YOUR MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE LONDON THE UK & EUROPE’S PROSPECTUS BERLIN MOST CONNECTED 2015/16 DUBLIN MUSIC COLLEGE MANCHESTER BRISTOL BRIGHTON BIMM.CO.UK DEAR STUDENT, At BIMM we understand that choosing the large scale venues, access to industry A&R right place to study and nurture your talent panels, connectivity with the thriving festival is one of the most important decisions you’ll circuit, and the production of the annual ever make. BIMM albums. BIMM also offers more work placement opportunities and internships Since BIMM was established 14 years ago than any other music college. But perhaps with our first institute in Brighton, our passion our greatest strength is that BIMM students has been to help every aspiring musician benefit from being connected to the largest and music industry professional to achieve alumni network in the industry with over 1,500 their personal goals and be able to embark members who provide inspiration, mentorship on a sustainable career in the music industry. and connectivity to the industry for our We now have Colleges in six cities where students. BIMM alumni hold BRIT, Ivor Novello music matters most – Bristol, London, Berlin, and MOBO awards, have scored countless UK Brighton, Manchester and Dublin – and are Top 10 albums and more than 30 UK Top 40 proud to be the largest and leading provider singles, and include The Kooks, Tom Odell, of contemporary music education in the UK George Ezra and James Bay. YOUR MUSIC CAREER and Europe. We celebrate the fact that our approach STARTS HERE. In this prospectus we’ve included full details is working because the facts speak for of our real-world Higher Education music and themselves – nearly 80% of our graduates music industry courses, an introduction to our make a living solely from the music industry. fantastic line-up of industry specialist tutors, and a guide to the city of Bristol and If you’d like a taste of what life at BIMM is it’s vibrant music and creative scene. really like, why not attend one of the many Open Days we run throughout the year. For BIMM Bristol Higher Education courses are more information, please see page 52 of this validated by Bath Spa University – ranked as Prospectus, call 0844 264 6666 or visit one of the top universities in the world. BIMM www.bimm.co.uk/bristol – you can book your provides state-of-the-art professional facilities, place online. with equipment and software provided by the world’s leading musical instrument So choose to connect with us – and we’ll manufacturers who actively support and connect you to a life in music. We look endorse us. forward to welcoming you in the 2015/16 academic year. BIMM is proud to be the best connected. We now have over 4,500 students, all of VASEEMA HAMILTON MA whom have access to a range of amazing PRINCIPAL – BIMM BRISTOL / opportunities as part of our aligned network LONDON / BRIGHTON / BERLIN of campuses. We offer unrivalled access to the $50bn global music industry via MARK CLAYDEN regular collaborative experiences, including COLLEGE MANAGER weekly Masterclasses with internationally – BIMM BRISTOL renowned guest artists, gigs at small and WELCOME 03 CONTENTS 05 ABOUT BIMM ABOUT 06 BRISTOL – THE PLACE TO STUDY 10 08 LIFE AT BIMM AT BIMM YOU’LL BE PART OF A CREATIVE COMMUNITY THAT GIVES YOU THE BEST 10 MASTERCLASSES OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TALENT AND WORK IN ONE OF 12 CAREERS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THE WORLD’S BIGGEST AND MOST CELEBRATED INDUSTRIES. 14 STUDENT SUCCESS 18 TUTORS 23 COURSES 42 STUDENT SERVICES 43 HOW TO APPLY The global music industry is worth around All of our colleges offer fully accredited 44 INTERNATIONAL $50bn annually and this figure continues courses and are QAA-assured. Our tutors 14 47 FEES AND FINANCE to grow each year, providing a multitude of are experts in their fields and continue to 48 STUDENT LOANS employment opportunities in the UK, Ireland tour, play and produce music with some and abroad. For over ten years, BIMM has of the world’s biggest recording artists, 49 SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES been producing some of the industry’s such as Radiohead, Paul Weller, Beyoncé, 50 EDUCATION PARTNERS brightest talents, from best-selling artists Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney. 51 ACCOMMODATION such as The Kooks, Tom Odell and George 52 OPEN DAYS Ezra to leading songwriters, musicians, agents, producers, journalists, business 53 COLLEGE TOURS professionals and major-label managers. WHY BRISTOL? 54 CONTACT INFORMATION 52 Location is vital to breaking into the music A thriving underground music and industry, so we’ve based our colleges in arts scene is at the heart of Bristol life, Bristol, Brighton, London, Berlin, Manchester where individuality is celebrated and and Dublin – the six European cities where creativity rewarded. With a large student music matters most. These locations have population, a love of live music and thriving music scenes that will allow you some of the UK’s best bars and shops, to take advantage of our world-class Bristol is the perfect place to immerse “REALLY IMPRESSED WITH connections and the many collaborative yourself. The city and surrounding area WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, opportunities that arise. In this creative hosts a multitude of festivals, including YOU’RE VERY LUCKY.” environment you can network and develop the world-renowned Glastonbury. In lifelong contacts while performing and 2010 a Performing Rights Society (PRS) staging gigs at local venues and festivals, study discovered that more working ROGER DALTREY CBE as well as working with record labels, music musicians have come from Bristol than BIMM PATRON producers and rehearsal studios to get an any other city in the UK. authentic taste for what life in the music industry is really like. 04 CONTENTS ABOUT BIMM 05 MUSIC IS AT BRISTOL’S VERY CORE. BRITAIN’S FIFTH LARGEST CITY IS HOME TO INTERNATIONAL BRISTOL ARTISTS SUCH AS MASSIVE ATTACK, PORTISHEAD, RONI SIZE, JULIO BASHMORE AND TRICKY. WITH 23 RECORDING STUDIOS THE AND FIVE MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVALS BASED IN THE AREA*, BRISTOL IS THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR YOU PLACE TO START YOUR CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Every night of the week you’ll hear the TO STUDY sound of live music across the city. From up-and-coming artists performing in Stokes Croft – home to performance spaces, open mic nights, various venues and a glorious selection of care-worn pubs that have live music whatever the season – to international acts at the O2 Academy, Colston Hall and Bristol’s famous floating venue down on the dockside, Thekla. Bristol has hundreds of venues, bars, pubs and clubs within the city’s boundaries – and many of the bands and artists playing these venues passed through BIMM. Throughout the year the city and surrounding area hosts many music festivals, including Dot to Dot, ArcTanGent, 2000trees and Bristol Harbour Festival – and don’t forget that the legendary “ MY TIME AT BIMM WAS PRICELESS, Glastonbury is just down the road. LEARNING FROM PROFESSIONAL SONGWRITERS WHO KNOW WHAT The countercultural edge survives in Bristol THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT, AND in a very real way, with new music, art and BOUNCING IDEAS OFF THE OTHER literature being generated across the city at STUDENTS GAVE ME VALUABLE all times. Whether it’s a secret warehouse EXPERIENCE THAT I’LL NEVER BE gig in Easton, a new underground club or ABLE TO RE-CREATE. BIMM TELLS YOU VIP night on Gloucester Road, leftfield art HOW THE INDUSTRY REALLY IS AND exhibitions or pop-up graffiti shows, Bristol’s PREPARES YOU FOR A REAL FUTURE focus is on that most enigmatic of DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE!” qualities: authenticity. KATE WALSH, *Unsigned Guide 2013 BIMM GRADUATE 06 BRISTOL BRISTOL 07 “PROVIDING YOU WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.” WHETHER IT’S LEARNING INSIDE THE GIGS CLASSROOM, IN A STUDIO, ON STAGE Life at BIMM is not all about coursework, OR AT A FESTIVAL, WE’LL PROVIDE revision and exams – live music is a huge part YOU WITH ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES of what we’re all about. Throughout your time YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR at BIMM, you’ll be heavily involved in Bristol’s GOALS THROUGH CONNECTING AND live scene, whether it’s gigging, rehearsing or LIFE INTERACTING WITH THE INDUSTRY IN promoting. We also run and put on our own REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS. end-of-term gigs, showcasing our musicians, bands and songwriters at a series of events GUESTS AND MASTERCLASSES across the city. We believe that to be the best it helps to connect with the best, so we encourage you to meet and network with leading music industry professionals. We use our AT connections to attract A-list musicians, songwriters, label executives, A&R reps and booking agents to share their knowledge with you in regular Masterclasses. Previous guests have included: Danny O’Donoghue (The Script), KT Tunstall, Chuck D (Public Enemy), Imelda May, Graham Coxon (Blur), BIMM Keane, Stephen Street (Producer: Blur, AT BIMM WE WANT TO HELP YOU BROADEN The Smiths), Michael Eavis (Glastonbury), AND DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS AS A MUSICIAN Lawson, Ben Thompson (Two Door Cinema OR MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL. Club) and BIMM patron Roger Daltrey CBE (The Who). THE BIMM ALBUM Every year we use our in-house record label to release an album featuring a “I FELT I FINALLY FITTED host of BIMM musicians. BIMM bands and IN THERE. YOU COULD DO artists submit demos for inclusion, and the YOUR OWN THING AND chosen acts get to record at a professional THAT’S WHAT WE DID.” studio with engineers and producers. The album is released to the public and given LUKE PRITCHARD, THE KOOKS to industry professionals to showcase the BIMM GRADUATES very best of BIMM talent.