Research Lab at JAM MUSIC LAB: From Student Composition to Professional Audio/Video Release with Alumna Tanja Peinsipp

At JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music Vienna, artistic ideas are developed far beyond the classroom. The current Research Lab accompanies selected student compositions from the first planning stages to the final audio and video production, combining artistic research, creative development, and practical implementation in a professional environment. The project is led artistically and organizationally by JAM alumna Tanja Peinsipp, also known as the singer of Spitting Ibex and Mary Jane’s Soundgarden, while Marcus Ratka is responsible for the overall direction.

What makes this Research Lab especially valuable is its holistic approach. Students do not only work on the artistic realization of their music, but also engage with key areas of today’s music industry, including branding, visual concept, marketing, social media strategy, music rights, release planning, and distribution. In this way, the lab connects music performance, music production, music business, and artistic research in a format that reflects the realities of contemporary professional life in jazz, popular music, and media-related music practice.

A central partner in the project is Beard Mountain Studio, where the audio and video recordings were produced in collaboration with JAM. By working in a professional recording environment, students gain direct insight into the standards and workflows of high-level studio production, content creation, and release preparation. The lab therefore serves not only as a creative platform, but also as a bridge between university education, artistic practice, and the professional music field.

Students can participate in different ways: as performing artists and as contributors to the research and development processes that accompany the artistic work. This expanded format makes the Research Lab an important example of how JAM MUSIC LAB Private University connects higher music education in Vienna with innovation, interdisciplinarity, and career-oriented project work.

The next results of this collaboration will soon become visible: new videos by JAM artists Carla Kaltenböck and Caterina Lee are set for release. With projects like this, JAM MUSIC LAB continues to create opportunities for young artists to transform original musical ideas into professional artistic output with real public reach.