Folk sensation Seth Lakeman inspires budding singer-songwriters at Plymouth University

He is used to playing in front of thousands at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues – but folk sensation Seth Lakeman performed to a much more intimate audience when he led a workshop for students at Plymouth University. The Devon-based musician spent time working with nine budding singer-songwriters ahead of their performances at a festival being staged in Plymouth next weekend. Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005, he performed some of his work and spoke to BA (Hons) Music undergraduate students about their own songwriting and inspiration. Seth, currently celebrating the success of his seventh solo album Word of Mouth, said: “This workshop was a great chance to share my practice as a singer-songwriter with young and upcoming musicians and to pass on the dying traditions of storytelling. You really have to get into the subject matter and become deeply involved to reveal the heart of an interesting story. Plymouth graduate Magdalena Walker, who performs under the name Miss Walker and helped to coordinate the workshop, added: “The students chosen for this workshop all write their own original material, so it was great for them to hopefully learn from someone who employs such a novel approach to songwriting. It gave them a chance to think about how they might source their future inspiration, and offered them a real insight into the workings of the global music business.