Red Bull Music Academy Melbourne 2006

Workshop Term 1: Sept 24 – Oct 6, 2006
Workshop Term 2: Oct 15 – Oct 27, 2006
Application Phase: Apr 14 – Jun 3, 2006

The journey is set to begin again. In 2006 and in its 9th year the Red Bull Music Academy is going to Melbourne, Australia. Not just any old music event, the Academy is a school of beats, rhymes and life. It’s where music delectation is combined with positive education.

The program yields once-in-a-lifetime opportunities – such as the chance to go back down memory lane with music’s most prized contributors, to share futuristic studio perspectives or capture a timeless groove in a late night jam session.

The Academy is a place where self-knowledge is prized above pride, where newbies can hold their heads high as the barriers come down. The beneficial effect isn’t limited to the participants. Virtually all who step through the Academy’s doors find inspiration to – in the words of Big Daddy Kane – take flight and ignite to a brand new height.

So what’s the scenario? The Red Bull Music Academy unfolds as follows. Two groups of promising producers, musicians and DJs hailing from around 30 different countries assemble at a new location each year.

In an open, friendly forum and in the comfort of well-equipped studios, they meet and make beats with crucial characters in the story of music: from authors of the foundations of funk, through to the young, independent-minded technicians who re-wrote the book. Together, they explore and mash up aural possibilities via DJ-mixing set-ups, classic samplers, and boxes upon boxes of the latest keyboards, mics and music production software. Each group of thirty takes part in one of two two-week semesters.

However, they don’t just take notes and let hope float. With the help of a stellar production team, a number of quality tracks are made at the Academy. Participants also have the chance to broadcast live on the Academy’s web-based RBMA Radio. The constant musical activity – not to mention camaraderie – creates a unique energy, which catches fire in the nightspots of the city. There, everybody has a chance to perform, and to take their own spot on the dancefloor.

The journey has so far led to the metropolises of Berlin, Dublin, New York, London, Sao Paulo, Cape Town, and Rome, and since visiting Seattle, the “Emerald City”, in 2005, the Academy now follows the yellow brick road to Oz: Melbourne, the jewel in Australia's south. In the grand scheme of things, Australia is a new country, little over two centuries old, and its isolation has prompted a unique and exciting culture not held back by tradition and moving towards the future in fast forward. The ideal place for the gifted to gather and trade tips?

We think so. Melbourne has long been a favourite southern outpost for musicians and artists of all kinds. Relatively relaxed licensing laws have contributed to a vibrant selection of inner city clubs and bars. The city is home to the whimsical indie pop of bands like Architecture in Helsinki, a healthy hip hop fraternity, experimental electronica and a prospering techno scene since the early 90s – plus deep house, disco, roots/reggae, and everything in between.

Within an hour of the city, winding roads hug alongside rugged beaches and stunning coastline. Not a bad vista to take in while one sits and ponders the trip to the southern pole. Downtown, the open-air markets are filled with tropical fruits from Queensland, and catching a tram along the broad leafy avenues, you will bump into a myriad of sub-cultures as well as plenty of high culture.

This cosmopolitan and arts-oriented city of 3.2 million is extremely culturally diverse. Beginning with the Gold Rush in the 1850s, Melbourne has become home to many immigrants – leading to a population comprised of more than 110 different ethnic backgrounds, including some of the largest Italian, Vietnamese, and Greek communities in the world. A vibrant and multi-layered city indeed.

Anyone interested in joining this year’s Academy in Melbourne must follow a few simple steps. Prospective applicants should the application form at www.redbullmusicacademy.com and send the completed questionnaire along with a mix-CD or selection of his/her own music, and a current photo to the Red Bull Music Academy between April 14 and June 3, 2006.

Once the application period has ended, sixty of the most promising applicants will be invited to the workshops in Melbourne. Flights and accommodations will be covered by the Red Bull Music Academy. If invited, participants should plan on being a part of either Term 1 (Sept 24 – Oct 6, 2006) or Term 2 (Oct 15 – Oct 27, 2006).

By July 14, 2006, all applicants will be notified via email whether they have been invited or not. Those who have applied previously but have yet to be invited are certainly encouraged to give it another shot. As quite a few second- or third-time applicants have learned, perseverance can most definitely pay off.

Application forms and all the vital stats and info are available at www.redbullmusicacademy.com. There you can also find the RBMA Radio stream, Diary entries from Academies past, video footage from memorable sessions, forums for your thoughts and of course a list of the entire star studded folks who’ve passed through our doors to pass down their knowledge.

ENDS

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