What We Do

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) trains, mentors, and connects musicians. Through an interdisciplinary approach, as a BGJI student, you will:

Explore Creativity

You will critically analyze and evaluate the expressive qualities and values of music in relation to other art forms in order to refine a personal aesthetic. You will practice, listen to, improvise with, analyze, and play jazz and world music spanning a range of cultures and styles while developing an understanding of music's historic, social, and cultural roots.

Drawing on jazz, classical, and global music influences, you will prepare, rehearse, present, record, and evaluate performances of your own compositions and arrangements—individually and collaboratively—to demonstrate your interpretive understanding of the material and of your own creative intent.

Advance the Social Power of Music

You will develop a clear understanding of the role of the artist and investigate how music can serve as a positive force in our society. By using music as a tool to promote intercultural, interracial, and social understanding and values, you will become a role model in the global community.

Connect Music with Nature

You will explore nature as a source of sound, rhythm, harmony, and musical expression, and discover the ways in which the natural world can influence creativity and imagination. Danilo Pérez, BGJI's artistic director, notes that the program provides interactive experiences, using music to promote interaction with different cultures and environmental awareness.

Watch Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors perform live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola: