Sia Furler Institute at Elder Conservatorium hones skills used by Adelaide's world singer, composer, video maker
The Sia Furler Institute at Elder Conservatorium gives media and music students the chance to work with cutting-edge technology.
Image courtesy Adelaide University
The Sia Furler Institute for Contemporary Music and Media, opened at the Adelaide University's Elder Conservatorium in 2016, salutes Adelaide’s internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, record producer and video music director.
The institute gives media and music students the chance to work with cutting-edge technology to refine skills used in both industries.
Sia’s father Phil Colson is a musician and her mother Loene an art lecturer. She is the niece of actor-singer Kevin Colson and Colin Hay from Men at Work.
After attending Adelaide High School, Sia sung in the 1990s with acid jazz band Crisp, including their EPs Word and the Deal (1996) and Delirium (1997). Crisp disbanded in 1977.
Sia’s debut album OnlySee on Flavoured Records in Australia sold 1,200 copies. She moved to London and became background vocalist for British band Jamiroquai. She also provided lead vocals for downtempo group Zero7.
In 2000, Sia signed to Sony Music’s sub label Dance Pool and released Healing is difficult. Displeased with how it was promoted, she signed to Go! Beat for her third studio album, Colour the small one, in 2004. It struggled for a mainstream audience, so Sia moved to New York City in 2005. During that time, her song “Breathe Me” appeared in the final scene of the HBO TV series Six Feet Under. She began touring USA and made the Some people have real problems and We are born albums.
During a break, she focused on songwriting for other artists, including “ Titanium” (with David D=Guetta), “Diamonds” (with Rihanna) and “Wild ones” (with Flo Rida).
In 2014, Sia’s 1000 forms of fear, debuted at No 1 in the US Billboard 200 and generated the top-10 breakthrough single “Chandelier” and a trilogy of music videos starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler.
Her 2016 album brought the first Hot 100 No.1 single “Cheap thrills”. The same year, Sia gave her Nostalgic for the Present tour incorporating performance art elements.
Sia has received an array of accolades, including ARIA Awards and an MRV Video Music Award.
