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Be Part of Something That
Didn't Exist Before You

A selective music intensive in Nassau, Bahamas where students build their musicianship, creative voice, and artistic identity through performance and production.

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Featured in The Tribune · July 4, 2025

2025 Results

The Tribune

July 4, 2025

"My vision for Island Innovators was never meant to be just a one-time summer programme; I've always envisioned it growing into something bigger, more sustainable, and more accessible across The Bahamas."

"I liked that the instructors were young so it was relatable to him."

2025 Parent

"It was worth the education."

2025 Parent

Island Innovators Bahamas 2025 — students performing
Christopher Hilton mentoring a student at Island Innovators Bahamas 2025
Student at keyboard during Island Innovators Bahamas 2025

Nassau, Bahamas · Summer 2025

Island Innovators Bahamas began as a broader creative and technical pilot spanning music, coding, and robotics. The 2026 intensive focuses exclusively on music performance and production.

Explore the 2025 Pilot

Interested in future programs beyond music? Join the future interest list →

Summer 2026

Applications Are Open

12–15 students accepted. Music foundation required.

Apply Now Read the FAQ

2026 Program

Create. Produce. Perform.

One focused program. Performance and production developed together. Students leave with real development across both, and a clearer sense of their musicianship, discipline, and creative process.

This is the founding cohort. The beginning of a network of young Bahamian artists.

What You'll Do

  • →Build real musicianship through ear training, theory, listening, and practice that carries beyond the program
  • →Use performance and production tools to develop your creative voice and deepen your artistic practice
  • →Work alongside a focused cohort of serious young musicians in Nassau
  • →Work toward the public showcase that closes the program

Program Details

Toward Complete Musicianship

  • →Nassau, Bahamas · July 13–24, 2026 · 2-week intensive
  • →Monday–Friday · 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
  • →Ages 11–17 · Grades 6–12
  • →12–15 students accepted
  • →Public showcase at end of program
  • →Oberlin Conservatory virtual session
  • →Tuition $500 · Sponsorships being pursued to reduce or eliminate cost · Financial assistance available
  • →Accepted students receive an official Founding Cohort piece, worn throughout the program and onto the showcase stage.

Students should come in with some music foundation: instrument, vocals, or production. The program pushes that forward, not from zero.

Apply Now

Rooted Here

Serious training, real tools, a real cohort. Without leaving Nassau.

Small by Design

12–15 students. Your work is seen. Your growth is intentional.

Outcomes Over Activities

Every day builds toward the showcase. No filler. Something real at the end.

Christopher Hilton, Founder of Island Innovators Bahamas

The Founder

Built by a Bahamian,
for Bahamians

Christopher Hilton is a jazz bassist studying under Gerald Cannon — a faculty member at both Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School — with a background spanning performance and computer science.

Despite years on electric bass beginning at age 11, he transitioned to upright bass just two months before his Oberlin prescreening, and successfully auditioned before a live panel after only five months on the instrument.

That experience shaped the philosophy behind Island Innovators Bahamas: a higher standard built on the result of discipline, mentorship, and the expectation to deliver real work under pressure. Island Innovators Bahamas was developed during his first year at Oberlin to make that kind of development more accessible, while also creating a space where music and technology are not separate paths, but tools students use to develop, perform, and present work that reflects who they are and the direction they're building toward.

Oberlin College & Conservatory Jazz Double Bass + CS Bahamian Founder

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The Tribune

"…it's about discovering what you're capable of when you're given the tools and the stage."

For Parents

Frequently Asked Questions

Students should come in with some foundation in music, formal or self-taught. We welcome students from any instrument or background. This program is built to challenge students who are serious, curious, and willing to push their artistic voice, not to introduce the subject from scratch. We look for commitment and a genuine interest in music over credentials.
Ages 11–17, currently in Grades 6–12. We accept students entering any grade in the 2026–27 school year. In exceptional cases, applicants slightly outside this range may be considered based on fit and readiness.
The program runs July 13–24, 2026. Accepted students will receive onboarding information before the program begins.
The program is a focused 2-week intensive.
The program runs Monday–Friday and centers on performance and production, building musicianship and developing artistic practice, working toward the public showcase within a focused cohort.
Tuition for the 2026 program is $500. We are actively pursuing sponsorships to reduce or eliminate this cost for accepted students. Financial assistance is also available in select cases based on need and program fit. Cost will not prevent a strong applicant from participating. Priority is given to applicants who demonstrate strong commitment and potential.
We accept a small cohort of 12–15 students. Every application is reviewed individually. We look for students with genuine musical engagement, a clear reason for applying, and the commitment to see the program through to the final showcase.
Admissions runs in two stages. Stage One applications are due June 22, 2026. Applications are reviewed after the deadline. All applicants will hear from us around June 26, 2026. Selected applicants are invited to Stage 2, which includes a short video introduction and brief musical submission. Final decisions are released around July 3. The program begins July 13, 2026.
The 2026 program takes place in Nassau, Bahamas. Final venue details will be shared with accepted students before the program begins.
Still Have Questions?
Clarity

Hi, I'm Clarity. You can ask me anything about Island Innovators Bahamas.

For direct inquiries, contact us at hello@islandinnovatorsbahamas.com  · 

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Partners & Supporters

Work With Island Innovators Bahamas

We're open to conversations with schools, sponsors, artists, and organizations committed to serious artistic development for young Bahamians.

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