BY CUTCOMMON
Breaking into the Australian music industry isn’t easy — so you’re going to want a good start.
The Australian National Academy of Music trains up the next generation of classical and art musicians. The only dedicated performance training institute you’ll find in the country, it gives young players the performance opportunities that can help them build confidence and experience on the stage.
But what’s it really like to get started at ANAM? Are the tutors helpful, and the opportunities all they’re cracked up to be?
In this series, we hear from first-year musicians who tell you why they decided to build their career through ANAM, and how they’re finding the experience so far.
Here, we chat with Sydney’s Ben Tao. A violist with a passion for chamber music, Ben first picked up his instrument at 18 — though he started out with violin at just 9 years old. He has learnt with the best of the best, receiving masterclasses and lessons with Wolfram Christ, Sylvie Altenburger, and Esther van Stralen among others. Having participated in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp, and expanded his horizons as a pianist and chorister too, Ben now chats about his decision to study viola as an ANAM musician.
Hi Ben! Let’s start from the beginning. Before you decided to train at ANAM, what was your biggest achievement in music education?
I recently completed my Bachelor of Music Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and was lucky enough to receive some private lessons with a few notable viola teachers in Germany in 2019 and 2020.
When you decided to take that leap and join ANAM, what did you hope or expect it would offer you that nobody else could?
I was at the business end of my degree in Sydney last year, and was unsure about the next step to take. The past two years definitely had a transformative effect on my thinking, and I wanted to stay in Australia at this point of my life.
I thought that ANAM could offer me a fresh and unique experience in my musical development that would best improve me as a violist and musician. So, I decided to apply and audition.
What was something you were feeling a little nervous about when you decided to apply — and how do you feel about that now?
I was initially quite nervous but also excited about starting at ANAM. I was especially worried about whether I’d get along with faculty and my fellow musicians. I had met a few of my peers before my time here, but had not met the majority of the cohort.
You never know exactly how things are until you experience it yourself, and I can confidently say that the ANAM experience has definitely more than met my expectations. I’ve made many new friends and feel incredibly supported by my teacher Caroline Henbest as well as other faculty.
So, getting candid, what’s it actually like to learn music at ANAM?
It can definitely be challenging at times, it can definitely be quite full on at times, and you’ll find that you’re quite busy most of the time! I’ve learnt that it’s definitely important to find a work-life balance here at ANAM, as you would in any other profession.
However, you’ll find the ANAM experience to be ultimately rewarding — from being able to make music and share musical experiences with your mates, supporting your peers when they perform, and growing and maturing not only as a musician but as a human being.
ANAM is unlike other training institutions. You’re studying, but the school does not assign you the identity of ‘student’: you’re performing in ANAM concerts as an early career artist. How do you feel ANAM’s opportunities prepare you for the professional world?
It is definitely a surreal and eye-opening experience to perform with people you look up to, and there is definitely a lot to learn from them musically and also from the professional aspect.
ANAM gives us the opportunity to perform alongside experienced career professional musicians through its residencies and side-by-side collaborations with some of Australia’s flagship orchestras and ensembles. ANAM also helps its musicians broaden their repertoire, and helps prepare them for the professional world through the rehearsal process.
How would you rate your tutors? And as you reflect on your first year at ANAM, what would you say is the most valuable lesson they taught you?
They are first-class for sure! They are incredibly experienced, and are at the top of their game not only as performers but also as educators who provide you a holistic outlook regarding your musical development.
I’m always learning something at every class, whether as an active participant in a private lesson or as a listener. They are also extremely dedicated, and are lovely people who are very much invested in you not just as a musician but also as a human being.
I think the most valuable lesson I’ve learnt from my teacher here is to have a healthy mindset, and to put things in perspective when approaching my viola playing. It can definitely be difficult to navigate the competitive nature of a music career as a student, and there are definitely many life lessons to be learnt along the way!
How has your first-year experience challenged, changed, or even reinforced what you believed a career in the Australian music industry could look like?
ANAM has definitely provided me with greater insight into the music industry in Australia, from the expectations and professionalism of the industry to the unique opportunities that this music industry offers — including witnessing the recent ANAM Set Festival and seeing its effect on our music industry.
What skills are you most looking forward to carrying into your second year?
I have been mostly working on improving my sound production and intonation this year, as well as being able to become more adaptable and flexible as a violist in different contexts — chamber, orchestral, solo — which will hopefully hold me in good stead, not just for next year but for my overall development as a violist for many years to come!
Any words of advice for people about to take the same step you’ve taken, and join ANAM for their first year too?
Go for it!
There’s definitely no harm in putting yourself out there. The ANAM experience has been an extremely eye-opening and rewarding one for me so far.
Follow Ben’s career and live performances on the ANAM website. If you’re a musician and would like to pursue your own first-year experience at ANAM, you’ll have the chance to apply online until 27 June.
READ NEXT: Anna Rabinowicz tells us what it’s like to be a first-year at ANAM.
Images supplied. Credit Pia Johnson.
