Nestled right in the heart of the nation’s live music hub, AIM Melbourne offers a unique blend of state-of-the-art facilities, career opportunities, and a vibrant community. This isn’t just a typical education; this independent school devoted solely to excellence in music offers a pathway to a thriving career and a lifelong network of industry peers.
Since 1968, the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) has fostered the successful careers of over 6,000 alumni artists and equipped them with the skills to navigate the industry, including ARIA winning performers and internationally renowned composers.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 reasons why AIM Melbourne is able to deliver these kinds of results for their students.
1. Study Music in a Vibrant Global Music Capital
Melbourne is not just any Australian city; it’s a thriving hub of musical genres and subcultures offering diverse sounds, communities, audiences, and venues. In fact, Melbourne has more live music venues per capita than New York. According to the results of the 2022 Victorian Live Music Census, not only has Melbourne emerged as the live music capital of Australia, but it also has the most live music venues per capita in the world. AIM Melbourne places you directly in the epicentre of this vibrant scene.
As a music professional, you’ll have access to an incredible range of iconic music venues catering to every taste, and to the broader music industry that supports this diverse scene. Musical theatre and classical concerts are regularly performed in stunning halls such as the Regent, the Princess, Her Majesty’s Theatre, and Hamer Hall. For pop, rock, jazz, world music and virtually every other genre, look to any of the venues such as the Espy, the Forum Theatre, Bar Open, The Night Cat, The Tote, the Brunswick Ballroom and far too many others to list here.
From decadent concert halls to hidden gems in the alleyways, you’ll live and breathe music during your course. AIM Melbourne campus offers an immersive experience where the city itself becomes your classroom.
2. State-of-the-art Facilities for a World-Class Education
Education at AIM Melbourne is not confined to classrooms; it’s an exploration within cutting-edge facilities designed for artists who strive for excellence. The state-of-the-art studios are digitally integrated and equipped with custom-designed production suites containing Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), sample libraries, synthesisers, audio plugins and mastering software. The AIM Melbourne performance theatre offers a real-life environment for students to learn essential stage techniques, and the student-run record label, 2030 Records, allows students to immediately start learning the ropes of the music business.
Students also get to perform live on stage to a real audience, inside the on-campus Peter Calvo Auditorium: the student musical Pippin performed there sold out five times to audiences last year. This student theatre offers a real-life environment for students to learn essential stage techniques and get used to performing for the public.
From acoustically optimised rehearsal and recording rooms to performance spaces designed to enhance your stage presence, AIM Melbourne ensures that your learning environment is as inspiring as the music you’re passionate about. Whether you’re interested in studying performance or composition, AIM has all the tools you need to learn your trade.
3. Career Opportunities: Your Pathway to Success
Choosing AIM Melbourne is not just a decision for your education; it’s a strategic move toward a successful career in music. With a history rooted in empowering thousands of successful artists since 1968, AIM has become a launchpad for emerging talents and innovative, entrepreneurial careers. Course durations range from introductory, short, to in-depth Bachelors or Masters programs, depending on the needs of individual students: all artists can choose their own path.
AIM Melbourne’s commitment to your success extends beyond the classroom, providing opportunities to collaborate regularly with fellow artists on small and large-scale projects. Each student has access to personalised career advice, facilitated work placements, and graduate internships, and will get opportunities to perform, compose, record, promote, and gain experience across every aspect of the music business.
4. Supportive Community: Your Network for Life
Joining AIM means becoming part of a supportive, lifelong community like no other. Our lecturers aren’t just educators; they are industry professionals with decades of expertise. Your fellow emerging artists are not just classmates; they are your future collaborators, mentors, managers, and producers. Once you graduate, you become a member of the active AIM Alumni global community of industry professionals.
AIM Melbourne fosters a supportive environment where you not only learn academically but you are also encouraged to experiment creatively and discover your path. Regular collaborations on creative projects, both within and across specialisations, help you build a professional portfolio, giving you a taste of what it’s truly like to work in the music industry.
5. Industry Focus: Paving the Way for Your Future
AIM Melbourne doesn’t just prepare you for a career in the industry; it immerses you in it. Students are connected with industry professionals across the whole range of opportunities that Australia’s music capital has to offer. AIM supports students to get a ‘foot in the door’ through introductions, collaborations, internships, student productions, and access to the music tech start-up incubator, iHub.
AIM Melbourne faculty consists not only of academics but also of practising musicians and renowned music industry leaders, such as Dr Tim Willis (Associate Head of Learning and Teaching), Josh Kyle (Head of Melbourne Campus), Melissa Langton (Lecturer) and Johanna Allen (Lecturer). This diversity of knowledge and experience allows students to gain insights from different perspectives, ensuring a holistic understanding of the industry.
The success stories of notable AIM graduates include artists who are now conducting orchestras, composing film scores, performing in musicals, and playing in award-winning bands demonstrating the possibilities that await you.
Your journey at AIM Melbourne is not just an education; it’s a pathway to building strong connections with your peers, lecturers, alumni, and the Melbourne music industry in all its diversity. Learn your music discipline with the best facilities on offer, a supportive network, and a cutting-edge independent school that’s industry-focused. See what courses are on offer at AIM Melbourne today.
