Applications for the Friends of the School of Music Transition Award Are Now Open

Applications for the Friends of the School of Music Transition Award Are Now Open
Tom Connell, Friends Transition Awardee 2019
Tuesday 11 February 2020

The Friends of the ANU School of Music are a non-profit association and source of practical and financial support to tertiary students of the School of Music. Advancing musical endeavours within the School and helping to foster engagement with the Canberra community, the Friends fund prizes for musical performance and academic achievement and offer ad hoc grants for projects.

Each year, the Friends Transition Award is offered to assist a
School of Music graduate transition between formal study and a professional career in music.

Tom Connell, a BMUS (Hons) graduate and PhD Candidate of the ANU School of Music, was granted the Award in 2019 and encourages all eligible students to apply.

What made you want to apply for the Friends Transition Award?

When I found out about the Award, I thought I’d give it a shot. I’d received a grant from the Friends before to travel to Melbourne for the gaming convention PAX 2018 and to Perth for the Australian Computer Music Conference, at both of which I was presenting.

It took me a while to think of something that I would use the award for but when I finally decided I thought it would be a beneficial thing to do.

What are you planning on using the Award for?

I’m planning to use the Award to receive certification to teach Wwise, an audio program used in many Triple A video game titles such as Overwatch and The Witcher 3. I’m hoping to run a few Wwise training days alongside Dr Alexander Hunter making the School of Music one of the only places that offers in-person Wwise courses in the Southern Hemisphere.

What has winning the Award meant for you?

I was really pleased when I found out. It will really help me in improving my sound design skills going forward. I am using the Wwise program in a video game project and the Award will help further my understanding of sound integration in video games. It will also help professionally going forward as the teaching certification will really be a benefit to both myself and to the School.

What role did the Friends play in your time, and your peers' time, at the School of Music?

The Friends have always been around helping students with projects they’d otherwise not be able to do. As I said before I once got a grant to travel to a few major events during my honours year that I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to otherwise. One of these was a conference where I published work from my honours thesis. I’ve also known people who have used it for recording albums and travel, even overseas to places like Russia.



Apply for the Friends Transition Award here.
Read the Friends Transition Conditions of Award for more information.
Submissions open: 1 February 2020
Submissions close: 15 March2020

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Updated:  11 February 2020/Responsible Officer:  RSHA Director/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications