Interview with Micha

We have interviewed several Young professionals to gain more insight from their point of view. Micha participated in the IMI Lab in the spring semester of 2021. In this interview, you can read more about his experience during the IMI lab.

Can you introduce yourself?

I am Micha, 4th year communication student at the Hogeschool Inholland Rotterdam. I’m from Rotterdam myself, I do a lot with music and events. I am currently graduating, and more than a year ago I joined the IMI Lab.

Why did you choose IMI lab?

I completed an internship at Bird in Rotterdam because I wanted to work in the music and events industries.  And I   still work there.  But I wanted to delve further into events.  I figured that working on a creative project for Elrow would be amazing. And not in the old-fashioned manner of functioning, but rather in a new, creative manner.  I also believe that the design thinking method is the right way of working in the industry.

What is your favorite music genre?

I actually listen to everything. The only thing I hate is commercial music. I grew up with hip-hop, I listen to that a lot. I also like electronic music, house, techno, soul, funk, disco, and house from the 80s/90s. It just has to sound good.

Do you ever visit a festival or concert?

Yes, I go to festivals quite often and in October I am going to Kendrick Lamar. I am very excited. I have also attended many small concerts in Rotterdam.

So which is the best place you’ve been to?

The best part was perhaps the Yardbird festival, but that was partly because I partly organized it myself. We had organized it in July, it was difficult to sell tickets. But after hard work, we still set up a festival with 3 stages, which was really cool.

Did IMI lab start you doing something with the music industry?

I already had experience with the music industry, so that was an extra motivation for me. I personally think it is very good that IMI lab showed the industry on a large scale since I was only familiar with the small scale. So, you get an insight into working with major partners, costs, and the organization that precedes it. That is something that still contributes today. 

How did you experience IMI Lab?

You work very hard on it because you are involved with it every day, and I really enjoyed doing it. You work with international students of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, so it was a new environment. Everyone has a different background. It’s quite refreshing to have a new class instead of the class of the 3 previous years. The coaches were also nice. They gave great advice and had a level of commitment that I had not noticed from previous teachers.

Do you have a tip for future IMI students?

It was quite a lot; you must prepare yourself for the amount of work. Furthermore, you collaborate with big partners, so you may feel pressure to perform. We sat with the CEO of Elrow during the final presentation, so that was quite exhilarating. So be prepared to deliver. But of course, it’s not just another random subject at school, it is a massive project.