Peaches School of Production & Songwriting
LADY GAGA
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JAX
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BIG XthaPLUG
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AVA MAX
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LUKE COMBS
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TATE McRAE
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FAST & FURIOUS: THE FAST SAGA
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PUSS N' BOOTS 2
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FAST X
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BLITHE
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SCOOB!
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ANNE-MARIE
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MIGOS
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SAGE THE GEMINI
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TREY SONGZ
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KEVIN GATES
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ZED
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BEER LAND
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BLACKISH
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COOKING WITH PARIS
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NETFLIX
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FUSE TV
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ABC
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LADY GAGA * JAX * BIG XthaPLUG * AVA MAX * LUKE COMBS * TATE McRAE * FAST & FURIOUS: THE FAST SAGA * PUSS N' BOOTS 2 * FAST X * BLITHE * SCOOB! * ANNE-MARIE * MIGOS * SAGE THE GEMINI * TREY SONGZ * KEVIN GATES * ZED * BEER LAND * BLACKISH * COOKING WITH PARIS * NETFLIX * FUSE TV * ABC *
CREDITS
Peaches School was born out of a realization we kept coming back to after years in studios, sessions, tours, and writing rooms: there was no real place to learn how this world actually works before college, and even then, most programs can’t keep up with how fast the industry changes. We wanted to build the kind of mentorship system where students don’t just learn how to use software or play an instrument, but truly become musicians. Whether their instrument is a guitar, a microphone, or a laptop our goal is to develop their ears, rhythm, theory, creativity, and ability to speak the language of music fluently. Most importantly, we wanted to create a community rooted in the real music industry.
At Peaches, students aren’t practicing in a vacuum. Through our Group Lessons, Private Lessons, monthly Listening Parties and Masterclasses, they step directly into the world of songwriting sessions, artist collaborations, sync briefs, publishing opportunities, and feedback from active industry professionals. We bring the real-world music economy into the classroom because we believe careers are built on relationships and opportunity just as much as they are on talent. Every part of the program is designed to feel alive, collaborative, and connected to the industry happening outside our walls.
We were lucky enough to grow up surrounded by incredible musicians and creatives who poured knowledge into us, and Peaches is our way of passing that spirit forward, creating the kind of environment where students feel challenged, inspired, connected, and genuinely supported as they begin building careers of their own.
Group Lessons -The Heart of our Program
At the core of the Peaches School are our Sunday Group Sessions. This is where students step directly into a real-world songwriting and production environment designed to mirror the professional sessions happening every day across the music industry. Each session is 2 hours long led by both a production/engineering instructor and a top line instructor, giving students access to mentorship from multiple angles at the same time. Our production instructors guide students through all things musical and technical: production, engineering, arrangement, theory, session etiquette, creative direction, and the role a producer truly plays in the room. At the same time, our rotating roster of top line instructors focuses on lyrics, melody, vocal performance, songwriting, and artist development. Because all of our instructors are actively working in the industry, students are learning from people who are living this career in real time.
More Than Music Lessons
What truly separates Peaches from traditional music programs is that students are not working on hypothetical assignments. They are working on real opportunities. Throughout the program, students are introduced to actual briefs from major publishers, sync companies, and industry channels. We teach them how to break down references, understand what a brief is really asking for, interpret creative direction, collaborate under pressure, and ultimately create music that can compete professionally. When a song reaches the level we believe is commercially viable, Mark may submit it directly for publisher consideration. That means students are not only gaining experience, but potentially earning placements, sync licensing fees, royalties, and most importantly, early exposure to major industry networks while still developing their craft.
Artist Sessions
We also regularly bring working artists into sessions so students can experience the collaborative side of the industry firsthand. Learning how to communicate with artists, read the room, break the ice, interpret feedback, and help bring someone’s vision to life is a huge part of becoming a successful producer or songwriter. These sessions create genuine opportunities for networking and collaboration, and in many cases, artists return to continue developing songs with the students, Luke, or Mark beyond the classroom itself.
Private Lessons - Curated For You
Private Lessons at Peaches are designed to help each student develop the exact skills needed for their individual path in music while simultaneously preparing them to thrive inside our group sessions and real-world creative environments. Every lesson is 2 hours long and fully tailored to the student. Whether their goals are touring, songwriting, artist development, session work, production, engineering, or all of the above, our focus is always the same: building the most functional, employable, and confident musician possible within their lane. Along the way, students naturally develop core fundamentals such as theory, ear training, musicianship, recording techniques, communication, workflow, session etiquette, and the language of modern music creation.
Masterclass & Listening Party
The last Sunday of every month, the entire Peaches community comes together for our Listening Party and Masterclass Series. This is where students get the opportunity to share the music they’ve been developing throughout the month and receive live feedback, critiques, creative direction, and industry insight directly from Mark and other working professionals. Often, Mark will also play records or productions of his own, especially when students have been working from the same briefs or references, giving everyone a rare behind-the-scenes look into how professional records are actually developed and executed at the highest level.
After the listening party, we transition into a deeper masterclass focused on a specific topic, lesson, deal, creative breakthrough, or real-world experience pulled directly from Mark’s career in the music industry. These nights are designed to feel equal parts educational, inspiring, and communal. We also open the doors to friends of the school, collaborators, artists, and industry professionals, creating a natural networking environment where students can build relationships, meet other creatives, and immerse themselves in the larger Peaches community while continuing to learn from people actively working in the industry every day.
Our Team
Mark Nilan Jr. - Founder
Mark Nilan Jr. brings decades of real-world industry experience directly into the Peaches School. Raised in Detroit surrounded by Motown legends and world-class musicians, Mark built his foundation studying jazz performance at Wayne State University under legendary educator Dennis J. Tini before earning his master’s degree from the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied under acclaimed pianist and composer David Roitstein. He went on to become a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer, engineer, songwriter, and executive music producer. Mark has worked with artists including Lady Gaga, Tate McRae, Jimin, Charlie Puth, Jax, Kodak Black, Kehlani, Migos, and Jessie Murph. He first broke through in 2017 as co-writer and co-producer of The Cure before earning a Grammy Award for his work on A Star Is Born, later contributing to projects including Fast X, Honey Girls, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and many more. In 2022, he co-wrote and co-produced Victoria’s Secret by Jax, earning the 2024 BMI Pop Award for Most Performed Song of the Year. That combination of deep musicianship, formal education, and modern industry experience became the foundation for the Peaches philosophy.
Luke Nilan - Co-Founder
Luke Nilan is a producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and educator with over 10 years of teaching experience spanning private instruction, ensemble coaching, touring workshops, and music production mentorship. With over 15 years of experience on guitar and more than a decade on bass, Luke built his foundation through jazz studies, live performance, session work, and years spent inside professional studios. He studied under his father, Grammy Award-winning producer Mark Nilan Jr., later interning with Emmy-winning composer Kevin Kiner while building his own career across records, touring, film, television, and artist development. His credits include work with artists such as Charlie Puth, Jax, DNCE, Lisa Heller, and along with production and composing work featured across film and television projects including Honey Girls, ABC, HULU, HBO and more. He is the head Production instructor and handles most of the day to day at Peaches.
Jamie Gelman
Jamie's co-writes have amassed an impressive 15 million streams on Spotify alone, secured a spot on Sirius XM The Pulse's Weekend Rotation, and earned the covers of several Spotify editorials, making her a writer to watch in the industry since she was 19. Most recently, Jamie co-wrote a song for ELF Cosmetic's GRWMusic campaign alongside artist Zoe Ko. Outside of the studio, Jamie has been tutoring and teaching songwriting lessons for over 2 years, developing her lesson plans around each student's unique sound and genre preferences.
Top Line Instructor
Sam X
Sam Perlow p.k.a SAM X is a multi-instrumentalist genre-blending pop/alt-pop/R&B producer, songwriter, and recording engineer in Los Angeles, California.
Production Instructor
Nahima
Nahima is a singer-songwriter born and raised along the beaches of beautiful Los Angeles, California. Raised on gospel, soul music, and radio Disney and equipped with a unique tone, poetic lyrics, and youthful optimism, she began releasing songs from her childhood bedroom. She continued releasing music bordering bedroom pop and indie R&B, eventually gaining the attention of Grammy award-winning duo, STARGATE. Under their guidance and mentorship, Nahima has honed in on her musicality and songwriting, gaining the opportunity to write songs for countless independent and major label artists.
Top Line Instructor/Artist
KINGS
KINGS is a fast-rising pop artist and songwriter with millions of streams and over 5 million followers across social platforms, known for building a successful independent career through emotionally driven songwriting, modern artist development, and authentic audience connection.
Artist
JESSIA
JESSIA has captured the hearts of fans across the world with her raw talent, dazzling pop melodies, and heart-wrenching lyricism. Originally from Vancouver, her rise to fame has been nothing short of meteoric. Since her debut in 2021, she has amassed over 375 million streams. Her breakout single, I'm not Pretty became a viral anthem of self-acceptance, capturing the attention of Grammy-nominated artist Bebe Rexha, who joined JESSIA for a remix of the song.
Artist
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts is a rising country artist, songwriter, and powerhouse vocalist with over 80 million Spotify streams, nearly half a million monthly listeners, and a rapidly growing global audience, known for her work alongside Beyoncé on Cowboy Carter, performances at Stagecoach and Rolling Loud, and her genre-blending approach to modern outlaw country music.
Artist
Lily Forte
emerging American indie-pop and alternative singer-songwriter known for her signature "retro-cool" aesthetic and soulful, vintage-inspired vocals. Often compared to artists like Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, and Carole King, she blends raw 1970s rock grit with jazzy flourishes and cinematic storytelling. Originally from Florida and now based in Los Angeles, Forte began writing songs at the age of eight and has performed at iconic venues like the Troubadour and Moroccan Lounge
Artist/Top Line Instructor
Ian Pinck
Ian PINCK (often referred to as Ian Pinckney) is a multitalented singer, songwriter, and producer known for creating a unique genre he calls "Soul Punk-Rock". Originally from the South Side of Chicago and currently based in Los Angeles, he blends R&B harmonies and Bilal-esque lyrical sophistication with high-energy melodies reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk. [1, 2]
ArtistAnd growing…
MUSIC
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all! We do highly encourage getting something to be able to practice at home, no hardware is provided outside of the studio.
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Click Sign Up Here for either Private Lessons or Group Lessons. If you have any trouble at all please feel free to reach out via phone or email.
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No, however we highly recommend it.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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Absolutely!