Songcamp event brings together Korean, foreign creatives to develop new songs

Imagine throwing a group of creative people together in one place and giving them one day to come up with as many songs as they can.

Korean artist Park Yeon-gyung, who goes by Tasha, wanted to see what this would be like.

She put together such an event, modeled on what the K-pop world calls a “song camp,” bringing together music industry professionals — including songwriters, lyricists, producers, and instrumentalists — for a short, intensive creative workshop. Participants churn out dozens, maybe even hundreds, of song demos, hoping that even one will sell and be produced into a commercially released song. This high-pressure atmosphere is competitive, expensive and often described with a lot of stress rather than joy.

Instead of fully adopting the industry model, Tasha decided to focus on creative inspiration, warmth and human connection.

“When I heard K-pop companies talk about song camps, they made it sound so stressful,” Tasha told The Korea Times. “But for me, it sounded romantic. Musicians coming together from all over the world, making music, sleeping and eating together, it looked fun.”

Working with experienced producers, she opened applications, listened to countless submissions and selected a talented group of musicians to join Songcamp.

Tasha doesn’t consider herself a music professional, only a music lover, but she knows how to build a community and create the right atmosphere.

“We stay in one house for 24 hours. So the most important thing is good food; I always believe good food makes a good atmosphere. I prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner so everybody could be happy,” she said.

Twenty-one Korean and international musicians and producers from diverse genres, along with support staff, participated in the 24-hour Songcamp session on Nov. 23.

Sanroke House operator Joan Belec, a French artist, music producer, sound engineer and drummer, hosted the event at Sanroke House, a hostel near western Seoul’s Hongik University.

“I always heard about these song camps happening in the music industry,” he said. “But you need to have reached a certain level to go to such an event. Because you have to be invited, it’s not accessible to everybody. Tasha’s vision was to recreate the concept but without the pressure, something more community-like, friendly and welcoming. I immediately embraced the idea.”

Preparations began six weeks in advance. Belec took charge of transforming the space: installing small recording studios in six rooms across three floors.

“The atmosphere was energizing from the start,” he said. “Everybody was so eager to work. They even started one hour before scheduled. No pressure, no competition, just music and fun. And it worked. Everybody was happy. It was great. It went surprisingly well.”

Music creatives gather for Songcamp at Sanroke House in western Seoul, Nov. 23. Courtesy of Joan Belec

American musician Douglas Hayes, one of the foreign participants, has 43 years of experience playing and writing songs. After moving to Korea in 2023, his connections to the local music industry deepened when he met Tasha. Their meeting sparked the idea for organizing Songcamp.

Despite being the oldest Songcamp participant, he was also the most tireless, working through the night to build melodies, riffs and lyrics with unwavering enthusiasm.

Hayes contributed multiple works during the session. One of the songs he worked on is a ballad reminiscent of K-drama soundtracks, warm and emotional. Another track leans toward a rock-hip-hop fusion, blending his roots with modern K-pop influences.

“I’ve written rock most of my life, but also jazz, R&B and even hip-hop,” he said. “Creating music is just second nature to me. Even during the song camp, I laid down some tracks for a hip-hop song. It’s something I’ve always done. It just comes easily. And I still love it.”

Another foreign participant was Nicky Juanite from the Philippines. As well as a songwriter, she is a multi-instrumentalist, performer and creator whose work spans genres, cultures and forms. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Seoul National University, and later a master’s degree in Korean music composition at the Korea National University of Arts. As well as being a confident performer on the “gayageum,” a Korean traditional zither, she is a member of the music acts Honey Jam Sam and Assonance, and a show producer for events at Taco Amigo.

When asked what kind of music she creates, Juanite said she has met many people living in Korea who struggle to express their emotions. Through her music, she wants to provide listeners with the language and the space to feel understood.

“I write in the moment, responding to what life offers. The songs draw from my personal experiences, but they are shaped by a deeper mission as well. My motto is that artists are storytellers of empathy. I write to help people understand what they’re feeling inside,” she said.

“We’re all broken inside, all confused. But artists are brave enough to express what others can’t. When people hear a song that reflects their emotions, they feel less alone.”

Music creatives gather for Songcamp at Sanroke House in western Seoul, Nov. 23. Courtesy of Joan Belec

Tasha admitted she hadn’t started out with high expectations for Songcamp, wondering how strangers could gather together and make music after only a few hours. But the results shocked her.

“Every session, when we played the music at the listening party, we were so surprised,” she said. “The music quality was so good, better than I ever imagined. In total, the camp produced 16 new tracks, and 10 of them will be performed live at our upcoming event.”

The songs will be presented for the first time to the public at a showcase party this Saturday at Tiamonyong Studio in western Seoul, close to Jeungsan Station on Seoul Metro Line 6. The event is free, but donations are welcome. Follow @artlifeoft on Instagram for more information.

Tasha has sent out invitations to producers, K-pop company owners, dancers and other industry professionals, hoping the camp can spark future collaborations. “If we can sell even one song, that’s great,” she said.

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He’s also the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative, and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.