It’s a dream of many musicians to perform at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, joining the likes of Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Prince. It is famous for hosting icons like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, and Amy Winehouse. Now our BCE music students can add themselves to this list as they got to perform at the iconic London venue. BCE is very grateful to the Ronnie Scotts Charitable Foundation for taking the time to work with our music students over two days, honing their skills and performances.
They collaborated on Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, learning the vocals and instruments, and final production from industry experts. Stepping onto a stage, working with guest artists, navigating rehearsals, and responding to feedback builds something no classroom alone can provide: belief in your ability to operate as a professional musician.
The first day ended in a jam session with all the performers.
Day two was an industry day at Ronnie Scotts, with students getting to see how a world-class venue runs. From programming and artist booking to sound engineering, front-of-house management, marketing, and education outreach, the session highlights how many people and skillsets are involved in making a single performance possible.
Hearing directly from staff brings these roles to life. Students gain insight into different career journeys—many of which did not follow a straight or traditional path—showing that there is no single route into the music industry. This real-world perspective helps demystify the creative sector and makes employment within it feel more achievable.
Then it was time! Students got to perform their own pieces at Ronnie Scotts, with industry panels giving them professional and constructive feedback.
One student said: “To play at Ronnie Scotts is really fantastic for our showreels and portfolios, and makes getting into the music industry within touching distance.”
Well done to the music team for arranging the opportunity for students, and to Ronnie Scotts for hosting BCE. What an amazing partnership.
