Bid to make Mt Gambier Australia’s jazz capital
James Morrison will run his own jazz academy in Mt Gambier from next year.
The State Government is backing a partnership between renowned Australia jazz musician James Morrison and the University of South Australia to create a new jazz academy in Mt Gambier.
The James Morrison Academy of Music @ UniSA will open next year, offering a Diploma and Associate Degree in Music, the Government announced this morning.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the academy, to be based in Mt Gambier’s old town hall, was part of a vision to make the south-east town an internationally renowned centre of excellence for budding jazz musicians.
The State Government is contributing $500,000 to the academy, which is planning an annual intake of 70 students and a total student body of up to 200 students from 2020.
Morrison, arguably Australia’s most successful jazz musician, already has close links to Mt Gambier through his support of the Generations in Jazz festival.
The festival, which began 25 years ago, is an annual gathering of young jazz musicians from across Australia. Each year a promising musician is awarded the James Morrison Jazz Scholarship.
Morrison said today that he was looking forward to being involved in the education of students at his own academy – a first for the globally recognised jazz virtuoso.
“This is performance-based education at its best, where students won’t just learn about music but where they will learn how to make music,” he said.
“The academy will offer a unique experience to aspiring musicians where they can work with some of the finest jazz educators in the world.”
UniSA Vice-Chancellor Professor David Lloyd said students of the academy would be full registered students of the university, with the usual access to resources and support.
Morrison, he said, would become an adjunct professor of the university and a professorial fellow.
“He will draw on his unrivalled network of top professional musicians worldwide to form the faculty, as well as a core of staff based in Mt Gambier.”
He said the university intended to offer a Bachelor of Music program from 2016.
Mayor of Mt Gambier Steve Perryman said it was a coup for the town to attract a world-class music academy.
“Much like Tamworth is the mecca of country music, Mt Gambier will be the mecca of jazz,” he said.
