We Are Moving The Needle x Projet La Rue Masterclass
6 Scholarships
Hosted April 23–27 at the new Projet La Rue studios in Normandy, France, this inaugural masterclass offers up-and-coming women and gender-expansive artists, songwriters, and creators an exclusive opportunity to build their confidence and skills behind the board. Led by singer-songwriter Victoria Canal and producer/engineer Julia Borelli, the program provides a supportive creative space to play, learn, and grow as producers and engineers.
Bringing together six creators in the picturesque countryside of Normandy, this three-day program offers a rare opportunity for inspiration, collaboration, and growth. Participants will take a song from composition all the way through to mastering, gaining hands-on experience every step of the way. Projet La Rue’s state-of-the-art studio provides the perfect environment to sharpen production skills, while a suite of B-Studios will be available for continued exploration and creative development.
Each day will include:
Breakfast + Wake-Up: Clear the cobwebs with a cold plunge, meditate under the trees, morning yoga in the garden, let the inspirational setting clear the mind and inspire the day.
Writing Session, Facilitated by Victoria Canal: Each morning, Victoria will lead the group in a collaborative songwriting session. This is an opportunity for producers and engineers to flex and expand the other side of their craft, and artists and songwriters to hone their creativity with new sets of technical knowledge. Songs will become the basis for technical skills-building and experimentation throughout the day.
Skills Workshop, Taught by Julia Borelli: Every afternoon, Julia will take the group through a different aspect of the recording and post process from vocal production to mixing. By engaging a small cohort, Julia will have the opportunity to tailor skills sessions to meet the needs of the group and specific aspects they hope to dive-deeper on. Too often women artists, for example, are taught there is a “right” and “wrong” way to approach the technical side of recording which stifles creativity and innovation. This space is specifically designed to work against these typical assumptions and be a home for experimentation while learning hard skills to meaningfully enhance play.
Free Play: In addition to collaborative studio time, La Rue will host a series of B-Studios, or smaller spaces where the cohort can expand on skills learned throughout the day and put them into practice with their own projects.
Applications are now closed.
Six up-and-coming creators will be hand selected through We Are Moving The Needle’s prestigious scholarships and grants program. Our goal is to host 3 artist/songwriters and 3 producer/engineers, each given the opportunity to step outside of their typical role in the studio and broaden their craft. Artists will produce, engineers will write songs. This program is designed for intermediate creatives on the rise—they should have a clear profile in the industry and experience in studio settings and are looking specifically to develop new areas of their craft outside of what is typically available to them. This space is perfect for experimenters, those who are ready to play and will benefit from the chance to do so among a community of peers.
Retreat Leaders
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Victoria Canal is a Spanish-American singer-songwriter known for introspective lyrics and fearless artistry. She earned the Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in 2023 and Best Song Musically and Lyrically for “Black Swan” in 2024. She has toured globally, from opening for Hozier on the 2023 Unreal Unearth Tour to joining Coldplay on stage at Glastonbury 2024. Her debut album, Slowly, It Dawns, was released in January.
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Julia Borelli is a Berlin-based producer, mixing, and mastering engineer, recognized as a leading female engineer in electronic music with over a billion streams. She is also a dedicated mentor and advocate for women in music, actively sharing her expertise through masterclasses and mentorship programs.