African Music Institute, partner of Berklee College of Music, opening in Gabon

The pan-African institution located in Gabon’s capital Libreville will offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees shaped and reviewed by Berklee College of Music in Boston, US.

Bachelor’s degrees will commence in October 2018 and all applicants – musicians and music lovers alike – have been urged to apply until the end of July 2018.

The prestigious partner of AMI, Berklee, is regarded as one of the most famous independent music schools in the world and boasts more than 280 Grammys awarded to its alumni, including greats such as blues guitarist John Mayer, fusion keyboardist Joe Zawinul, bassists Esperanza Spalding, saxophonist Brandford Marsalis and jazz pianist Diana Krall.

AMI will follow in the footsteps of its partner by offering various courses around sound engineering, music technology, management and music. The bachelor’s programmes available include performance, songwriting as well as electronic production and design, while students partaking in the two-year master’s programmes can opt for postgraduate degrees in media management or media production.

AMI told Music In Africa that the core Berklee courses would be enhanced with Africa-specific content such as examples and styles of music found on the continent, historical contexts, stories and anecdotes as well as corporate and business realities that would prepare students to navigate the numerous music industries in Africa.

How to apply

AMI applicants are required to submit videos of their performances and various other supporting documents via the university’s official website, after which the successful candidates will be invited to an audition and interview with the institute’s executive director and a professor of the Berklee College of Music. Students from across the African continent are welcome to apply.

Online application forms are available here where prospective students will fill out their personal information, the degree of their choice, their principal instrument and supply video and/or audio links that demonstrate their musicianship and performance ability.

AMI facilities

The state-of-the-art AMI campus covering six hectares in the heart of Gabon’s capital offers cutting-edge facilities and equipment, recording and TV studios, performance halls and a main auditorium where many of the lectures will take place. The AMI has also made available accommodation for international students or for those who prefer to stay on campus.

The institution is envisioned to enrol about 140 students each academic year, of which 80% will be bachelor’s students and 20% master’s students. Some of the major subjects on offer include songwriting, film scoring, music production, engineering, electronic production design, performance and dance.

As of this year, AMI has also introduced various short-term programmes where students will be presented with intensive songwriting, production and performance courses during a period of between five and 12 weeks.

For more information, visit the African Music Institute official website.