A Writing Camp For Musicians On the Road

Ask any musician, and most will admit that while touring is an essential part of their career, it can be physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting—to the point where it can mess with their creative flow. DJ, producer, and the global music director at W Hotels, LP Giobbi knows this feeling all too well.

As I step into her suite at the W Seattle, she’s in the midst of grabbing some water, while telling me how her work schedule has her sleep pattern out of whack. “[As a musician,] we're here to give people a break from their lives; to come and dance and find joy,” she shares. “If you're [exhausted], and not able to find that joy, how are you supposed to share that?”

She has a point. She also has a solution.

The luxury lifestyle hospitality brand (with nearly 70 locations around the world) has launched its very own sound suite at its Seattle location, the first of its kind for the brand in North America (other locations with the feature include Toronto, Barcelona, Macau, and Bali). Hosting up to 15 artists at once, the completely sound-proof room is equipped with everything from a Traktor Kontrol S8 to Shure KSM42 Microphones and more, all overlooking the city’s downtown core. Here, Giobbi hosted the brand’s first ever writing camp.

For three days, Giobbi brought together artists, producers, engineers, and vocalists, etc. to collaborate and create music all in one room, culminating in a showcase in the W Seattle Living Room on the final night. While W Hotels is known for bringing top tier DJs to perform at their properties around the world, this new initiative is to help foster those voices, both established (the first camp included Dave Giles II, a co-writer and producer of Beyonce’s Cozy while on the road) and emerging — a safe haven to get creative.

I sit down beside Giobbi as she shares with me that traditionally, booking hotels in whichever city an artist is touring in can be one of their greatest expenses, especially for indie names who are just getting their footing in the industry. Not to mention the other layers, like finding a studio, booking time, and figuring out transportation. Then there’s the fact that they actually have to find the motivation to make it there and create after a late set the night before.

“When you're feeling burnt out, it's so hard to find that creative spark or to find what even inspires you,” says Giobbi. “It starts to feel like a chore and it doesn't flow.”

With W Hotel’s offering, visiting musicians can book up to one session per day between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., and can choose from three different experiences. Experience 1: a two hour session that offers a sound engineer for one hour, along with full suite and equipment access, including Maschine Studio, PreSonus Monitor Station v2, Maschine Jam, Furman amplifier, and more. Experience 2 is three hours, includes full access to the suite and music equipment, plus TV and streaming services, with snacks. Experience 3 offers champagne and light appetizers.

“To just roll out of bed, walk down the hall, and be in the studio, it’s amazing,” Giobbi shares. “Traveling is something that is so intense in our bodies and our minds. Being protective of our energy is just really important for our jobs.”

Being a fly on the wall in the studio, I could tell the artists were at ease by the way the music was flowing. At one point, they were going over one section of the song a few dozen times, but there was no sense of frustration. As I continued to watch them all in their zone, it couldn’t be more clear that the creative process is truly a holistic experience—and this sound studio is catering not only to the music, but the musicians themselves.