An Unlikely Symbiotic Relationship - A Unique Jazz Education / Island Resort Partnership

Since 2002 the jazz students at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM) have benefited from a partnership between their music school and one of Australia’s most prestigious island resorts. Four times each year students of the Bachelor of Jazz Studies (BJS) degree travel two hours north to Hamilton Island (HI), a tropical island located off the north east coast of Australia to undertake five days of classes, interaction with faculty and visiting artists, and performances. For the students a typical day on the island consists of a short morning training meeting followed by a master-class, instructional session or group rehearsal with a national or international visiting industry professional. The afternoon and evening are filled with performances in the island’s many quality bars, restaurants and entertainment areas. Birthed out of the symbiotic idea that teaching does not have to occur in the classroom and that holiday destinations are much more appealing if they provide educational and cultural opportunities and experiences, the main goal of the HI project is to provide students with first-hand performing experience that will better equip them to handle the demands of the industry after graduation. There is a strong expectation from both the CQCM faculty and the island management that students will produce professional results compatible with the island’s standards. This serves as a constant benchmark that infiltrates all areas of the educational process and produces a variety of “real world” skills that cannot be taught in the traditional classroom.