Jazz vocalist and AIM graduate Josh Kyle.
Musicians are currently able to apply for a Diploma or a Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Performance) course at AIM’s new inner city Melbourne campus, a purpose-built space with state-of-the art recording and rehearsal facilities and a three-story concert hall. Classes begins on 28 January 2014, and will teach high-level performance skills to individuals keen on jumpstarting a future career in the music industry.
Jazz vocalist Josh Kyle is a graduate of the Bachelor of Music program (Contemporary Performance) with honours. His choice to study with AIM was largely determined by the practicality of the course and the possibility to tailor the program towards his specific needs.
‘For me, with an interest in jazz, I was allowed to really steer my own course. I could choose all the jazz electives … and kind of make a little jazz course of my own inside the broader course, which was great,’ said Kyle.
Kyle’s love of jazz started years earlier. ‘When I was young I had some wonderful singing lessons from a teacher in the country … She had a great love of jazz and that kind of feeling was imparted on me.’His time at AIM provided a creative environment where he could develop his knowledge of the broad art form and hone his skills.
The Contemporary Music program offers major instrumental studies, performance studies, concert and ensemble practice, genre studies, academic studies and a range of performance, management, media and technology electives. It also promotes creative group work, a practice adopted by AIM to help teach networking and collaborative skills. The Diploma course offers complementary subjects that can serve as a gateway to the Bachelor course.
Compared to other more specific courses, AIM’s Contemporary Music program offers room for exploration. ‘If a student is not sure whether they want to go down a particular path, this course offers them a whole bunch of different options,’ said Kyle.
The number of industry-active teachers was another aspect of AIM that Kyle found invaluable. According to Kyle, ‘You’re having a one on one interaction with them (the teachers), and their stories and experiences are firsthand.’ This knowledge filters into their teaching tasks. ‘They try and make it as real and as alive as they can – which is great,’ he said.
With a strong performance foundation through his AIM studies, Kyle has achieved much since he graduated. Career highlights include a performance at the London International Jazz Festival, national recognition in The Voice television show, singing the South African national anthem for the Tri-Nations Rugby at Homebush Stadium, and recording a debut album, Possibilities, in London within which he explored a mix of r’n’b and electronics combined with more traditional jazz.
Upcoming collaborative recording works with a piano player and a vocal ensemble are scheduled for Kyle in the coming year, as are performances at jazz nights and festivals throughout Australia.
According to AIM’s Dean, Professor Ian Bofinger, AIM’s focus on contemporary forms and practices gives students, such as Kyle, a practical and relevant foundation in the business of music and performance. ‘We’re one of the very few places that takes contemporary performance as a serious art form,’ said Bofinger.
It is this contemporary focus that is allowing many AIM graduates to become key players in the entertainment industry today.
All AIM courses begin on 28 January 2014. Those interested in applying for the Contemporary Performance course must undertake an audition and interview, and have a certified record of their previous educational study.
A Melbourne Campus Open Day will be held on 18 January 2014 at 120 King Street, Melbourne City from 10am-3pm. Visit the open day information page for more details.
Find out about AIM courses in Melbourne here, or Sydney courses here. Visit the AIM website for general information or call 1300 301 983.
