By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
ITCHING to take her trade to the next level, aspiring musician Pippa J recently graduated from the prestigious Junior Academy of Country Music.
The 18-year-old Yallourn North woman was accepted into the Country Music Association of Australia’s (CMAA) program, travelling to Tamworth, New South Wales for a week (July 4-11) alongside 27 other emerging artists.
After taking up music seriously and performing live since she was 14, Pippa understood the gravity of this opportunity, allowing her to learn from award-winning musicians from within the country music industry.
Pippa was able to gain a wealth of knowledge from the likes of Lyn Bowtell (academy director), Sarah Grace Buckley, Brendan Walmsley, Amber Lawrence and members of The Bushwackers, Roger Corbett (CMAA Academy general manager) and Dobe Newton.
“During my time at the academy, I worked on my song writing skills and finding my own voice, stagecraft and connecting with audiences, vocal coaching and improving techniques,” Pippa told the Express.
“They also ran some master classes with our chosen instrument, mine being acoustic guitar.”
Pippa was able to produce, co-write songs and learn harmonies with her academy peers, seeing her forge life-long friendships with those of similarly ambitious dreams.
The academy concluded with a bang, as the young artists put all of their learnings over the week together for a send-off concert at Liberty College, Tamworth.
“The final concert was so much fun and was a real eye-opener on what we could achieve in just eight days,” Pippa said.
“After graduating, I was super inspired and feel so motivated to keep writing my originals and performing as much as I can.”
Pippa’s journey with music began with local ballet, jazz, tap, song and dance at three-years-old, before taking up the guitar in music class when she was 13, instantly falling in love.
“I barely put it down and was performing at markets later that same year and then paid gigs by 14 (years-old),” she said.
In the last two years, Pippa has performed at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in front of hundreds of music lovers that converge from across the country.
These immersive experiences have reaffirmed Pippa’s determination to break into the industry, especially considering many accomplished artists have simultaneously performed at Tamworth and graduated from CMAA’s senior and junior academies.
Going forward, Pippa is focussed on writing and recording her own original music, with plans to release two debut songs later this year.
She is also passionate about sharing music and connecting with audiences through stories reflecting everyday life.
You can keep up to date with Pippa’s gigs on Facebook: Pippa J Music.
