Suffolk acts enjoy BBC Introducing Musicians' Masterclass
Suffolk artists say they picked up invaluable advice at the second BBC Introducing Musicians' Masterclass.
The event at the Abbey Road and Maida Vale studios featured workshops and talks from renowned musicians, DJs and leading players in the music industry.
BBC Introducing in Suffolk picked Ria Ritchie, Caomhe, Timmy Booth, Nee Hi and Refracture to attend the event.
Lowestoft singer-songwriter Ria said: "It was really helpful, I got a lot out of it."
Newton Faulkner, Zane Lowe, Wretch 32, Jamie Cullum, Ms. Dynamite and Trent Reznor were among the high-profile names giving advice.
Ria attended a guitar workshop with Young Guns but said the most valuable part of the day was getting tips on songwriting.
"There was a talk with Brian Higgins from Xenomania about songwriting, and the way they do it is like a proper formula, like a hit factory," she said.
"They all sit together and it's very structured, but Jamie Cullum had a totally different approach - just using whatever came to him.
"He had an app where he created a beat, put it on loop and then played random chords to it. It was good to see both sides of the song writing."
Ria recently recorded a session for SBTV, which was instrumental in raising Ed Sheeran's profile, and hopes to release her debut single in the spring.
Singer-songwriter Caomhe, from Bungay, said she took advantage of the chance to pass on CDs to Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe as well as her fellow artists.
"I made so many friends amongst the musicians and now I have loads of CDs and connections," she said.
"You'd think it was really competitive but it was a good vibe."
Caomhe said Tom Robinson, who presents BBC 6 Music's Introducing show, provided encouraging advice for songwriters.
"He was motivating everyone to keep on writing - to write awful songs and there will be a good one soon," she said.
She said other highlights were based on the industry side of music, including how to increase the chances of playing a festival or support slot.
Video from the BBC Introducing Musicians' Masterclass is available on the BBC Introducing website.