BIMM Berlin Graduation 2018
BIMM Berlin’s first graduation ceremony was always going to be a poignant occasion, but students were part of a truly magical experience when the day’s very special guest was none other than Blur drummer Dave Rowntree.
The event was held at one of Berlin’s oldest and most historic venues, Clärchens Ballhaus – a stunning gypsy ballroom opened in the Mitte area of the city in 1913 – and encompassing chandeliers, a grand piano and a hall of mirrors. This wasn’t the first time BIMM’s talented graduates had graced its stage, however, as alumni Tom Odell previously performed there in 2016!
More than 150 graduates, friends, family members, special guests and BIMM lecturers and staff attended the ceremony, including College Principal of BIMM Germany Dr Nick Donovan and BIMM Germany’s Executive Principal Vaseema Hamilton.
Britpop legend Dave Rowntree hosted a fascinating Q&A session about his industry experience and provided our graduating students with some inspirational advice for the future, which included making sure that they have a set aesthetic, stand for something and practice! Dave also congratulated each graduate individually as they crossed the stage to receive their graduation certificate from Dr Donovan.
Vaseema Hamilton gave a moving speech about the importance of supporting each other as artists and working together to build a better future for creatives. And BIMM’s Business Development Manager Anthony Giles took to the lectern to remind students that they’ll always be part of the BIMM family. The graduating students were also the recipients of a poignant speech from Dr Donovan about the importance of mindfulness, savouring the moment and not measuring your success by comparing yourself to others; his points bolstered with help from some thought-provoking quantum physics anecdotes and a beautiful quote from Mozart: “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between”.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a BIMM event without some sort of musical interlude, and attendees were treated to performances by BIMM Berlin students Lisa Koegler and Toga Oygen who sang a piece they wrote together during their classes at BIMM, accompanied by Tim Frohlech on the piano. Students Moa McKay and Elias Graversen also performed a beautiful piece.
BIMM Germany College Principal Dr Nick Donovan was thrilled with how the day went: “Our first graduation was an incredibly special event and one that was perfect for such an international cohort. It was heartwarming to see so many friends and family from all around the world joining our graduates to celebrate their achievements in Berlin at such a special venue. I’m extremely proud of all our graduates who are now making their way into the working world and, as I said to them on the day, we can all be assured that the music industry is now in a much better position than it was three years ago with such hardworking and talented people now entering its midst.”
Here at BIMM, we’d like to thank all our special guests for attending our very first BIMM Berlin graduation ceremony and offer a huge congratulations to all our graduating students. We can’t wait to see what their next steps in the music industry will be and we know they’ll go on to achieve great things.
To find out more about studying music at BIMM Berlin, order a prospectus, book to attend one of our Open Days, or contact our Admissions Team on +49 303 11 99 186 or by email at berlin@bimm-institute.de
