Wisseloord Academy: find your sound, improve your songwriting

Want to know more about life at the Wisseloord Academy? Brynja Mary is a sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter from Iceland and one of the first students at Wisseloord Academy. She mostly writes and sings pop and R&B music with a distinct Nordic vibe. We had the chance to ask Brynja some fun questions in between creative sessions. She talks about the various classes, her goals and life at the Wisseloord Academy.

Brynja Mary

Brynja Mary is an international student who, with her sisxteen years, is the youngest student at Wisseloord Academy. Originally from Iceland, Brynja has left home to spend thirty weeks at Wisseloord and learn more about producing music.

“I have been singing all my life and writing music since I was seven years old. Last year I was the youngest participant of the Eurovision Songfestival, proudly representing Iceland, and I have lived and made music in many different places, including Germany, Denmark, Norway and LA. I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in music, so when I was looking for a school to learn more about the production side of the industry, my mom found the Wisseloord Academy.”

Sound education in the Netherlands combined with creative sessions

Each student joins the Wisseloord Academy with different goals in mind. That makes the experience different for each student and, even though Brynja already has quite some experience under her belt, she was surprised at what it turned out to be like:

“It’s amazing. Everything is vastly different from my normal life, since I’m also on my own for the first time. But I get to experience what it’s like to work with music every single day. Wisseloord is my school ánd my home now, it’s amazing to be surrounded by people with the same passion and learn from each other. I love it.”

Asked about her main goals for attending Wisseloord and how the teachers help her get there, Brynja says: “For me it’s all about figuring out who I want to be as an artist. Besides learning the basics of producing music, I want to figure out what I’m good at. The teachers ask a lot of questions to get me thinking, which especially in the beginning was very confusing, but it helps. Also, I’m trying out new things every day, which really helps with this process. If I’m not in class, I’m in a creative session, getting to know new people and new aspects of the music industry.”

Experiencing sound education in the music industry

Even though (music) theory is an important part of the program at Wisseloord Academy, the lessons and exercises are practically oriented. Students are constantly making and producing music, challenging themselves with new approaches, genres, or aspects of the industry.

“If you want to improve your songwriting like I do, it helps to practice. Every day at Wisseloord Academy is like a real-life experience. When I walk out of here at the end of the program, I’ll already have so much experience and a whole network in the industry. I genuinely believe that’s a massive advantage when you are trying to grow further into the music industry like I am.”

“It’s hard to say what my most amazing experience at Wisseloord has been. All the sessions have been amazing. Meeting new people and truly getting to know them, going beyond just connecting and networking, has been fantastic. But I also got to participate in a talkshow for the Dutch Media Week, which was pretty cool.”

Want to learn more about songwriting, producing and the business side of the music industry? Join us next semester at Wisseloord Academy! Learn more about our courses or get in touch.