly invite you to join us in the weekend retreat that we dreamed of as songwriters, and then realised it was UP TO US to create it for ourselves and other wonderful women who get buried in the busy-ness of daily life.

• When was the last time you felt you had All the time you wanted to write without feeling guilty?
• When was the last time you wrote a song to completion and sang it out at the top of your lungs with All the Feels and none of the guilt?
• When was the last time you got to play your unfinished song to someone for balanced feedback and collaboration on where else it could go?

What to expect

YOU will be

- Nourished. No cooking. No wondering what to cook. No dishes. No cleanup (yep….that’s worth the ticket price alone I can hear some of you say!)

- Nurtured. We love talking with and facilitating creatives and songwriters in their craft. You will be held in a safe encouraging space with the opportunity to upskill as a songwriter.

- Heard. Daily Breathing helps us to slow down , connect with our feeling selves, listen to ourselves and others. We want to remind you how glorious it is to be in the flow state of creativity and to share that with others. If you sing, sing it out! If you don’t sing or that sounds too scary, that’s okay too, we get it but if you would like to get a little more confident at the performance part we’d love to help you Find Your Voice.

You will be invited to participate in

- Ritual. The process of daily mediation to connect with our deeper feeling selves and move into a state of creative flow. Rituals are a reminder of the need for sacredness and stillness in our lives. They make the invisible, visible, and help bring awe to our everyday, reconnecting us with our sensory selves.

- Learning. Who doesn’t want to upskill as a songwriter?! While we NEVER  want to fall into the comparison pit of despair, we can all fine tune our own craft skills to polish our creations into shining, shimmering songs of beauty.

- Stillness. There will be Uninterrupted time to write, nap, walk, read, draw,. Whatever YOU decide YOU  need to please just YOURSELF

So we invite you to hit Pause on your daily life and come away with us on a road trip, to a country venue, with home cooked meals, and a group of like minded souls to listen, to laugh, to learn, to breathe, rest and above all write…the songs you know are in you

Delilah and Rose xx

Speakers

Rose Parker (WA)  is a prolific and magical songwriter weaving words and images to blanket your soul, with a voice that moves from folk whisperer to gospel belter. Formally one half of the Velvet Janes, she has toured from Sydney to San Francisco, played many an international festival as well as writing, releasing and producing three eps and three albums. In 2023 she was awarded a National Songwriting Prize from the Australian Songwriting Association for her latest single, Blood on the Water. Rose’s songwriting sessions often  explore inspiration sources, creative output and flow, song structure, finding the hook, the importance of editing, and ways to deal with writer's block. 

Delilah Rose (QLD)  is Songwriter. Mama. Gatherer. Optimist. Listener. Storyteller. Writing songs and processing the world around her through songwriting since 1999, she's loves bringing people together and creating space for you to hone your craft. She’s won Best Group at the WA Country Music Awards, nominated for Best Country Act (WAM Awards) and is described as “a great storyteller” by Triple J’s Nkechi Anele. She has played Miri Country Music Festival (Malaysia), supported Troy Cassar-Daley (NT), Samantha Fish (WA) and Nathan Cavaleri (QLD) plus played Boyup Brook Country Music Festival, Fringe World Festival, WAMFest, York Festival and Nannup Music Festival. She released her debut album Moxie, Sept 2022 and runs The Song Cafe in Brisbane, showcasing Women, First Nations and Gender Non-Conforming artists each month at The Cave Inn, Woollengabba, Meanjin.

Yani Mills (QLD)  is a singer, performer and musician based in Brisbane, Queensland. Her aim and life’s purpose is 'to help people find their joy in life through singing'. Yani is equally adept singing a wide range of styles from blues to gospel, traditional African styles, Indian devotional singing, soul and klezmer. She is the choir leader for several choirs in Australia and India, a private singing coach, a multi-disciplinary singing, voice, body percussion, and confidence/performance workshop facilitator, as well as an event producer! Yani brings with her 30+ years of teaching.

"Get away, write a song and meet some good people. A songwriting retreat where like-minded souls gather, and quietness, time and collaboration quench your tired creative mind. We started as strangers and after two days were allies, a songwriting sisterhood. Together we unfurled in the small Australian country town of New Norcia. The combination of a simple schedule, humble Spanish architecture and space made it possible for me to work on music and for music to work on me. Delilah created a balanced retreat that was open, welcoming and challenging. A memorable weekend that was fun and reflective and edged me closer in the direction of creative growth. This retreat is a winner in my books, just say’n." - Love Polanski

Program cost: $650 Early Bird (capped) or $700 Full price. Space is strictly limited. 

Here's what you are getting: 

• A weekend away to rest, reflect, recharge and work on your songs  
• All teaching sessions 
• Accommodation and linen  
• Delicious meals including morning and afternoon tea (except Pizza on Friday night)
• Bottomless tea/coffee
• The opportunity to meet and write other women in your field  
• Everything is optional! You have the freedom to participate as much or as little as you like  
• An opportunity to ROAD TRIP and leave the hustle behind

Yes please bring your instrument but please keep in mind this is a space for others to rest and retreat. Acoustic guitars and instruments with headphones are appreciated. Timetable subject to change.

Friday: 

2 pm - Meet, greet and settle into your rooms  

6 pm - Dinner (pizza), Flutterbucks 

7pm - Show at Flutterbucks (Rose, Yani and Delilah)

9.30pm - Free time   

 

Saturday: 

7.30 am - Morning meditation

Breakfast available until 930am  

9.30 – 12pm –  Morning Session

12.15pm - Lunch  

2 pm – 3 pm - Afternoon session OR alone time  

3 pm - 6.45pm - Walk, nap, write songs or spend some time alone  

7 pm - Dinner together  

8 pm - Discussion and feedback. Prepare one piece for feedback (optional). Positive feedback only.

Sunday: 

7.30 pm - Morning meditation 

Breakfast available until 930am  

9.30 - 12pm – Morning sessions  

12.15 pm - Lunch and close of the retreat

(Program subject to change)

All linen/towels provided. Meals provided.

Rooms available include: 

- single with shared bathroom  

- twin share with shared bathroom 

Places are strictly limited. You will not be able to attend if you have cold or flu symptoms.

Tyalgum is located 2hr drive south west of Brisbane.

For more info please email australiansongwritingretreats@gmail.com