Ken Wood Scholarship Fund
At MIC we believe that fees should not be a barrier for any student who is passionate about music to enrol. To help with fees for students and their families we established the Ken Wood Scholarship fund. The fund is named after founding principal, Brett Wood's father. Ken worked long hours in a non-ferrous foundry and was a strong advocate for a good education for all of his four children. Having left school at the end of year seven himself he saw the value of education in providing a pathway to a better future. Each year the Ken Wood Scholarship supports students and their families so they are able to attend a school that is designed to meet their educational needs and future aspirations.
I Would Be Dead Without This School
I Would Be Dead Without This School (IWBDWTS) is a direct quote from a letter I received from a graduate in 2012. As I read the letter tears welled up and I felt empathy for the graduate as well as a sense of pride that this small school could have such a big impact on an individual. Over the ensuing years it became clear that Music Industry College has had a similar impact on many of our students. IWBDWTS is the story of Music Industry College, how it came to be and the impact it has had on students, staff and board members. This book is not my story, I am only one small part of it, it is the story of how one small school is making a huge difference.
“One main difference at MIC is that they treat us as individuals. We aren’t a class, or group of students, we are individuals. The teachers are there because they want to teach us. We’re there because we want to learn about the industry. It definitely is a school environment but in the right way.
I’m more grown up and mature. I think that’s because they treat us like adults. We don’t have rules, instead we have four pillars. If I don’t feel like being at school on a given day I’m allowed to sign myself out but because of that I choose not to sign out. If I was forced to stay then I’d probably skip class. Ever since coming to MIC I’ve been making my own choices. It’s not my friends or my teachers making them for me. Once you start making your own decisions that’s when you really start growing up. you start listening to yourself, not other people. The four pillars and the culture at MIC are the main reason I’ve grown up so much.
From a musical perspective MIC has made me realise that I can make a career out of this. It’s not just a hobby. I now know there are so many aspects to the industry. music isn’t just a thing for creative kids like, it’s an actual industry. Before I came to MIC I didn’t know many different careers you can have. Now I know I can try a bit of management and so many different things. It’s almost like my options are unlimited now. In my previous school I was waiting to figure all that out when I got to the big wide world. At my old school it was like, get school over and does with and then start my music career. Now it’s like every term I go, oh, I could do that once I graduate. I’ve got a two-year head start on my career because I’ve been at MIC. Not only do I have the confidence to start my career now, I also have the maturity and knowledge that people my age wouldn’t normally have. I’m still a high school student and I go out and have fun but I feel like I know more about the real world, I know more about life after school.”
Chapter 2 - India
Page 13 - 14
