Founded in 2011, BIMM Dublin is part of the BIMM Group, Europa's largest and leading contemporary music college. Offering degrees and diplomas in a number of different disciplines including songwriting, music production, guitar, vocals and more, the institute has grown massively over the last four years.
Initially opening with a group of approximately 125 students, they now have two sites (on Francis Street and another a short distance away from the Coombe) and over 750 students. Every term, they aim to adapt and evolve to reflect changing times. Internationally they’ve also expanded too and work closely with sister colleges in Brighton, Bristol, London, Manchester and Berlin to pool knowledge, expertise and management systems.
Someone who’s been there since day one is head of events and guests, and a few more things besides, Ann Marie Shields. A woman who has made a massive impact in the industry, she previously served as tour manager for My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr and more, founded her own record label (the Warner’s Reprise Records imprint Morpheus), managed artists such Charlotte Hatherley and Rollerskate Skinny and worked in PR (to list just a handful of her credits) before joining BIMM Dublin.
"We cover pretty much every aspect of the music industry ," she begins. "As well as the musicianship and technical skills which are taught by an array of amazing musicians. We teach them all about the music business. They get lots of audition and live performance experience and we have classes in professional development, solo performance and teaching skills. The students get the opportunity to audition to play at professional gigs and to record a song.
In the final year all students are required to work on a professional project in the real world. We notify them of job opportunities and internships and support and advise them with any aspect of their music or business in one-to one tutorials. We also encourage peer support and feedback. We provide workshops in everything from press and promotion to guitar set-up, hearing health, vocal health, performance anxiety; and we run career workshops and tutorials with music industry professionals."
Ann Marie tells us that it’s somewhat easier navigating the choppy seas in the business these days compared to her time spent on the road in the ‘90s with My Bloody Valentine.
“Well, we didn’t have computers or mobile phones then, so setting up a tour required staying up late at night so you could talk to people in Japan, the USA and Australia...needless to say it’s a lot easier now!" she smiles. "But... for me it feels like the industry has come full circle. When I first toured with My Bloody Valentine we were surrounded by a lot of very creative people driven by a passion for music. We didn’t have a lot of money but there was a really exciting live music scene and a growth of independent labels. Then we went through a period of working with major labels with lots of money and big expense accounts.
“Now we’re in exciting, changing times again. There’s not so much money around but new technology has sparked a real spirit of independence. I love that bands can sell their music direct to fans.”
Villagers drummer, former radio DJ for Phantom and club promoter James Byrne has recently taken up a role as music business tutor at BIMM Dublin. With a wealth of experience under his belt as both a musician and industry man, he tells Hot Press he enjoys educating a new generation of performers and finds it fulfilling helping others avoid some of the mistakes he made cutting his teeth.
“I started at BIMM this time last year. Basically I give students an outline of how the industry works and provide details on the different elements that make up the industry like publishing, record labels, contracts, touring, marketing. I like sharing information with them and in some ways they can learn from my mistakes or bad experiences I’ve had in the industry.
“A lot of musicians start writing songs to be creative but as far as the business side goes, there’s a murkier side you can get lost in, if you don’t know how to navigate your way through it. It’s good to have a road map on how to handle it all in terms of legal advice or whatever. The four years here I think you’ve got a good grounding.
Of course, BIMM Dublin would be nothing without its students. When we meet graduating musician (and drummer with the hotly tipped Blades Club) Stephen D’Arcy, he tells us that he’d heartily recommend enrolling at the institute.
“I actually just convinced a friend to start this year,” he replies. “Not many people get the chance to study something they love and it was a genuine pleasure and honour to be a part of the first year of graduates in BIMM Dublin.
“There’s been a lot of highlights during my time here. We had master classes with Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Thomas Lang, Ben Folds and Steve Jordan (among others), got to play at record label showcases which was a great learning experience and also the industry panels I attended were so useful. I’ve made some incredible friends and there is a strong sense of community in the college between students, staff and tutors.”
Growing from strength to strength as the years progress, Ann Marie sees a very bright future for BIMM Dublin.
“What I love most about my job is being in a position to inspire young musicians and it’s a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge gained from experience,” she says.
“I really love working with creative people. The master classes tend to be really inspiring and exciting events and we’ve had lots of fantastic guests such as Hozier, Snarky Puppy, Imelda May, Jimmy Chamberlin, J Mascis, Neil Hannon, the Strypes, Rumer, Youth and Alan McGee. There are lots of people I plan to bring into the college and I’ve got some great guests lined up already for the new term.”