Canberra Veteran Art Meetup - Digital Music Making Workshop

Our meetup on 26 September 2026 will feature a 2.5-hour Digital Music Making workshop with Mansell Laidler, a musician, veteran, researcher, and creative facilitator with 25 years of experience across orchestral, rock, and electronic music. Mansell will demonstrate a range of digital music-making tools, including a phone application and a standalone digital music-making device. He will run through what is possible with the Ableton Live Lite program (Playing synth instruments using a pad, creating foley/soundtrack for a video, recording found material, looping it, and manipulating samples). Mansell will have three Ableton Push Instruments set up and linked together for a guided group exercise in which participants will record loops using MIDI/synth instruments and collaborate on a track. Participants will then build a Foley track or a soundtrack for a video together. Participants will leave with web links to all tracks or mixes created for download. No equipment needed; Mansell will supply everything. No musical knowledge required. If you have some, awesome, but not important. The workshop will provide a scaffolded, accessible and affordable entry point to music-making and creative expression through sound. Whether you’re new to art or returning after time away, you’re warmly invited to join us for an afternoon of creating, learning, and community. These meetups run regularly, so if you can’t attend this one, follow this page or reach out to Mike Armstrong to stay connected with future events.