Remember Jack Black in the movie School of Rock? Well, class is in session at ANU Community Music Centre and amateur musos of all ages and abilities are graduating from rock school this weekend – not with mortar board, but amps.
There’s no audition, no exam, and no age limit at the Community Music Centre, it offers something unheard of in the entertainment business – cheap music programs for absolutely everyone.
Rock school is just one of the courses, however the standout is the opportunity to record an original song in a state-of-the-art recording studio, plus a five-week course in studio recording and mixing. There is nowhere on the planet you could do this for just $100.
The best part is that the tutors/mentors – all 50 of them – are local talent, who have done it tough during Covid lockdowns (the day the music died). Occasionally, international stars pop into the centre for a workshop, like acclaimed classical guitarists the Grigoryan brothers, who recently mentored a junior guitar ensemble.
The centre’s convenor, Jennifer Binovec, said the guitar ensemble (children aged 12 to 15) didn’t know how lucky they were.
“The Grigoryan brothers were in town for Muisca Viva but we had got them, it was just a perfect line-up,” Jenny said. “They’re just so genuine and generous with their time. Tutoring junior guitar could be beneath a lot of people but they just stepped up and recognised it for what it was.”
The centre’s biggest drawcard is the U3A music lectures for senior citizens, which attract 80 people every time. You’re never too old to learn creative aural and theory skills.
“The amount of expertise and talent and energy in Canberra is pretty phenomenal,” Jenny said. “In community rock school, I always hear,’ I wish I hadn’t given it up’, Whilst there can be a lot of opportunities for experienced musicians, there’s not a lot of opportunity for amateur adult musicians.”
The Community Music Centre, funded by artsACT, seems to have found itself after dropping the word “school” from its original title – ANU Open School of Music – and rebranding itself to include the masses.
The masses include 200 people at the centre each week. Regardless of experience, music-lovers are interacting and sharing their love of music with their peers and rubbing shoulders with the world of professional music-making.
Get your band out of the garage and dust off that saxophone, there are courses in many genres and learning style, including semester-based programs, mini courses, and one-off workshops. Visit: https://music.cass.anu.edu.au/community-music-centre/community-music-centre-programs
