Abbey Road Institute Announces Aussie Launch Month

The eagerly awaited educational offshoot of the legendary Abbey Road Studios, Abbey Road Institute, has announced that it will launch its first Australian arm in Melbourne's Southbank this August.

The launch comes a month earlier than expected from the information in March's announcement that the school would be making its way to the antipodes, with a Sydney branch still expected to follow; Melbourne's campus will be the first of its kind to open in the southern hemisphere, and will open ahead of new locations in Paris, Munich and Berlin.

It will offer a full-time Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering over a 46-week period under the tutelage of expert producers, label executives and qualified lecturers in an ambitious educational offering with no historical peer, certainly in Australia. 

"This is an unprecedented initiative for Abbey Road, the world's most recognisable recording industry success story," Australian chief executive Paul Ledingham, who brings to his role a quarter-century of experience as an audio engineer, said of the impending launch. "We will now have the ability to bring the biggest names, brightest minds and most promising talent together for a world-class educational experience that is wholly designed to meet industry needs for Australian students.

"We have specifically selected Melbourne as the first location outside of the legendary London studios to offer the course due to the city's thriving music scene and abundance of talented and ambitious musicians. We hope that by offering significant opportunities for skill development and career advancement, we will help to further strengthen the city's reputation as a globally recognised music and cultural hub."

The team behind the institute all boast extensive histories with the music industry, media and culture, from co-owners Deke Miskin (oh, just the creator of TV Hits, Girlfriend and That's Life magazines here in Oz, no big deal) and award-winning recording artist Gianni Michelini through to CEO Ledingham. It should come as little surprise, then, that the curriculum comes courtesy of audio educational specialists in conjunction with Abbey Road Studios' sound engineers, mixing theoretical and practical modules using the 'progressive continuous learning' philosophy.

The modules canvass subjects outside the immediate realm of audio engineering, too, with attention paid to subjects such as music business administration and artist, studio and label management. See the full breakdown here.

Abbey Road Institute is currently accepting a limited number of pre-registrations for August's inaugural course, with an Open Day planned for July and further intakes expected in October and February 2016. The school's entry requirements are strict but surmountable — you need a year 12 certificate or equivalent (unless applying for alternate entry), must be 18 years of age, and successfully complete an application interview and registration agreement to get a look-in.

Abbey Road Institute Australia is presently applying for registration as a Recognised Training Organisation (RTO) with the Australian Qualifications and Skills Authority (ASQA), as well as for eligibility for FEE-HELP funding for local students. Fees will be able to be paid in instalments or all at once, while advanced standing/subject credit will be available for prior learning undertaken with other select educational institutions.

Abbey Road Institute Melbourne will be located at 1/135 Sturt Street, Southbank. Keep your eyes open for future announcements regarding specific opening dates and Sydney's eventual inclusion in the excellence — for all other information, including a full rundown of fees, facilities, and frequently asked questions, head to the Institute's Australian website.

Now, we just need to patiently wait for August; to help pass the time, take a look back at the occasion that beloved Aussie outfit The Temper Trap laid down their seminal hit Sweet Disposition at the legendary London studios for Abbey Road Sessions.