“Do it yourself” – Martyn Ware Masterclass

We were thrilled to welcome the enormously influential songwriter, performer and record producer Martyn Ware to BIMM Bristol for a special series of lectures.

Martyn is a pioneering electronic musician who has had an amazing career of both chart success and influence on the wider pop world.

As a founding member of The Human League, he co-wrote the revolutionary ‘Being Boiled’, a song that David Bowie liked so much, he said it was the future of pop music.

Martyn then formed a second classic pop group, Heaven 17, gaining worldwide chart success with songs like ‘Temptation’. As a producer, he worked with Tina Turner, Erasure and Marc Almond on some of their biggest hits.

Those achievements alone would make him the perfect guest to bring into BIMM, but he’s also formed a 3D sound technology company with Vince Clarke of Erasure, creating soundscapes in the streets of cities all over the world.

He’s a fascinating person, and in the BIMM Live Room, Martyn spoke passionately about his career and his work, via some hilarious stories of The Human League’s punk-era days, and his thoughts on innovation in music, art and what fuels his collaborations.

Our students asked him thoughtful questions on the music business, and Martyn — a great believer in the DIY ethic — passed on great advice on playing live and releasing your own music.

Martyn was a fantastic guest and a perfect example of the kind of creative, boundary-pushing musicians we work hard at connecting with our BIMM Bristol students!