2025 Results 2025 Pilot The Program The Founder FAQ Partners Apply

Be Part of Something That
Didn't Exist Before You

A selective music performance and production intensive in Nassau, Bahamas — where students develop skills in performance and production and begin to define their own artistic identity.

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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. Every application reviewed individually.

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2026 Program

Create. Produce. Perform.

One focused program. Performance and production developed together. Students leave having created work they can perform, present, or continue building — along with a clearer sense of their musicianship, discipline, and creative process.

An Island Innovator isn't just selected — they create, produce, perform, and leave having met a higher standard. This is the founding cohort — the beginning of a network of young Bahamian artists.

What You'll Do

  • →Build real musicianship — ear training, theory, and performance that carries beyond the program
  • →Work with professional music production software and tools
  • →Complete original work — composed, produced, or both — ready to present
  • →Perform your work publicly at the showcase — the moment everything builds toward

Program Details

  • →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 · 2026 Founding Cohort · 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.

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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. This program is built to push students who are already engaged, not introduce the subject from scratch. We look for curiosity, commitment, and a genuine interest in music over credentials or accolades.
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, creative practice, and original work within a focused cohort. The experience leads toward a final public showcase where students perform and present their work.
Financial assistance is available in select cases and is based on both need and program fit. Tuition is $500 — the 2026 Founding Cohort rate. We do not turn away strong applicants for financial reasons alone, but assistance is limited and not guaranteed. 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.
Applications are reviewed individually. Selected applicants can expect to hear from us regarding Stage 2 invitations around June 26, 2026.
The 2026 program takes place in Nassau, Bahamas. Final venue details will be shared with accepted students before the program begins.
Still have a question?
Admissions

I can help with questions about Island Innovators Bahamas — the program, the experience, and the application process.

For admissions questions or direct inquiries, contact us at admissions@islandinnovatorsbahamas.com  · 

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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12–15 students will be accepted. Every application is reviewed individually.

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