Culoe de Song, of Black Coffee, is a Red Bull Music Academy alumnus.

The names Cam, Ben and Domingo may not mean anything to you. But just like these endearing TV series characters, this year a set number of musicians and DJs are going to have to find out How to Make it in America.

Two terms of the annual Red Bull Music Academy will take place in New York from September 30 to October 12 and October 21 to November 2. As is common practice, both terms will see 30 young (and young-ish, let’s be honest) people who show great musical promise turned into students at the Academy.

The lecturers? Well, they’ve ranged from musical director/ drummer for the legendary The Roots – known to you as ?uestlove – to SA icon Hugh Masekela and Ethio-jazz father Mulatu Astatke. Now in its 14th year, the Red Bull Music Academy will boast a stellar staff line-up of seasoned musicians, producers, DJs and other people who have been instrumental to the progression of genres ranging from dubstep to hip hop, rock, drum ’n’ bass, pop, house and what the kids would like to term “alternative”.

The process includes filling out an application form that asks you personality questions, takes an interest in your musical taste and even asks you to draw a diagram of how you see your relationship with music/the music industry. It’s a tough one to crack as there are no “right” answers or formulas but it’s certainly one that’s totally worth applying for.

Once the students (who hail from all over the world) have been accepted into the Academy and they’ve soaked up the knowledge imparted by the music veterans, they get to play in the state-of-the-art studios.

Here they get to record music on top-notch equipment, experiment with different sounds and collaborate with the fresh talent that they meet while class is in session. The best of these sessions are usually placed on the Various Assets: Not For Sale compilation CDs that allow everyone, from prospective applicants to established DJs, to hear the new music and break it with- out having the mainstream media endorse it first. Yep, it’s usually the kind of out-the-box creativity that isn’t being played on regular radio that is cooked up at the Academy.

But that doesn’t mean the Academy alumni haven’t gone on to make a success of themselves. An immediate example that comes to mind is Culoe de Song. Signed to prolific house master, Black Coffee, Culoe has made sound waves in both the local and international scenes. Brooklyn rapper/producer/ DJ, Pursuit Grooves, is also one who has made her mark in the underground and online.

Last year, South Africa’s own Emile Hoogenhoot aka Behr was chosen to represent Mzansi at the Academy in Madrid. Initially, the 2011 installment of this coveted training camp was supposed to take place in Tokyo. But after an earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan, it was decided that Spain would host the Academy for a second time. This year the Big Apple is the place to be. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. But first you have to make it past the application stage.

• Applications to the 2012 Red Bull Music Academy in New York open tomorrow and can be downloaded from www.redbullmusicacademy.com

To sign up for our Tonight newsletter click here

To vote on our Tonight poll click here