How are songs made? – an artistic and educational workshop by Sara Renar in Zagreb

Does the lyric come first, and the music after? Or does the melody arrive first? Does an artist wait for inspiration, or go looking for it? I have a few verses, but I don’t know how to set them to music. I have an idea for a beat, but what do I do with it next?

This autumn, Zagreb’s Cycle Studio hosts “How are songs made?”, a five-part artistic and educational workshop led by musician, author and producer Sara Renar.

The workshop is for anyone who wants to explore how a song comes into being, regardless of previous musical experience. Across five sessions, participants go through the entire creative process – from the initial idea, lyrics, rhythm and melody, through arrangement and recording, to the basics of music production and thinking about the visual identity of their own work.

The emphasis is on hands-on work, experimentation and demystifying the creative process. Participants will listen to and analyse music, write, compose, record vocals and instruments, build beats, sample and arrange, and get to know the basics of working in Ableton Live. You do not need to play an instrument, read music, or have any experience with music production.

“To write and compose songs you really only need goodwill, curiosity and persistence. The idea of the workshop is to provide a basic set of skills that participants can later develop in different directions,” says Renar.

The goal is for participants to develop, arrange and record their own songs by the end of the cycle, with the final session devoted to listening to and presenting the works created.

The workshop takes place on Tuesdays from 5 to 8 pm at Cycle Studio Zagreb (Vukelićeva 3), on 6, 13, 20 and 27 October and 3 November 2026.

The number of participants is limited to 8, and the price for the full five-part cycle is 250 euros.