Berklee Blogs

First-hand accounts of the Berklee experience

Tag: artistry

artistry

Capitalism in Zen: Musical Existentialism

IMG_9431-150x150Justin Poon is a sixth-semester student at Berklee studying performance and electronic production and design. As a founding member of Affiliated Gallery, a creative design group based in Toronto, Justin is involved in film scoring and sound design. He is also involved in producing for singers and hip-hop artists wherever he can find them.

As young students of this timeless craft we are often confronted by questions and challenges that strongly define the way you view music, your artistry, and your role in the industry/universe. There is this sort of paradox between the need for ego and the loss of ego that is required in making sense or having more clarity. One must have confidence and drive, knowing they have the ability to transcend the listener to another dimension, while at the same time performing with no hesitation and no ego. The musician must find the balance between the endless regulation and theory behind the art, and leaving all of that behind and just making the sounds they’d like to hear. We draw our own line between assuming a role of a selfless individual, defining the music or being a commoner, creating the overall texture with the band.

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Bobby McFerrin visits Berklee College of Music

Last week, Bobby McFerrin visited Berklee to speak at several classes, including my Artistry, Creativity, and Inquiry class (see my previous article for my information on this new pilot course).  I cannot put into words how inspiring it was hearing Bobby share with us his journey as an artist and the obstacles he faced trailblazing a career as an A Capella performer – and that’s not even mentioning hearing him perform! Here are some clips from Bobby’s visit last Friday at Cafe 939’s Red Room.

Bobby McFerrin’s Musical Influences

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