WHO WE ARE Message from GIANNI MICHELINI Music - The Art of Emotional Expression The vision and goal of NMA is to create an incredible tailored experience for students through an immersive education experience. We don t just teach music we allow the opportunity for students to live it and find what moves them and inspires them. Our focus has always been to see students thrive and nurture their goals and ambitions. Our role is not to simply offer a lesson, we inspire students to want to play, perform, express and grow at their own rate, whilst setting a bar for them to reach for. NMA is the artists choice because we know that books, programs and curriculums don t define art; as by definition art is thinking outside the box. More than 20 years of study, touring, and creating music we know that living music creates musicians and artists - no grade or level can achieve that. We teach the concepts of music, not songs from a book as this is where students learn how to apply theory with artistic expression. We look forward to bringing out your unique you, no matter what your level - our path s are all united through expressing one s self through music. Gianni Michelini
THE NMA APPROACH At National Music Academy we ve spent years refining the best approach to music tuition to ensure that your time with us means you gain an experience which is both holistic and immersive. Our research has led us to tailoring our lessons into 4 integral pillars for the most holistic and inspiring path to effective learning. For a truly immersive and holistic approach to music education, each of these pillars is developed during your time at The National Music Academy. TECHNIQUE
PERFORMANCE INSPIRATION THEORY
OUR STAFF FIN ROACH General Manager and Team Leader He s a singer songwriter from Newcastle NSW with a BMus in contemporary guitar, AMUS in in Classical Guitar and Clarinet. Fin is an artist first and foremost and his passion lies in developing the students and those around him. As well as being a talented musician, Fin is also National Music Academy s General Manager! He looks after all of our campuses, staff and students and provides direction for the next events and opportunities for everyone involved at NMA! ADAM OSMANOVIC Guitar Specialist Adam started playing guitar when he was eleven years old and since has built a strong reputation as a rock and blues guitarist and has shared the stage with artists such as Angry Anderson, Kevin Borich, Nat Col and the Kings, Nathan Cavaleri and Grant Walmsley. Adam has a Bachelor of Music attained at Newcastle Conservatorium, an Advanced Diploma in Music Business and a Certificate IV in Music Technology. Adam has had a lot of experience teaching and playing live and loves mentoring students to help achieve their goals.
DANE BALDWIN Drums Specialist Dane has been playing drums professionally for 32 years and he has performed in an endless amount of gigs and tours. He has just gotten back from touring in New Zealand and has also spent a lot of time touring over in the United States in Nashville, performing with Morgan Evans, who is a Nashville based Australian country superstar. RACHEL COX Vocal Specialist and Events Manager Rachel Maria Cox is a vocal specialist as well as a keys player and award-winning songwriter. They ve released two critically acclaimed EPs and one LP, with singles receiving airplay on Triple J, being shortlisted for the prestigious Vanda & Young Songwriting award and clocking up hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify. Their background spans classical music, musical theatre, jazz, pop, rock and punk/hardcore music, and they are passionate about helping students achieve their goals and develop a lifelong love for music.
OUR STAFF ELLA MOULDER Vocal Specialist Ella started teaching at 16 years old and has been inspiring her students ever since. With a background in classical music, jazz, theatre as well as contemporary pop and rock she has helped many students gain music scholarships and acceptance into selective schools. Her love for music and helping other musicians to better their craft is what influences her the most. JEREMY BILSON Piano Specialist Jeremy is a classically trained pianist and singer/songwriter who teaches classical, jazz and contemporary piano to students ranging from beginner to advanced. With a Bachelor of Music from the Newcastle Conservatorium, he regularly performs as a solo artist and in a variety of bands around the Newcastle and the Hunter region. In 2016 Jeremy released his original studio EP Head Above Water which was supported with radio airplay and an East Coast tour.
JEREMY MINETT Guitar Specialist Jeremy Minett is no stranger to the life of a working guitarist. Starting out at just ten years old, he began gigging at thirteen and has not looked back since! Since forming his first band Powerage, he has played in numerous bands and duos, performing all over Australia and in the UK. He s also shared a stage with the likes of Matchbox Twenty, Karnivool, The Screaming Jets, The Angels, Thirsty Merc, Grinspoon and Rose Tattoo. Jeremy is also an accomplished musician academically, graduating from the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in 2015 with a Bachelor Of Music With Distinction in Contemporary Guitar Performance. This means that Jeremy not only excels at performance but also in his knowledge and understanding of theory, harmony, performance skills, ensemble skills and industry knowledge. Combined with his ongoing and diverse working experience, Jeremy is truly a well-rounded musician and brings this holistic approach to his work at NMA. Jeremy is experienced in a broad range of contemporary guitar styles including Rock, Pop, Jazz, Funk, RnB and Country. He currently performs with artists such as Max Jackson, The Hang Suite, Garth and the aprentices and The New Cool, playing pop, contemporary country, funk, soul, blues, rock and acoustic.
OUR STUDENTS CHLOE PARKER Chloe Parker is a 16 year old singer-songwriter and guitarist. She has been singing for nine years, playing guitar for 2 and writing music for a year, and has already performed at venues such as Lizottes, Newcastle Airport, The Premier Hotel and Stockland Jesmond. AUSTIN MACKAY Austin Mackay is a 16 year old guitarist, singer and songwriter. He s been playing and writing for 12 years, and singing for 4, and in that time he s performed at Agosti s on Darby, Bar Petite, Lizottes, Frankies On Darby, The Burwood Inn and the Belmont Hotel, and his original music can be found on Triple J Unearthed.
MADDIE FLOWERS Maddie Flowers is the vocalist of folk & jazz trio Sunday Morning Sidewalk, and studies voice and artist development at the National Music Academy. She s performed at Lizottes, Kurri Kurri Hotel and the Hunt & Gather Markets. RJ HEMSWORTH RJ Hemsworth is a solo acoustic artist who has been working hard at his craft since a young age as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He s supported Australian talents such as Russell Morris, Glen Shorrock, The Black Sorrows & Casey Donovan and was the winner of our Songwriting Competition in 2017 which will see his song recorded at the iconic Studios 301 in Sydney. PARIS GRACE Paris Grace is a 15 year old vocalist and songwriter who recently won the inaugural Tip Jar Songwriting Competition Judges Choice award. Her soulful voice and powerful songs have seen her take to the stage to support Casey Donovan and at the upcoming Newcastle Blues & Roots Festival.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE At National Music Academy we pride ourselves on our student experience. We are so proud of the musical culture we are harbouring and cannot wait to welcome more students to it, so that we can be a part of your musical journey and help show you the way. Our mentors are all industry based, touring musicians with a Bachelor of Music or equivalent. Attending Nma is so much more than a 30 minute lesson. We have the industry and academic experience which has led us to design the blueprint for inspiring tailored music education that makes sure we provide an immersive environment. We understand that learning set pieces and playing once a year for an exam or concert isn t enough to create a music culture, grow confidence, or provide experience. We look at learning music like a practical apprenticeship where we learn in our lessons and then provide the platform for students to apply this through our vast platform of experiences.
STUDENT GIGS We are so proud of our performance students and their presence in the music industry that has been established! Every weekend we have multiple students performing at venues around the Hunter making good money. That s right, being a musician is a job that you can have and get paid for! We have students that are earning thousands of dollars each term at venues around The Hunter, including: Lizottes Bar Petite Premier Hotel Maitland Leagues Club
WORKSHOPS Working in a group environment to be able to collaboratively and creatively solve problems is part of being a musician. NMA holds regular workshops at our Newcastle and Maitland Campuses. These include: GUITAR IMPROVISATION ARTISTRY SONGWRITING
AURAL & THEORY HSC ADVANCED VOCAL TECHNIQUES
MASTERCLASSES We believe that you as a musician are the sum of the 5 people you spend your time with. On top of having one-onone lessons with you amazing industry teachers, we have a long history of bringing world class musicians into the hunter. These have included: Michael Leagues - Snarky Puppy Diesel (Johnny Diesel and The Injectors) Katie Noonan Renee Grant Williams (vocal coach to Miley Cyrus, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Christina Aguilera) APRA AMCOS Studios 301
OPEN DAYS Twice annually we have open days inviting new and current students to the academy. This is the perfect opportunity for you to meet some of our current students, meet the staff, have a tour of the campus and do a free trial lesson. For upcoming Open Days, please visit www.nationalmusicacademy. com.au. STUDENT SHOWCASE Lizottes is the host of our annual Showcase where our hard working students come together each year to showcase their talents to friends, family and the general public. Students receive the opportunity to perform with a band of industry musicians and refine their artistry.
LIVE LOUNGES Live Lounges are the pinnacle of the National Music Academy Culture. These monthly events are held in both Maitland and Newcastle and provide invaluable opportunities for students to gain performance experience. Students that attend these events are by far the students that get the most out of life at NMA.
OUR INSTRUMENT TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AND TEACHING SOFTWARE We ensure that our students are introduced to only the best in current music technology. NMA uses industry standard softwares and equipment, making the learning process: FUN INTERACTIVE CONSISTENT INDUSTRY STANDARDISED INTERNATIONAL GRADING
ONLINE PLATFORMS During and after your lesson we capture those golden moments of the learning process and document them through our learning platforms so that after each class you can look back on the exact video, image, document, file or resource that you were studying with your teacher. This is your direct line to the teacher and their experience even if you aren t present in the lesson. As a parent or student you have complete transparency and can see the exact before and after of your child s learning process with us, as you receive instant app notifications every time a piece of content is added to the resource centre.
OUR NETWORK Bringing the best experience to you We are affiliated with the world s leading industry experts
FEATURES Instant push notifications whenever content is uploaded Comment on content in the app to ask questions to the teacher Multi-format platform including video, audio, web links, files, written notes and pictures. Secure content - teachers need to approve access to each students content, which is all hosted online Available on the App Store, Google Play Store and on your web browser
WHAT CAN I USE THIS PLATFORM FOR? Students can watch your lesson back as soon as you get home from your lesson to maximise how much you retain from week to week Use lesson content to guide your practice at home Parents can see what their child is learning and make sure they are practicing at home Questions that arise during the week can be commented directly in the app so that the teacher can have answers ready in the next lesson Refresh on what you covered last lesson before your class each week Stay up to date with NMA updates including upcoming performance opportunities for students
MAKE UP LESSONS If you have notified us at least 24 hours in advance that you or your child will be unavailable for their regular scheduled lesson time, we are more than happy to schedule make-up lesson for you. Where available, these can be booked in during the school term, however this may not always be possible. That s why our teachers make themselves available in the school holidays as well to teach any missed lessons from the term before. Around week six of the school term, we ll email any students with make up lessons to book with a link to our App - this is where you can see your teacher s availabilities for make up lessons, find a time that suits you and book it in! If you know you won t be available during the school holidays, please ensure you notify our administration as soon as possible so we can prioritise booking your make up lessons in during the school term.
MAKING RESCHEDULING YOUR LESSONS EASY! With our App, booking a make up lesson has never been easier! Once you ve downloaded our National Music Academy App, all you need to do is find your teacher s name, pick a time and day that suits you for a make up lesson, and hit book now! It s that easy.
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR LESSONS USING OUR SCHEDULING SYSTEM Keeping track of your lesson times is also easy with our online calendar. Once your make up lesson is booked, you can check the time by logging into the calendar with the details in your welcome pack. Here you can also check your regular lesson times, outstanding invoices and attendance.
POLICIES We pride ourselves on providing the best service possible to all our students. Please be aware that we do have some policies in place to maintain consistency and quality across the Academy. CANCELLATIONS Our cancellation policy requires you give us 24 hours notice if you cannot attend any lessons. If you inform us outside of the 24 hours we will happily makeup a maximum of 2 lessons either during the term or in the next school holiday period. Any no-shows or cancelled lessons within the 24 hour window unfortunately cannot be madeup. We are people however and understand unexpected circumstances arise so please talk to us if you have any concerns! PAYMENT If you have booked for a full term, payment for the term s tuition needs to be paid, or a payment plan finalised, before the first lesson. If you have booked for a casual lesson, payment must be made before your lesson. You can read our full policies on our website at nationalmusicacademy.com.au If we have not received payment for your lessons by the third week of term, a late payment fee of $30 will be applied and the lessons will be put on hold until payment is received.
MAKE UP LESSONS Any cancelled lessons that need to be re-booked will be booked during the school term where the schedule permits, however this may not always be possible. Most make up lessons will be booked in for the school holidays, which you can find out more about on page *number* HARDSHIP We understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances arise during the term, and we will be as flexible as possible in working with you to arrange a way for lessons to continue that works for everyone. TEACHER CANCELLATIONS If your lesson is cancelled due to teacher sickness or unavailability, we will notify you as soon as possible and attempt to reschedule the lesson where possible. Where available, an appropriate substitute teacher will be organised. In this case we will notify you of the substitute teacher as early as possible. SICKNESS Please do not attend your lesson if you are sick as it puts all our staff at risk of sickness. Most of our staff have weekly gigs which are a part of their income, so their voice is an asset for their living expenses. Where a student is sick, the teacher may at their discretion advise the student to go home.
PRICING STRUCTURE TAILORED TUITION $38 per half hour CASUAL TUITION $45 per half hour $76 per hour $90 per hour Same time & day each week Pay as you go Booked for the NSW State School Term Flexible times PAYMENT Payment for tailored tuition must be finalised prior to the first lesson of the term. We accept: Direct Deposit Credit Card Cash Cheque Payment plans also available
REGISTRATION FEE $40 Paid once annually OTHER PROGRAMS $250 for a full term of our other programs Vocal Revolution Choir Band Network Development Program Songwriting
LO CA TIONS NEWCASTLE 461a King St, Newcastle West 2302 4929 3060 admin@nationalmusicacademy.com.au *NATIONAL MUSIC ACADEMY IS ALSO THE PREFERRED MUSIC SUPPLIER BY HUNTE PUBLIC SCHOOL, RUTHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL, SWA
MAITLAND LAKE MACQUARIE 416a High St, Maitland 2320 4934 5553 maitland@nationalmusicacademy.com.au 188-222 Lake Road, Glendale 2285 4929 3060 admin@nationalmusicacademy.com.au R SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS, MACQUARIE COLLEGE, NEWCASTLE EAST NSEA HIGH SCHOOL AND MAITLAND GROSSMAN HIGH SCHOOL.
461a King St, Newcastle, New South Wales 2302 +61 2 4929 3060 https://www.nationalmusicacademy.com.au/