Sonic Storytelling w/ Mia Koden

A social media masterclass for musical creatives looking to honour the heart and soul of their work. For women, trans and non-binary people

Saffron is delighted to present the April instalment of its 'Saffron Members Club' online workshop programme. For women, trans and non-binary people worldwide

SONIC STORYTELLING

We are excited to welcome Mia Koden to host a creative communications masterclass for independent artists. In this two-hour digital workshop, Mia will share learnings from building her personal platform and support you in finding ways to express online that honour the heart and soul of your work. 

We’ll begin by connecting to the ‘why’ behind our creative process, and consider how we can bring together our sound, communication, aesthetics and overall creative vision into a harmonious whole. We’ll talk about the art and practice of storytelling and what it takes to translate these messages across different contexts so as to develop deeper connections. 

Finally, we’ll explore artistic development through a long-term lens, thinking about sustainable ways of approaching our output to prioritise balance and safeguard holistic wellbeing. Through a mixture of presentation, discussion and interactive exercises, we’ll cover topics such as:

• Influences vs originality / convention vs innovation
• Alternative ways of sharing within the algorithm
• Low-cost/free resources and practices
• Creating inspiring/educational content for socials 
• Quality over quantity mindsets in action
• Independence, time management and creative burnout  

This session will close with a Q&A with the opportunity to ask for personalised input and advice.

oducers who are feeling overwhelmed, struggling with creative block, or simply looking to open up new avenues for their music-making. Some experience with music production is recommended - though not required - to attend.

Think you would benefit from this session, but can't afford to contribute? We have a few bursary spaces in this workshop for those in financial hardship. We trust these will be taken by those who need them. Email us at members@saffronmusic.co.uk to request one.

ABOUT MIA KODEN

Mia Koden aka Sancha Ndeko (she/her) is a South London-based South Sudanese and British music producer and DJ. Initially growing up in Ghana and Nigeria soundtracked by her parents' lively stash of music from across the African continent and beyond, her formative years back in the UK had frequent sound system pilgrimages to spaces where roots reggae, drum & bass and dubstep could be heard. At some point during her London university days, two rusty Technics 1210’s arrived. Ndeko has since been creating and championing underground electronic music whilst building an arsenal of records traversing many sonic corners of the world - often acting as a passionate archivist and historian in her approach to sharing musical finds.

2023 first saw a heads-approved debut self-release ‘Hot Take / I Did’ followed by an EP for underground heroes Ilian Tape, both dipping into a familiar palette from her foundational Sicaria Sound days and their penchant for dynamic 140BPM but with a fresh injection of 2-step, steppas dub and other electronic realms. The arrival of her 2nd 100% productions mix ‘Made By Mia Koden Vol. 2’ and its accompanying community-choice voted EPs ‘34U’ + ‘34U.2’ in 2024 built more momentum for Ndeko as a forward thinking producer and to be selected as Resident Advisor’s Breakthrough Artist of the year and nominated for Breakthrough Producer by DJ Mag. Carrying the ethos of creating and selecting forward-thinking sounds that honour the foundations of sound system culture, expect music with bass-weight, groove and some heartfelt, unpredictable moments that hit you at the right frequencies.

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ACCESS

This workshop will be delivered via Saffron's digital members platform, but non-members who are women, trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming may also purchase a ticket.

Saffron Membership starts from less than £6 per month and provides access to regular online workshops, an online community space, video masterclasses, free music tech tools, discounts and much more. Join Saffron Members Club

This workshop is open to people worldwide, but will be running at 7.00 pm BST, so please bear time zone differences in mind. If you purchase a ticket but are unable to attend live, you will automatically be emailed a recording of the workshop after the event.

We are committed to making our online events as accessible as possible. We have created a guidance document about this - Click here to view the accessibility document. Alternatively, please email us with any access requirements you may have.

GENDER POLICY

The gender imbalance in the music technology industry is well-recognised. While we are absolutely not ‘anti-men’, we see that a shorter-term solution is to provide fellowship and learning environments that are not dominated by the cisgender male perspective. Therefore, these workshops are intended for women, non-binary, trans and gender non-conforming people to attend. While we do not ban cisgender men from attending, we hope that they will respect that this event is not intended for them.

ABOUT SAFFRON

Saffron is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to advance gender equality in the music tech sector by creating safer spaces for marginalised people to learn, create and grow confidently through forward-thinking technological music creation, DJ and music industry experience. Saffron’s work focuses on educational courses, online workshops, mentoring, a global members club and an artist development and label platform. We are building a future industry that is inclusive and diverse. Founded in Bristol UK in 2015, Saffron has grown from a one-woman operation to an initiative supporting thousands of people worldwide to find music education and community.

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