A BUDDING pop star has told how her passion for music makes her at home in Brighton as she championed The Argus’ new music coverage.

Emerging songwriter Paige Martin is getting clued up on every facet of the music industry at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in Brighton.

Today Paige kicks off our revamped On The Radar section, in partnership with BIMM Brighton, in The Guide. Every week an artist will be profiled by the institute’s music journalists, complete with a video of them in action.

At BIMM she has found the perfect place to balance her love for music with the commercial side of the business.

The 21-year-old, who lives in Brighton, said: “I definitely appreciate both of those things. I find the branding side really interesting but I haven’t got to that point in my career yet where I’m having to put it into practice.”

Studying at BIMM, which has three sites across Brighton and Hove, Paige is getting ready to hand in her big essay about branding on Tuesday, May 31.

She said: “There were lots of classes in the first year that were really enjoyable.

“We would listen to original recordings with no special effects on them.

“You learn more of the branding side of things in music business lessons.

“Going to BIMM has made me realise there are so many different jobs in the industry.”

She said On The Radar is a great platform for performers.

Paige said: “It’s a really good avenue of exposure.

“I gig a lot and it’s nice to think people could come along if they like the music.”

Paige started out at BIMM three years ago after moving down from Harlow in Essex.

Jake Shillingford, head of songwriting at BIMM, said the institute, which has a tie-in with the University of Sussex, was trying to create a “microcosm of the music industry,” complete with songwriters, session players, promoters, producers and journalists, to give youngsters a taste of the wider world.

He said: “We try to keep it as real-world as we can.”