The Wild Turkey Music 101 Mentorship Program culminated with an unforgettable gig this week, featuring 10 emerging Australian artists performing alongside Angus & Julia Stone.    

The artists from across Australia were chosen to participate in the annual Wild Turkey Music 101 Mentorship Program, equipping them with real-world skills and insights needed to navigate the music industry. 

Prior to taking to the stage, the mentees attended six workshops from 15-17 July in Sydney, learning from Angus & Julia Stone alongside Australia’s finest audio engineers, vocal producers, and songwriters. 

Day one focused on recording and production at Studios 301, where mentees worked with Stefan Du Randt to learn the basics of mixing, foundations in the music industry with Lynley White-Smith, and Simon Cohen on a live vocal recording session. 

Day two and three were held at Wild Turkey’s House of Music 101, a Wild Turkey experience hosted at The Abercrombie Hotel, where mentees heard from Kiah Gossner to explore the art of recording and producing music, tips and tricks from Angus & Julia, and on how to prep for a live show with Antonia Gauci. 

The Mentorship Program was followed by a live showcase at Wild Turkey’s House of Music 101 on 17 July, where the emerging artists took to the stage to perform their original songs. This included one mentee, Velvet Bloom, joining Angus & Julia on stage to perform a cover of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon as an encore. 

It was inspiring to be in the audience for the performance following a masterclass upstairs featuring a sneak preview of Wild Turkey’s latest Master’s Keep rye whiskey release and a cocktail created by Shade Pines Saloon called the Traveller, which featured Wild Turkey 101, coffee-infused Campari, smoked apple syrup, dehydrated apple and a billtong garnish.

The atmosphere in the main bar the Abercrombie was electric and the acts were sensational – an amazing night and a meaningful initiative by Wild Turkey to support live music.

As Angus Stone noted: “The House of Music 101 live showcase was such a special night; there’s nothing quite like performing to fellow artists. It was really incredible to see these 10 incredibly talented individuals all shine & utilise what they had picked up along the course of the Mentorship Program as they took to the stage & shared their original works. Such an incredibly gifted group of humans & such a magical evening to be apart of.”

Campari Australia & New Zealand Marketing Director Paolo Marinoni said, “The Wild Turkey Music 101 Mentorship Program was built on the foundation of conviction, unwavering belief, and mentorship. These values are at the core of Wild Turkey and the master distillers behind it, the Russell’s, and is now at the core of our mentorship program. It was a privilege to seeing this all come together at House of Music 101!” 

And it was a privilege to be in the audience.

Fans are encouraged to keep an eye on Wild Turkey’s social channels keep up to date on House of Music 101 at @wildturkeyau.