WMN Sessions Fort Wayne: 14 Songs, 21 Artists, One Creative Community

From August 16–18, 21 women, gender-expansive, and trans artists from across the country and even as far as London, gathered at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana for three days of songwriting, collaboration, and community. The occasion? A special edition of We Make Noise Sessions featuring Rozzi, where producers, songwriters, and instrumentalists came together to write original songs for the acclaimed singer-songwriter.

Over the course of the weekend, participants created 14 original songs, several of which Rozzi is considering for further development and potential future release. But the impact of the session went far beyond the songs themselves.

About Rozzi

LA-based singer-songwriter Rozzi is known for blending emotional depth, bold storytelling, and cultural consciousness into her modern soul-pop sound. A Cannes Lions winner for Orange Skies – Chapter 2 featuring NATURE, Rozzi has collaborated with artists including Nile Rodgers, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Jacob Collier. Her song Best Friend Song became the title track for Netflix’s Me Time, and she has toured with Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson. Ahead of her upcoming album Fig Tree, Rozzi also curated a collaborative art residency at New York’s Ki Smith Gallery.

A Space to Create Freely

For many participants, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience was simply being in a room full of other women and gender-expansive creatives. We Make Noise Sessions are designed to give artists the time, resources, and environment to focus entirely on making music. With food, lodging, studio spaces, and equipment provided, participants could step away from the pressures of everyday life and fully immerse themselves in the creative process.

Tori Tori described the experience as

"A safe space to create, experiment, and co-create without inhibition.”

The sense of openness became a common thread throughout the weekend. One participant described WMN as feeling “so safe, open, chill, and supportive,” while another called it one of the best environments for creativity they had ever experienced.

Writing for Rozzi

This session offered participants the unique opportunity to write directly toward the creative world of an artist they admired. Rozzi came into the session with several themes she wanted the writers to explore, including mental health, the pressures of being a woman or gender-expansive person, the feeling of needing to “do it all,” and even the idea of multiple timelines existing simultaneously. The concepts were intentionally open-ended, giving each writing group the freedom to interpret them through their own experiences.

And the writers ran with them.

Throughout the weekend, Rozzi shared that participants seemed to be reading her mind, turning abstract ideas and emotions into tangible lyrics and stories that resonated with her personally.

For Moyana, one of the most memorable moments came when Rozzi visited the writing rooms to hear the songs and offer feedback.

“By placing our lived experiences into our lyricism and composition, my groups and I were able to strike a chord that resonated with… the featured artist’s own life,”

It was a powerful example of what can happen when artists are given the freedom to bring their own experiences into the room.

More Than a Songwriting Camp

While the primary goal was to create music, the weekend became an opportunity for artists to build relationships and expand their creative communities. For some participants, it was their first time collaborating in a space made up entirely of women and gender-expansive creatives. For others, it was a rare chance to work alongside an artist they had admired for years. And for everyone, there was something new to take home: new collaborators, professional credits, creative confidence, and memories.

Meghan Chen described leaving the weekend feeling like she had gained

“thirty new friends.”

From Studio Sessions to Karaoke

Of course, not every highlight happened in the recording studio. After three days of writing, the artists came together for a karaoke night, giving everyone a chance to put down their notebooks and microphones and simply have fun. The night became a celebration of everything the group had created together, and a reminder that community is just as much a part of the WMN experience as the music

A Special Showcase

The Session wrapped up with a celebration of the 21 artists and all the incredible work they created together. Everyone came together for an open mic at The Fairfield, a local Fort Wayne venue, to share their talent, connect, and celebrate an unforgettable few days of music and community.

14 Songs and a Weekend to Remember

By the end of the session, the group had created 14 songs for Rozzi, with several moving forward for further development and potential future release. The songs represent more than three days of writing. They are the result of artists bringing their own perspectives, experiences, musical backgrounds, and creative voices into a shared space. The session also strengthened connections between emerging artists and industry professionals while creating opportunities for new collaborations and professional credits. Most importantly, participants left with a renewed sense of what is possible when creativity is supported by community.

As one participant put it:

“This was one of the best environments for creativity I've ever been in. I don't have the opportunity to be solely with other people who identify as I do in my daily life, and it was so refreshing to experience the safety of this environment.”

That is what We Make Noise Sessions is all about: creating the conditions for artists to take risks, make meaningful connections, and make music together.

Thank You to Our Partners

The Fort Wayne session was made possible through the support and partnership of Sweetwater, Roland, and Visit Fort Wayne, whose contributions helped create an environment where artists could focus on what they came to do: make music, build community, and create without limits.