Education Guide: AIM

AIM students Lucy Lowe and Aisling Charlesworth are not only going to Splendour this year, but they’re also working there. 

Lucy Lowe is currently in the middle of her final trimester of Contemporary Performance majoring in Vocals at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM). Aisling Charlesworth is doing a Bachelor of Entertainment Management at AIM. Both are stoked to be a part of the upcoming Splendour In The Grass festival.

“I’m performing on the Buskers Stage on Sunday,” says Lowe, who mostly plays folk/acoustic music. “Splendour is one of those festivals that you want to be a part of in any way, and to be able to say I’m playing at Splendour is a huge honour and will always be something that I will remember. I think it will be an amazing opportunity to be able to share my music with a bigger audience, and learn about how Splendour works and how it came to be such a successful festival.”

Charlesworth has more of a behind-the-scenes role. “I will be stage managing at the AIM Buskers Stage on Day 2. I will be ensuring all the bands start on time, are prepped prior to show time on stage, and assist the Splendour stage crew where necessary. Basically making sure the set runs smoothly on the Buskers Stage. It will be an amazing opportunity… I am hoping to gain more knowledge and experience into the workings of a large festival in Australia, to help me better understand it from a tour manager’s perspective.”

Lowe is keen to pursue a career in performance after graduation. “Music is something I will always be pursuing throughout my life, and I’ve known that since I was really young. I’ve never wanted to do anything else. So I will definitely always be looking for ways to share and perform my music, and also be looking for other career paths within the music industry.”

It’s the satisfaction of being part of something she loves that does it for Charlesworth. “I love attending shows but also working from the start of an event and seeing it come to life. When the bands hit the stage and the crowd comes alive is an amazing feeling and I am fascinated seeing it all come alive. When I graduate I hope to eventually get into tour management but I know I have to work in a variety of areas to earn that role within the small Aussie industry.”

Obviously it won’t be all work and no play at Splendour. Who are the pair keen to see? “ #1 Dads, Dustin Tebbutt, Boy & Bear, Mansionair, Meg Mac, Tame Impala, Allday and Mo, which all influence my music in some way,” says Lowe. And Charlesworth? “Blur, Florence & The Machine, SAFIA...”