Star Producer P*Nut Hosts Songwriting Camp

We recently had the pleasure of taking over part of the revered Haus 2000 studio in Berlin for our latest BIMM songwriting camp.

Situated a stone’s throw from BIMM Berlin – in the city’s bohemian Kreuzberg district – the Haus 2000 studio is an epicentre of creativity and a hub for Berlin’s artists.

This year’s BIMM Berlin songwriting camp was hosted by the esteemed London-based producer, P*nut, whose repertoire includes Paloma Faith, Wiley, Emeli Sande, Jennifer Lopez, Faithless and – perhaps most notably – the late Amy Winehouse. Previously signed to Sony BMG as an artist, P*nut, aka John Harrison, co-wrote the track ‘He Can Only Hold Her’, which appeared on Amy’s Grammy Award-winning album ‘Back to Black’.

P*nut took a group of lucky students under his wing last month to work on a series of real-life briefs for several big-name artists.

Our students split into groups of four to come up with a new hit for chart stars Aloe Blacc, Rihanna and James Arthur. Each was asked to work to strict briefs and tight deadlines over the course of three days, with criteria ranging from classic songwriting and RnB to modern dancehall. Fortunately our students – who are well versed in a range of styles – took to the challenge with enthusiasm and zeal.

The three-day workshop produced some exceptional songs and was a fantastic experience for each one of our students.

“I feel those who participated in the songwriting camp at Haus 2000 allowed themselves to come out of their comfort zones as writers and open up to collaborating,” recalled P*Nut, who later praised our class for their professionalism and aptitude as songwriters.

“Over the three days, I felt that everybody involved played a key role in creating each group’s songs, that everybody was listened to and that other people’s opinions were taken into account. This showed a huge amount of maturity and professionalism,” he added.

Songwriting Student, Karolina Beijer Bronden commented:

“It was truly an eye-opener for me to experience how easy it can be to create something great with people you’ve never met before. I’ve only written with people I already know, for example with my former band two years ago, and with my present band ’Ritzy Park’. After this camp, I’m a lot more positive to the idea of co-writing with whoever is up for it.”

Haus 2000 also proved a fantastic venue for this latest workshop, with its characterful surroundings and an extensive list of professional equipment, including state-of-the-art Neumann speakers, microphones and other top-of-the-range instruments. As P*Nut explained, the space – with its cosy rooms and welcoming feel – is purpose-built for songwriting camps.

As expected, this year’s camp did not disappoint, with students from across all academic years bringing their expertise, skills and interpretations to the table. Indeed, they are a testament to the talent we attract here at BIMM Berlin, and we have little doubt that each will go on to forge successful careers like P*Nut, for whom we are greatly appreciative of for stopping by!

First-year music business student, Eline took photographs during the camp, see them here.