Have you ever found yourself belting out a Mehdi Maloof chorus, then fumbling the rest? We’ve all been there. It says less about your connection to the music and more about the availability of local song lyrics. So much lyrical genius remains unmapped online – let’s change that now.
Join us in a community effort to get our favorite indie songs accurately logged on Genius.
This isn’t merely a task of transcription; it's a call to take the ownership of our shared stake in the music that’s woven into our lives.
Workshop flow
Quick Genius Tour: We'll start with a look at Genius, covering its main features like lyrics and annotations.
Step-by-Step Demo: You'll get an easy walkthrough on finding existing songs and artists, and adding new ones to the database.
Transcription Tips: Learn useful techniques for accurate lyric transcription, including handling non-English spellings, ad-libs, and proper formatting.
Adding Annotations: Discover how to add insightful explanations and context to lyrics.
Collaborative Song List: We'll share a running list of Pakistani indie songs for everyone to choose from and work on.
Transcription Sprint: Our goal is to collaboratively transcribe 100 or more songs in 3 hours, with everyone helping out on tricky lyrics.
Sustain Your Contribution: By the end, you'll be equipped to continue transcribing and contributing to Genius on your own.
A chilled-out, self-paced space for you to share and connect over songs with other music lovers in a way you might not have before.
This workshop is free, so please bring your:
💻 Your devices, fully charged. Bring your laptops, tablets, phones. Make sure they’re fully charged. We have power extensions if you need to plug in, but they are limited in number, and to be shared.
🛜 Your internet dongles. While we have Wi-Fi, there is a chance that it might slow down if all of us connect to it together. Keep your dongles on you, just in case and bring them with an intention to share for the session.
🎧 Your headphones. Make sure they’re charged enough for three hours of playback.
🧘 Your comfort items to share: yoga mats, rugs, pillows, cushions – anything that supports a comfortable seat for you and others, to truly make the space warm and cosy.
ABOUT YOUR FACILITATORS
For Asad, the expansive spirit that lives in the songs written by Nadir Shahzad has shaped who they are, and quite literally saved their life. For Kiran, Mehdi Maloof—whose music, lyrics, and the embodiment of masculinity in his art—has been profoundly formative growing up in Lahore. No matter how many years Hozier takes the top spot on their Spotify Wrapped, they both inevitably return to the local indie scene for a sense of belonging that nothing else could offer.
Our favorite local singer-songwriters haven't just shaped our playlists; they are bila-shuba the soundtracks to our lives. We're hosting this workshop because we believe we can't possibly be the only devotees logging lyrics on Genius. Let’s DIT? Do-it-together? Preserve the words that have meant so much to each one of us?
JOIN US
📅⏰ When: Sunday, June 22, 1:30-4:30 PM
🗺️📍 Location: Neutral – Ground Floor, Sea Castle 1, Marine Promenade. Block 4 Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan 75500
