BIMM students get exclusive 1-1 sessions at Spotify
Our partnership with Spotify continues as graduates and students were invited to their London office to participate in 1-1 advice sessions. Two members of the Spotify team sat with the students individually, listened to their songs and offered industry insight and advice, hoping to help the students and graduates develop clarity in their careers.
Eight students were invited to play their music at Spotify’s London Savoy Place office in informal sessions with Aaron Buckingham, from Spotify’s Songwriter and Publishing Relations Team, and Jack Clark, Senior Manager for Artist and Talent Relations. The students received valuable feedback and advice on potential next steps to take in their careers.
The lucky students were Jade Morgan Kelly, Nayana, Zak Shah, Freddie Merkky, Five Lines, Alison May, Riya Gadher and Zed, The Dreamer – we managed to catch up with a few of them after their sessions.
First up was vocals graduate Jade Morgan Kelly, whose take on dance-pop has earned her some recognition within the London music scene. She received praise from both Jack and Aaron.
“Going to the Spotify HQ was an amazing experience for an independent artist like myself. Chatting with the team at Spotify helped me gain confidence in asking questions about the industry. I also received great feedback on my own tracks. Speaking to professionals in the industry helps you to gain knowledge on how to release a single in the best way and understand what streams mean and how they benefit you. It was a very surreal experience that I’m extremely grateful for.”
Nayana was up next. She studies vocals with us and Aaron and Jack praised her instantly recognisable voice. She was also given some advice hopefully taking her career to the next level.
“It was a vibe. They gave me some valuable feedback and let me know I was heading in the right direction, and said they’d come to my performance and Brixton Jamm at the end of the month, so I look forward to seeing them again.”
Self-described punk, jazz and drum ‘n’ bass enthusiast Freddie Merkky then spoke to the guys and was complimented on his combination of thought-provoking themes, progressive musical technique and his ‘punk’ attitude and energy.
“BIMM and Spotify have provided an excellent opportunity here and it was great to get feedback from some industry folk. It’s helped me see clearer where I am going next. I am very excited to take the advice I’ve been given today and crack on.”
Mel Thornton, our Group Head of Careers and Employability, added:
“Our students were extremely fortunate to be invited to Spotify offices in London for dedicated 1-1 advice sessions with Aaron Buckingham from the Songwriter and Publishing Relations team at Spotify. The students loved their time in the office and found the advice invaluable. This, along with Spotify’s involvement with our annual careers event WRKiT, clearly shows Spotify’s impressive commitment to supporting young musicians and developing their careers in music. I’d like to thank Aaron, Jack and the BIMM London team for making this happen for the students and I look forward to seeing what comes next!”
