On 25 June we gathered at Skeppet GBG for a masterclass with Planningtorock — the artist, producer and composer Jam Rostron, known as a strong voice in queerpop and electronic dance music.
The theme of the day was something most people who make music wrestle with sooner or later: how do you find your own voice? Not just literally, in the singing, but in the sound and expression as a whole.
The voice as an instrument
Throughout their career, Planningtorock has worked with processing and transforming the voice — stretching it, distorting it, using it as an instrument in its own right. During the masterclass they shared concrete vocal-processing techniques: how to shape the voice in production, and how those technical choices become part of the artistic expression.
It wasn’t about sounding “correct”, but about finding something that feels true — daring to use production to say something, not just to polish the surface.
More than technique
A thread running through the whole session was that technique and expression belong together. Planningtorock talked about their own methods and ideas, and about how you can challenge habitual ways of thinking about sound. With a career that includes collaborations with The Knife, Robyn and Lady Gaga, there was plenty of perspective to draw from.
For the participants it was a chance to get close to a way of working that’s rarely shown openly — and to take home tools they can use straight away in their own music.
This is just the beginning
The masterclass is part of what we do at Music Hub West — creating spaces where the music industry in Västra Götaland can meet, learn from each other and grow. More masterclasses, workshops and talks are on the way.
Don’t want to miss the next one? Keep an eye on our upcoming events.