The Notting Hill Academy Of Music has launched, with new students to be admitted in January 2016.
The music industry school is backed by patron Trevor Nelson MBE (pictured), the BPI, Sony Music, Warner Music, SJM Concerts, Method Management (Disclosure/Sam Smith), Metropolis Management, Relentless Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. It is also endorsed and accredited by the BPI.
Courses will range from 6-12 months, and award MAs in Future Of Music, as well as Certificates of Higher Education in Music Business Entrepreneur from September 2016. The Academy will launch the first of its short-term courses in A&R and Songwriting in January 2016, which will be taught and backed by industry experts. Applications for these are open to all entrepreneurs, performers, artists, producers, songwriters and future business executives.
The Academy will also be introducing its first bursary in November 2015, and will select students with the right passion, honesty, integrity, commitment and strong work ethic.
Modules and courses include: A&R Music Development, Disruptors DIY and Entrepreneurs, The Art and craft of Song writing, Copyright in the Digital Age, The Art of Communication and Music Psychology.
A host of current leading industry experts will lead these courses, including Ewan Grant, former head of ACM’s Business School, where he was also the lead in artist development and headed up the industry link team.
The industry work placements that will form part of the assessed programme are designed to offer students on-the-job learning within the major and independent sectors of the music industry, ranging from placements within recorded music and music publishing, to positions in management companies and trade bodies.
Trevor Nelson, main patron at the Notting Hill Academy of Music, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with the Academy and believe this is exactly what the music industry needs to nurture a new generation of British talent.
"For most, one shot is all you get, so at the Academy our ambition is to enable students to know what to expect when starting out. That way, we can develop those with a genuine passion for music so they can navigate their own way in the notoriously tricky world of music.”
Ewan Grant, MD at the Notting Hill Academy of Music, said: “Britain is a hotbed of musical talent, and we’re focused on giving those starting out a very real and useful insight into the industry. Our courses, tools and contacts will unravel the business side of the music world, giving our students the knowledge necessary to forge a career they otherwise may not have the means or guidance to pursue.”
The Academy will be hosting its first Open Day on Sunday, November 15, welcoming prospective students to learn more about the business offering at the school, and meet some of the industry experts that will be instrumental in leading the courses on offer.