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Multi-ARIA-winning record producer Mark Opitz has joined the Australian National University's (ANU) School of Music as a visiting fellow.
Opitz began his career with ABC's triple j but went on to produce Cold Chisel, AC/DC, INXS, the Divinyls and Australian Crawl.
The Australian rock music icon is currently working with Adelaide-based band Bad Dreems.
Despite his high-profile career and fame, Opitz said his new role at the ANU was "about the greatest honour [he has] ever had".
He said he hoped to develop the music program by combining as much as possible from the different genres of music.
"In other words we're trying to cross-pollinate different genres so everyone learns from everyone else," Opitz said.
"Not necessarily looking back at Beethoven and studying that forever.
"The School of Music has the capacity to produce world-class performances. We need to learn from every side of music, because it's a universal language."
He said he was looking forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with academics and students.
"Brian Schmidt, the vice-chancellor, said to me that he wanted to make the School of Music world-class, he wanted it to be the best in the world," he said.
"I can't promise that, but the team he's got going there is a bloody good team and I'm very proud to be part of it."
Associate Professor Samantha Bennett, from the School of Music, said staff and students were extremely lucky to be working with one of Australia's top record producers.
"Mark not only has an unparalleled record in professional record production, but he is also an excellent educator," Dr Bennet said.
"We're all very excited to be working with him in the school's new recording studio."
Last year, the ANU committed more than $12 million in strategic funding for the School of Music after an extensive report into the institution's direction.
It came after a major restructure of the school in 2012 resulted in job losses, funding cuts and a drop in services offered.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music-education, university-and-further-education, canberra-2600, act, australia, australian-national-university-0200