Berklee Blogs

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Remember the Ladies: Music for Women’s History Month

By Francine Trester

Francine Trester playing violin in Boston for Women's History Month

Image by Cris Avila

Could we make an event honoring Women’s History Month come together in just a month’s time? With a pandemic putting a serious dent in any live performance possibilities?

These questions ran through my mind as I saw an email called “Music for March” in my inbox back in February. The email was from Michelle Jenney, President of the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail, and she was asking me if I had any performances lined up in honor of Women’s History Month this March.

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Congratulate Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Class of 2021

Share a message of congratulations in the comments section below to celebrate Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s class of 2021. 

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Learn more about Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s commencement.

Congratulate Berklee College of Music’s Class of 2021

Share a message of congratulations in the comment section below to celebrate the incredible achievements of Berklee College of Music’s class of 2021.

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Notes from the Room: When Writing Room Walls Talk

Veteran songwriter, author, and Berklee alumnus Billy Seidman reflects on the many experiences he’s had in the songwriting world. In this three-part series, Billy shares some of that hard-earned wisdom.

By Billy Seidman ’72

Vocal mics in a recording studioWith years of song cowrites to reflect on, scenes such as the following have been a reminder for me to go with the flow, but having a backup plan can also save the day. Consider this scenario, inspired by my own experiences:

Taylor the “Pop Shark” was stalking an idea, pacing in a circle doing his usual routine; speak-singing nonsense syllables trying to tease out a melody.

Jordan had been lobbing titles at Taylor and me for 45 minutes; “How about ‘Too little, too late,’ or ‘The Wheel’,” he said hoping one would click and stick.

The clock was coming up on an hour and 15 minutes since the three of us settled into BMG’s NYC writing room and…nada.

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The College Vote: A Waking Giant

By Deborah Bennett, associate professor, Liberal Arts and Sciences

"I Voted" sticker

Image used by permission via the Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) license

If the mid-term elections of 2018 taught us anything, it is that the youth vote is seen as a threat to the Republican party. Upending the stereotype of an uniformed, unenthusiastic constituency, a  79% jump in voter turnout amongst youth tilted the scales for Democrats in senate and gubernatorial races in places like Wisconsin, Nevada and Montana.  A younger, more diverse host of candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts inspired young voters in 2018. Two years later, some are asking if 2020 will be the year of the youth vote, while others worry that voter disenfranchisement will put this waking giant back to sleep.

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