Musicians as Cultural Communicators
Students come to Berklee to learn a range of skills and approaches to find success in the world of music. They bring with them a wealth of life and cultural experiences that enrich the community and are ultimately transmitted through their interactions with one another as well as with staff and faculty members. By sharing their traditions and music, students gain a heightened sense of cultural and musical values and find new and creative ways to merge them with what they are learning.
Global initiatives is at the heart of exploring and facilitating these cultural and musical exchanges. Below are images from the first half of 2015 portraying some of the starting points for these connections.
From the left: Percussionist Ross Hodgkinson, guitarist Jacob McCaslin, and bassist Jonathan Elyashiv perform at an event sponsored by the BIN partner Pop & Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki, Finland at the U.S. Embassy. Laura Mainiemi
Shin Ikesue, a Berklee alumnus and vice principal of music for Jikei Gakuen COM Group, leads the Soulmatics in a gospel music performance at the Osaka School of Music in June. Jikei is the parent company of Koyo Conservatory of Music, a partner institution in the Berklee International Network. Jikei Gakuen COM Group Professor of guitar Rick Peckham and assistant professor of bass Tom Appleman conduct a performance workshop with students at BIN partner institution Baron School of Music in Hong Kong. (Kelvin Lau) Student songwriters from across the United States and beyond converged in Santa Monica, CA, for the 2015 Berklee in Los Angeles: It’s All in the Song workshops in July. (Jason Camelio)
