Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music

Aboriginal student studying music

CASM is the only devoted university-based centre for studies in Australian Indigenous music.

Are you a musical Indigenous Australian who is 17 or over?

The CASM foundation year is a dedicated entry program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians wanting to study at university. CASM is part of the Elder Conservatorium of Music at Adelaide University.

The CASM Foundation Year offers an innovative program that responds to the learning needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and offers state-of-the-art learning and sound recording facilities.

At CASM you will be actively involved in a variety of music performance, composition and recording activities. Much of this work is done in the CASM studios, which house exceptional facilities for rehearsing, music recording and audio-visual production.

CASM foundation year applications

If you’d like to apply for the CASM Foundation Year, follow these steps:

  1. Register for your audition by emailing CASM. Please include your name, date of birth, email address, mobile phone number and your availability so a time for an interview can be organised.
  2. Once you have completed your audition, submit an Access Pathway application and upload your CASM Audition Feedback Form with your documents.
  3. CASM will be in touch with you to step you through the rest of the application process from there.

Explore our research

CASM has a rich history of research across sectors which partners with and supports communities.

Engage with us

Discover the CASM foundation year and application process.

Explore the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music

CASM was founded in 1972 through partnership between the ethnomusicologist, Catherine Ellis, and the acclaimed Ngarrindjeri poet, Leila Rankine. CASM's early programs also built on deep exchanges with the Aṉangu community at Iwantja, which led to the ground-breaking appointment of the Pitjantjatjara songman, M. Baker, as a Senior Lecturer at CASM in 1975.

In the 1980s, CASM students began to focus on creating original music, and formed the ground-breaking bands, No Fixed Address, Us Mob, Coloured Stone, and Kuckles.

More recent CASM alumni, including Zaachariaha Fielding of the band Electric Fields, Ellie Lovegrove, DEM MOB, Tilly Tjala Thomas, Nathan May, and Simi Vuata, are widely acclaimed performing artists.

Explore our research and community engagement initiatives — from revitalising Aboriginal song traditions through ARC-supported projects, to co-creating a ground-breaking songbook that supports health and wellbeing in Aboriginal communities. These are just some examples of how CASM’s work connects cultural practice with real-world impact.

CASM graduates have led successful careers in composition, performance and recording, and have won international recognition and awards for their music. They are also employed in a wide range of professions and leadership roles across the education, health, government, community development, media and arts sectors.

Grayson Rotumah

Co-Director Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music
Email: grayson.rotumah@adelaide.edu.au

Grayson Rotumah

Dylan Crismani

Co-Director Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music
Email: dylan.crismani@adelaide.edu.au

Dylan Crismani

Contact us

Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music

Location

Location
Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music
Adelaide University
Schulz Building, City Campus, Adelaide SA 5000

Telephone

Phone: +61 8 8313 5995

Email

Email: music@adelaide.edu.au