Here, There, Everywhere
From the left: Marchánt Davis ’13, Ebony Williams ’05, Jemila Dunham ’13, and Kevin Ross ’09 were members of an alumni panel discussion for the 2018 edition of the Black Scholars Initiative.
Photo: Padriac Farma
On June 14, Ingrid Jensen ’89 engaged in a discussion with Berklee Today editor Mark Small ’73 before a gathering of alumni at a reception at Power Station at BerkleeNYC. The reception marked Jensen’s appearance on the cover of the summer issue of Berklee Today. She later took out her trumpet and played a few duets for the crowd with her husband, drummer Jon Wikan.
Photo: Darragh Dandurand
Singer Kiersten Kelly ’19 and guitarist Evan Tamagni ’21 performed at the August Berklee Night showcase at Bar Lubitsch in Los Angeles. Berklee Night features five alumni acts each month and has become a well-established and inspiring home for the local Berklee community. The showcase is hosted by Meg Porter ‘12.
Photo: Vidane Visuals
After 13 years of service in the Alumni Affairs office, Karen Bell ’90 left her position as senior alumni officer for a different role at Berklee. On September 10, she became the associate academic assistant and performance major advisor in the Professional Performance Division. In her new job, Bell will be the primary advisor to performance majors, students enrolled in performance studies classes, and students enrolled in the Performance Division Institutes (the Global Jazz and Effortless Mastery institutes, and the newly launched Jazz and Gender Justice Institute). Additionally, Bell will work with students in such programs as American Roots Music, Theater Arts Collaborative, and Latin Music Studies. Through the years, Bell worked tirelessly on a range of alumni initiatives and is a friend to countless members of the alumni community. Her replacement will be named soon.
Photo: Faride Blanco
The Black Scholars Initiative (BSI) was launched in the summer of 2017 to foster a strong sense of African American community, support, and cultural history on campus for entering students of color. The week-long, early orientation program brings alumni back to campus for interviews, small group sessions, and a 90-minute panel discussion. This year’s program featured four alumni panelists, two alumni from Berklee and two from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The panelists shared stories and insights about their student experience and career paths and offered words of encouragement to the entering students.
