Abbey Road Studios is a name that needs no introductions. It’s a name that throughout its 80 plus years in the industry has solidified its reputation, so when an offshoot institute opened in Melbourne last year, the music scene was abuzz with excitement. With students currently undertaking study at the institute and open day coming up on June 4 at the Melbourne location, we decided to have a chat with Kelli Wright, the National Client Engagement Manager, on what it’s all about.
Hi Kelli, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?
We are currently in the last stages of finalising and enrolling our short courses in music production, business, and introduction courses in Pro Tools, Logic and Ableton.
2015 was the inaugural year for the Abbey Road Inst, how did that year shape up for the team and students involved?
Great. We started off with a small, dedicated and diverse team of individuals who bring a wealth of experience from different facets of the industry. The academic team is slowly expanding to cater to the needs of the growing student body.
Open Day for Abbey Rd isn’t far away, how is everything coming along?
We have arranged a producer panel including Steeve Bodi, Paul Brandoli, Lance Krive and Jimmy Maroudis. We will be having sessions running in both the API and the S6 and tours will be running throughout the day.
At Forte we’re quite familiar with the top quality facilities on offer, but what sort of reactions have you had from future students who walk through the institute for the first time?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Potential students are thrilled by the chance to study at our world class exclusive school and showcase their passion for production – as entry is through interview only. With 48 contact weeks through the year, consistent mentoring by world leaders in the field of production and intimate learning environments, there’s plenty to be excited about.
We understand Abbey Road also has quite a focus on hands on learning, and given you work in the industry, how important is it to have these skills coming out of study and into the industry?
Our course is focused on developing high-level practical skills by offering supervised hands-on learning each and every day of class. This allows students to successfully enter the industry with the skill level of a mature industry practitioner.
That focus is one of the things that sets Abbey Road apart from other colleges, what are a few of the other things you would say are unique for the institute?
Access to professional industry standard equipment from day one. We have a boutique range of microphones, outboard gear and plugins that students can use on a daily basis. We also supply the students with a range of instruments from Gibson, Epiphone and Billy Hyde to assist with their recordings.
For those thinking of learning about the music industry, why is Abbey Road Institute right for them?
The course has been endorsed by the biggest name in the music industry, Abbey Road. Techniques will be taught to you by experienced industry professional and pioneering artists and you will be able to develop and hone those skills on a daily basis under supervision.
To find out more on classes, visit https://abbeyroadinstitute.com.au/ or call 1800 274 338 and speak to Kelli.
When & Where: Open day @ Abbey Road Institute, Melbourne – June 4
