Surely that has to be the dream learning experience for any aspiring musician. That’s exactly the approach NCAT take with their Certificate IV in Music. Last year when Rebecca Barnard joined the Music staff at NCAT she proposed taking students into the realm of live performance to teach them the fundamentals of stage craft to further their abilities as a musician. After studying the theoretical components of the nationally approved certificate and gaining competency in the required units, students were afforded the opportunity to head out on tour on the west coast of Victoria from Geelong through Colac, Camperdown, Lorne and Airies Inlet at a range of schools, clubs and pubs.
The students weren’t only responsible for performing, but also for the publicity, planning, set up, lighting and mixing. It’s a unique and beneficial experience, and one only offered by NCAT. Numbers are strictly limited for the 2015 course intake and as a result of being delivered in a state funded education facility, the course carries no tuition fees.
