JMC Academy has proudly joined the renowned Berklee College of Music’s International Network. The network is made up of institutions from all over the globe who share a passion and vision for the advancement of contemporary music and quality education. Positioned as the leader in this field and with an extensive global network, Berklee’s announcement now places JMC Academy as the only Australasian institution within the network.
The official partnership came about after five years of collaborative initiatives between JMC Academy and Berklee College of Music. These included a number of master classes and lecture series delivered by Berklee staff to tertiary students from JMC Academy and students from various high schools. JMC Academy staff also visited the Berklee Boston and Valencia campuses, cementing a fluid relationship between the institutions.
It was only after a number of these educational exchanges had been carried out that an official partnership emerged. According to JMC Academy’s Founder and Managing Director Martin Cass, ‘This was something that over time has not only developed into a friendship, but also a significantly better understanding and respect for what each other does.’
The Berklee International Network (BIN) is comprised of leading creative industry educational providers from Asia, Europe, South America, the Middle East, and now Australia. It aims to advance music education on a global scale, with faculty, staff and student ambassadors delivering educational initiatives in partnered schools, as well as auditioning and interviewing international students for their full-time and graduate programs.
According to Cass, the selection of JMC Academy for entry into BIN is an accolade. ‘Being invited to join the Berklee International Network validates the efforts and achievements of the JMC Academy, our staff and our students,’ he said.
JMC Academy was founded in 1982 and offers tertiary training in creative industry technology and related areas. The institution has campuses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and was Australia’s first private college to be awarded accreditation for Audio Engineering, Digital Television and Digital Multimedia. It has since then expanded to deliver training programs in a wide variety of creative areas.
The institution currently offers Bachelor Degree and Diploma level courses in Contemporary Music Performance, Audio Engineering and Sound Production, Entertainment Business Management, 3D Animation, Game Design, and Film and Television Production.
JMC Academy stays relevant by employing industry professionals as teachers, and by inviting international master class lecturers to deliver presentations. Ongoing technology upgrades across each creative discipline ensures students are trained with current tools.
The institution recognises a worldwide creative industry and endeavours to provide students with skills that are up-to-date and up-to-scratch on an international level. ‘Music is global with a huge digital reach in the new age. It is important for our academic staff, management and students to enrich their experiences all over the world,’ said CEO of JMC Academy George Markakis. ‘Entry into Berklee College of Music International Network is an invaluable connection that will allow for further collaboration with and insight into global practices.’
Berklee College of Music shares these sentiments and selects their partnered schools with great care. ‘Each BIN partner is essential to Berklee due to their capacity to attract and generate musical talent in their specific countries. Each one of them opens doors for us to their musical cultures and strengthens the international strategy to make modern music education accessible around the world,’ said Guillermo Cisneros, Vice-President for Global Initiatives of Berklee College of Music.
Founded in 1945 by Lawrence Berk, Berklee College of Music was the first US school to teach jazz and the first school in the world to offer songwriting, film scoring and music synthesis as college majors. It has continued this focus on contemporary music and currently offers academic courses in rock, turntables, electronic production and other current music genres. Since its foundation, more than 270 Grammys and Latin Grammys have been won by alumni and faculty.
Becoming an official part of BIN will bring about unique collaborative and networking opportunities, with JMC and Berklee currently working on joint initiatives. These are being formulated for both staff and students at either side as well as with the other BIN members throughout the world.
‘JMC Academy students in the future will have the opportunity to articulate into the Masters Degree at either the Berklee Boston or Valencia campuses,’ said Markakis. JMC Academy lecturers will also get the experience of working alongside Berklee lecturers, who will be delivering master classes at various campuses.
‘The ‘Berklee on the road’ initiatives will also enable local high school students around Australia to participate in lectures, labs, master classes, ensembles, workshops and jam sessions, as well as special events, panel discussions and live performances,’ said Markakis.
A three day Berklee International Summit was recently held in Boston, allowing institutions within BIN to share curriculum updates and goals, as well as discuss global strategies and educational collaborations of the past and future. Cass was in attendance, representing JMC Academy. ‘Having the opportunity to be in the same room with 18 other like-minded music institutions from all reaches of the globe was truly amazing. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss music and education from such a diverse cultural perspective, making it exciting to see what the next stage of this partnership will bring,’ he said.
By working with the other members of the Berklee International Network, updates to contemporary music education based on global perspectives and practices will lead to broader opportunities for JMC Academy students.
According to Cass, ‘It’s all about the passion we share for our students and the quality of education in the creative industries.’
Applications are currently open for 2014 course enrolment at JMC Academy, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
