The Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM) has maintained a partnership with Hamilton Island Enterprises (HIE) since 2002. As a part of this partnership, the Bachelor of Music (jazz & popular) students visit Hamilton Island (HI), an island resort located off the Australian east coast, four to six times annually to engage in 3 to 10 days of performance and educational activities. During each visit, students within the degree present daily performances in the HI’s many bars, restaurants and entertainment areas. The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of the CQCM/HIE partnership on student learning in respect to the development of specific performance skills, including presenting confidently, reading audience responses, being aware of fellow band members and adapting to the requirements of each venue. The findings indicate that as experiential knowledge is developed in each of the areas investigated, there is value to the CQCM/HIE partnership as an off-campus performance training programme.