Sunrise Beach’s full-time musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist Sari Abbott has won a scholarship to be among the 28 rising music artists studying at The Academy in January 2023.
The last senior course of the intensive country music educational program ran in Tamworth in 2020, and group leaders and staff members cannot wait to get the course back on track.
Running from January 3-12, 2023, the course heralds the countdown to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
An emerging artist, Sari has performed at various events including the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Gympie Muster.
She won the Ekka Scholarship for 2023 and this is her second Academy course after attending the Junior Course and Academy X Course in 2021.
The Academy remains the only course of its kind in the world and provides students with opportunities they may not otherwise have, and numbers of students have increased for next year.
Most recently, Sari won the Australian National Busking Championships Noosa heat, the Brisbane Ekka Country Music Showdown and was a finalist in the NAB Gympie Muster Talent Search.
“This is the premier music business educational opportunity in Australia,” director Lyn Bowtell said.
“It has been a challenging three years in the music business, and we sadly had to cancel junior and senior courses during that time, but we cannot wait to get back to doing what we love the most.
“My highlight of The Academy is seeing the growth the students experience during their time in the course.”
Group leaders for 2023 are Mickey Pye, Golden Guitar winners Kevin Bennett and Melody Moko, and instrumental group leader Liam Kennedy-Clark, led by director Lyn Bowtell and general manager Roger Corbett with the course run at Liberty College.
During the course, the students are immersed in all aspects of the music business, musical performance, songwriting, promotion, and recording, among other aspects of making a career in music, all from top industry insiders including Kasey Chambers, The Buckleys, Ashleigh Dallas, and Amber Lawrence.
They will also have the chance to co-write with 2022 Toyota Star Maker Max Jackson and Golden Guitar winners Allan Caswell and Aleyce Simmonds.
Covering ages from 18-61 this coming year, students will travel from as far away as the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and throughout NSW.
The intensive and residential nature of the course means students and staff members bond quickly and students discover like-minded friends, with many of these friendships lasting for life.
“The relationships that students and staff members form, are priceless for everyone and assist in the development of the students as artists,” general manager Roger Corbett said.
The Noosa local is working hard to reach her goals, testing her writing skills coming runner up with Tamworth Songwriter Association’s Talent Search 2020/2021, Sari was the 2021 TSA National Junior Songwriter Winner, a Top 10 Junior Finalist at the 2019 Gympie Music Muster Talent Search and top 30 in the Australian Songwriters Association 2021/2022.
Studying a Bachelor of Music at the Sunshine Coast University this year, she is looking forward to writing more and meeting new people within the industry.
