Why Study Drums?
If you want to become a professional drummer, you’re going to want to be at BIMM Institute. After all, we started out as Drumtech – a dedicated drums teaching centre – so we know a thing or two about drums. With us, you’ll hone your drumming talent and harness your drive for music to end up with a lasting career.
Over the last 35 years, we’ve seen the likes of Jon Beavis (drummer for IDLES and listed as one of Music Radar’s 13 Best Rock drummers in the World 2018), Ben Thompson (Two Door Cinema Club) and Debbie Knox-Hewson (Charli XCX) walk through our doors and into the music industry.
In this three-year degree course, you’ll be taught by industry icons who will impart their wisdom and knowledge onto you. And, our Drums courses have been designed with the industry, for the industry. This means you’ll graduate with the know-how, contacts and skills needed to make your name in the business.
Key facts
Available as an industry-led undergraduate degree
Available at BIMM Institute Berlin
State-of-the-art facilities and top-of-the-range equipment from some of music’s leading brands
A well-balanced blend of theory, analysis, practical and technical skills
Unrivalled industry internships and real-world opportunities
What to expect
Our courses at BIMM Institute are made for you to establish your own exciting route into the live music sector. And, because we’ve consulted with industry professionals, you’ll develop all the necessary employability skills they’re looking for – as well as the tools needed for you to achieve your personal goals and aspirations.
Each day, you’ll learn in large live rooms, smaller studio settings and lecture-based classrooms. And of course, you’ll be surrounded by our incredible facilities. In your first year, you’ll be learning modules to give you a broader understanding of drumming as well as the music industry itself.
You’ll learn core topics within your first year, such as:
- Performance Skills
- Digital Music
- Core (and Applied) Instrument Skills
- Applied Performance
Choose your path with optional modules
Every drummer is unique – you all have different goals you want to achieve. That’s why our Drums undergraduate degree includes optional modules so you can develop your own route to success.
Pave your own path with optional modules, such as:
- Improvised Music Performance
- Creative Band Performance
- Creative Performance with Mixed Media
Studying Drums can take you places you never initially thought of. With our optional modules, you can build your own path to success and launch that dream career.
Potential drums career paths:
- Creative Performer
- Session Specialist
- Commercial Band Performer
- Music Teacher
- Academic
For students wishing to maximise their instrumental and performance experience during their studies, the BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance degree stands unique amongst our courses for its live-performance focus for students within their first year, enabling graduates to have an expert level of knowledge and performance on their chosen discipline.
The Performance Skills module will take you through the process of effective live performance through individual preparation, live ensemble performance and reflective practice. Weekly instrument-specific prep classes will equip you with techniques for effective part-preparation, memorisation and rehearsal strategies. The Live Performance Workshop component will provide you with the opportunity to further your skillset through full-band live performance. Here you will receive guided feedback and feedforward from lecturers and peers to help further your own reflective practice. This will be recorded in a weekly Reflective Journal. You will be encouraged to develop confidence on stage, and the necessary arrangement and communication skills for professional live performance.
Exclusive networking opportunities
At BIMM Institute, we believe collaboration is key. That’s why we offer you access to exclusive networking opportunities, connecting you straight to the action. You’ll also get to join BIMM Connect – our exclusive social media platform. Here, you’ll team up and network with fellow students, alumni, bands, songwriters, press agents, managers and promoters to get even more out of your time here.
We’re immensely proud that so many BIMM students have become successful drummers in the music industry, stepping from behind their drum kit and out onto the world stage. Head to our BIMM Institute Alumni page to find out more.
Debbie’s skills have taken her to stages the world over, including arenas in support of Paramore, and have also secured her the endorsement of Tama Drums. Debbie says of the BIMM staff: “I cannot thank them enough – they have literally got me world-tour ready.”
As a self-employed Music producer and Session Musician, Chris has recorded and performed with the likes of Lucy Rose, Mamas Gun, Lone, Luke Sital-Singh and many others.
Martin is the founder and core member of internationally successful contemporary swing group Flash Mob Jazz. He keeps very busy as a freelance drummer covering all aspects of music, from band work to sessions and tuition.
At BIMM Institute, you’ll learn from world-class lecturers. These people live and breathe music – and they know a thing or two about having a passion for the kit and taking it onto the world stage or into the studio.
Our lecturers will provide you with those essential insider tips and exclusive knowledge that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s their role to help you step into the music industry with confidence.
Tim graduated in jazz and pop music in Frankfurt and has been working as a professional drummer for 25 years. More recently, he’s become very active in the electronic music scene, specialising in finger drumming (e.g. Maschine).
Randy is a Canadian-born rock, pop and metal musician and recording artist best known for his stints as the drummer for Primal Fear, Annihilator, DuskMachine, Bif Naked, Rebellion and Skew Siskin. Over the years he has played with legendary artists including Alice Cooper, Paul Rodgers, Uriah Heep, W.A.S.P. Bonnie Tyler, Eric Bazillian and Joe Lynn Turner.
After studying Jazz drums in Cologne and touring and recording with his first major band Angelika Express, Alexander joined the ranks of established artists like Monta, Niels Frevert, Kid Kopphausen, Klee, Die Orsons and many others. He is also currently a member of the Austrian indie legends ‘Naked Lunch’, with whom he has recorded and performed with for ten years now.
BIMM Institute’s exclusive Masterclasses put you in the same vicinity as some of the best drummers that have ever lived.
At BIMM Institute, we’ve had the likes of Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ralph Rolle (Chic) have given our students career tips and insider insights that they never would have found in a textbook.
What better way to learn the tools of the trade than by getting real life experience under your belt? Our specialist Careers and Industry Teams are here to help you do just that. Thanks to their unrivalled contacts and insider connections, they’ll link you up with real-world experiences that you won’t find anywhere else.
Being a BIMM student also means you get access to exclusive opportunities other music students could only dream of. This includes the chance to play at some of the best festivals on the planet (like The Great Escape Festival, Brighton Pride and Glastonbury); performing at our end-of-term gigs; and collaborating with students from other disciplines including Music Business, Songwriting, and more.
Check out and bookmark our resources below to discover more about studying Drums at BIMM Institute. Hear from successful graduates, our world-class lecturers and students seizing each and every opportunity.
As an aspiring musician, it’s important to get your foot in the door in the music industry. Essentially, that’s why we all come to uni; to build connections and get that chance to change our lives!
We spoke with Bryan Hargreaves – Head of Drums at BIMM Manchester – to hear all about his favourite masterclasses, his favourite BIMM facilities and which elements of his career he’s most proud of.
BIMM was great for developing myself as a musician. It gave a space to practice, learn and grow as a drummer. But more importantly it taught me that in order to make a career, I needed to work for it.
Any questions?
For any questions regarding our Drum courses or if you’d like more information on how to apply to BIMM Institute, please contact our Admissions Team on +49 (0)30 311 99 186 or email admissions@bimm-institute.de.
