Country music stars and execs join lineup for new Academy X program

Australian country music artists and executives – including Troy Cassar-Daley, Brooke McClymont, Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole – will provide online tutorials for the inaugural Academy X.

The two-day online course, set up by the Country Music Association of Australia, is held over Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10 next year.

It covers most areas of the music business, including songwriting, record labels, publishing, management, festivals, touring, recording, performing, video making and media strategies.

There will be a focus on resilience, innovation and mental health in a post-COVID world, including a presentation from music industry charity Support Act.

Shane Nicholson, Amber Lawrence, Fanny Lumsden and Caitlyn Shadbolt are also involved.

The industry contingent includes producers Matt Fell, Simon Johnson and Julz Parker, artist manager and CMAA chair Dan Biddle, head of ABC Music Natalie Waller, video director Duncan Toombs, and agent and promoter Geoff Bell.

Group leaders and mentors for the students will include Dobe Newton, Catherine Britt, Lawrence, Lachlan Bryan, Ashleigh Dallas, Kevin Bennett, David Carter, Jayne Denham and Mickey Pye.

The Academy (formerly the CMAA Academy of Country Music) usually runs for two weeks in the run-up to the Toyota Country Music Festival in Tamworth. Plans were changed, however, when the festival was scrapped for 2021 due to pandemic fears.

Lyn Bowtell is the Academy director and Roger Corbett its general manager.

“Academy X is available to artists and songwriters from Australia and the world,” Corbett said.

“From past Academy students looking to refresh and expand their careers to first-time students gaining insights into the country music industry, they’ll be able to gain inspiration and insight from this amazing line up of keynote speakers and hands-on group leaders.”

Registrations open at 11am on October 16 with early bird pricing until November 30.