The Grenada Office of Creative Affairs (GOCA), a division of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture, recently hosted a 2-day workshop for Grenadian songwriters.
Named The Write Track, the songwriter’s masterclass is now part of a series of initiatives developed by GOCA to support skill-building, knowledge sharing and professional growth for emerging and established creatives within the music industry.
“Our focus on the music sector is not driven by happenstance, but by intention. We recognise music as a powerful and influential industry in Grenada, with significant potential for growth and global reach. Bring the Beat, the music producer’s masterclass, which we hosted in April 2025, contributed to the exemplary musical output experienced during Spicemas and is the kind of impact we are deliberately working towards,” explained Ananda Johnson, Assistant Operations Manager at GOCA. “This songwriter’s masterclass was developed to address the gaps that we identified through feedback from the creative community and provide our songwriters with practical tools, industry insight, and guided instruction to strengthen their craft.”
The Write Track was facilitated by Haile Alexander, a UK-based singer-songwriter of Grenadian heritage, whose writing credits include songs for Grammy Award winners Chris Brown and Tyla. Together, Haile and the participants explored creative and practical aspects of songwriting, focusing on storytelling, emotion and translating real-life experiences into music that connects with listeners. Sharing his thoughts after the masterclass, Haile commended the songwriters for being great participants. “The masterclass was an amazing vibe with amazing energy. I taught them a few things in terms of my experiences of songwriting, and I learned a lot from them as well. I hope the songwriters continue to capitalise on their experiences with songwriting, keep practicing and being open to learning new things.”
Songwriters of all skill levels and even music producers keen to improve their relationships with writers attended the masterclass. “The past 2 days were phenomenal. It showed me that we’re more alike than we think when it comes to writing. We realised that there is not really a right or wrong way when it comes to writing, and we learned different methods for placing yourself in the headspace to write effectively, which Haile demonstrated,” shared Thamara Songbird St Bernard, Grenadian recording artist. “I am so grateful, because I learned a lot, and it also proved to me that I am on the right track. For us creatives, we are on the right track, and it was good to get that confirmation and validation. I am also grateful to GOCA because these workshops are so necessary to help us creatives understand what proper writing can do for our careers.”
GOCA continues to invest in Grenada’s music economy through capacity-building initiatives, like The Write Track and Bring the Beat, and Sing Grenada, GOCA’s youth music programme. Additionally, eligible music producers have accessed funding through the Music Producers’ Project to upgrade their recording studios. To learn more about GOCA’s initiatives for creatives, visit creativeaffairs.gov.gd
GOCA
