Brighton Music Students Honoured At Prestigious Event

WaterBear, the leading college of music with campuses in Brighton and Sheffield, has celebrated the momentous achievements of its graduating artists, musicians, and music industry professionals during a prestigious ceremony held at the historic Brighton Dome.

Students, staff members, family and friends all joined together for the memorable occasion, honouring the pioneering music school’s class of 2024 from Brighton and Online BA and MA courses, alongside WaterBear’s first cohort of Sheffield MA graduates since the college opened its first campus in the North in September 2023.

The diligent graduates were recognised for their remarkable accomplishments, receiving their awards in the Concert Hall at the iconic venue to a rapturous round of applause from attendees.

To add to the celebratory atmosphere, guests were entertained by a captivating string quartet performance headed by lead arranger Andrew Stuart Buttle.

Throughout the event, several distinguished speakers took to the stage to inspire and motivate the alumni including WaterBear Co-Founder and CEO Adam Bushell, Rasha Shaeen - Director of Education, Kaya Herstad-Carney - BA Senior Programme Manager (Online), Tom Stevens - BA Senior Programme Manager (Brighton), Jason Rungapadiachy – MA Programme Manager (Sheffield) and Mike Sturgis - MA Senior Programme Manager (Brighton).

Significantly, keynote speaker Jeremy Pritchard also shared pearls of wisdom for the departed students.

Welcoming him to the event, Rasha Shaheen, WaterBear Director of Education said:

“I have the honour to invite to the stage, someone who truly embodies our WaterBear values and spirit.

"He’s a remarkable musician, not only the bassist for the critically acclaimed band Everything Everything, but also a beacon of creativity and innovation in the music industry.

“His early passion for music led him to pick up the bass guitar. His unique approach to the instrument, embracing its limitations to fuel his creativity, has set him apart as a musician who constantly pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.

"This perfectly captures his innovative spirit and his ability to turn constraints into opportunities for creativity.

"I just want to say that sentence again, turn constraints into opportunities..  constraints are opportunities – that’s a great lesson for all of us.”

On his experience at WaterBear Alfie Bowles, a songwriting BA (Hons) graduate commented:

“My favourite part about WaterBear is the tight-knit community.

"It’s the intimate class sizes, everyone working together on the same page. It’s a really healthy environment to be in as a musician.”

About WaterBear

WaterBear - The College of Music, offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses made for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals.

The colleges are based in the heart of Brighton and Sheffield, two UK cities with incredible musical roots and heritage. WaterBear also has a range of online distance-learning courses. 

WaterBear is a College of Falmouth University, a pioneer in creative industries education, entrepreneurship and innovation.

All courses delivered at WaterBear are approved and awarded by Falmouth, meaning students graduate with a Falmouth University degree or master’s qualification.

With a combination of a DIY ethos, smaller class sizes, 1-1 mentoring with experienced industry professionals and a catalogue of career and performance opportunities to offer our students, we are dedicated to supporting musicians and artists, with a strong focus on building sustainable long-term careers.