Jazz Music Institute (JMI) has opened auditions for its 2019 class.
Based in Brisbane, JMI is Australia's highest rated tertiary institution in creative arts and offers comprehensive, nationally-recognised qualifications in jazz performance and music industry skills.
With auditions open until the end of January 2019, we take some time with JMI CEO Nick Quigley to discuss what's on offer for students and how to make the most of your time there.
What's new at JMI in 2019?
We’ll be delivering a new, one-year Diploma of Music in Jazz Performance in 2019, which is pretty exciting.
It’s a great way for people to dip their toe in the water for studying jazz and it’s the same as taking the first year of our Bachelor programme. So if you complete the Diploma you can go straight into the second year of the Bachelor.
We’re also starting to deliver private lessons for all ages and abilities that are taught by our Bachelor graduates, which is a great way to offer more educational opportunities for people looking to play jazz without having to take a full-time course.
Are there any students from the 2018 class you'd like to mention?
We have some great, young musicians graduating this year that have been hitting the Brisbane jazz scene and doing plenty of gigs.
There’s definitely some names to keep an eye on in the future such as Brandon Mamata, Elliott Parker, Netta Lavon, Mandi Geary, Oli Gray to name a few. But to be honest, all of our prospective graduates this year are excellent musicians that will no doubt have successful careers in the future.
In terms of a career, what pathways are made possible by completing a qualification at JMI?
The main career pathway is through a professional performing career. Students that graduate from JMI are highly skilled musicians that can perform a wide range of genres, not just jazz.
So there’s plenty of opportunities to make a career as a freelancing musician. A few graduates have been performing on cruise ships for the past year, others making their way through doing corporate gigs on top of club gigs.
Aside from performing, another pathway is through teaching. Graduates can teach in some private schools and there are quite a lot of graduates that have gained full-time employment in high schools from studying at JMI and doing some post-graduate study in teaching.
Approximately how many students who gain a qualification from JMI go on to have successful careers in the music industry?
I’d say about 80 per cent of our graduates would go on to have careers in the industry as either performers or teachers or both.
What other opportunities does a JMI education offer?
We offer plenty of performing opportunities for our current students. Each year we organise over 100 public performances that are paid gigs, so students are getting real industry experience and getting paid properly for that experience at the same time.
In general, what can be expected during the audition and interview process?
The audition process can be nerve-racking for some people, so we try and make it as relaxed as possible. We provide a rhythm section for the audition and applicants perform two tunes with us. There’s also some theory and aural exams that they have to complete.
We’re basically looking for someone who knows how to get around their instrument and have a keenness to learn and get better.
What are the ideal personal attributes JMI seeks in students?
We look for people who are passionate and driven to get the most out of themselves. We pride ourselves on the culture that our students and teachers help to create at JMI, so people that are genuine and generous is also a good indicator of what makes a good student.
Practise makes perfect, but what else can applicants do to ensure them the best chance of being accepted?
Listen to the music! Go out and see live jazz around town, introduce yourself to the musicians, talk to them about what they do and what they practice. But most importantly is listen to the music.
In the words of our good friend and the Head of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University, Reggie Thomas, 'music is the best teacher of music'.
JMI courses are considered some of the best in the world (even Wynton Marsalis agrees!); how does JMI maintain their educational edge over other operators?
Our direct interaction with the current jazz scene helps, as all of our teachers are practising professional musicians regularly playing gigs in the local and national scene.
On top this, we are continually trying to improve our course and how we deliver it. We really listen to our teaching staff and students in terms of their feedback and we engage with internationally renowned musicians and educators on different methods for teaching this music.
Why study at JMI?
We’re a unique institution that can provide an educational experience that you can’t find at other institutions.
Our small class sizes means that we are able to be a lot more personalised in our approach with our students. Our course structure is considered one of the most comprehensive and detailed by other leading educators in Australia.
But I think the fact that JMI is the highest-rated institution for Creative Arts in Australia in terms of student satisfaction speaks volumes as to why people should study here. Our students love the place and what it represents.
