Write your song,
become yourself.

Each person has a creative spark. We create the conditions to help light the fire.

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How we work.

We build environments where the music that's already inside every student becomes a song. Through songwriting, they find their own voices and the courage to share them.

The difference
Most programs hand students a curriculum and ask them to follow it.
AWEN works the other way around. Students lead with instinct. When they reach for something they can't quite get to on their own, we're there with the tools and the trust to help them say it.

1-on-1 Facilitation

Weekly virtual songwriting sessions, one student and one facilitator who knows them well. Students write their own songs and build a body of original work over time. The confidence and the creative voice come with it.

Retreats

Multi-day immersive songwriting retreats. Small groups. No phones. Live music. Students leave with original songs they wrote from scratch and a creative community they built together.

School Partnerships

We partner with independent schools to cultivate a student-owned creative culture through songwriting. Retreats, on-campus programs, and showcases co-designed with faculty.

Testimonials

"I watched Awen inspire teenagers to trust themselves and create songs that were silly, somber, joyful, poignant, and personal, and sometimes all those things at once…I, too, fell into writing something I had no idea was waiting to share."

Juliet Dana · Sophomore Dean, Marin Academy

Students on the Mendocino coast
The Victorian house in the fog
Students playing piano and guitar together in the lodge

"I came into the trip with no clue how to write a song... I left Mendocino County with a passion that still is a part of me today."

Former Student

"Awen has given our son a priceless gift…an inner belief in his own creative abilities and the confidence to trust his own ideas."

Peter · Parent of Awen Student

"His work with our 6th graders on songwriting and production was a highlight for all the classes. He has a gentle and affirming touch that made the students at ease."

Matt Silverman · Performing Arts Director, Marin Country Day School

Our Team.

Will Zesiger
Will Zesiger
Founder & Lead Facilitator

Will has spent over a decade leading songwriting retreats and facilitating hundreds of 1:1 sessions, building Awen's methodology to unlock the creative potential already inside every student. A cum laude graduate of NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, he writes and performs with his band, PRESIDIO, around the U.S.

Gabriella Zesiger
Gabriella Zesiger
Co-Facilitator & Strategic Advisor

Gabby is a professional vocalist, songwriter and vocal coach with over a decade of experience helping students discover their authentic voices and find confidence in their innate musicality. A YoungArts award-winner and graduate of NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, she co-leads Awen retreats and serves as a strategic advisor. She writes and performs with her band, PRESIDIO.

Let's talk.

Tell us a little about what brings you here and we'll be in touch. Or reach out directly at will@awen.academy.

Built from eleven years of songwriting retreats on the California coast, Awen creates environments where students feel safe enough to find their own voices and brave enough to share them.

AWEN n., Welsh

The creative inspiration that flows through a person when they speak their truth.