Berklee Parties at SXSW, March 18 and 19

Each March, thousands of bands, music fans, and industry representatives descend on Austin for the SXSW Conferences and Festivals—one of the music industry's biggest events. Dozens of up-and-coming Berklee alumni and students from Heavy Rotation Records (HRR) will be among the artists filling every nook and cranny of the city to perform at official and unofficial showcases and parties happening day and night. For the fifth consecutive year, Berklee continues its tradition of hosting an official SXSW Party on Friday afternoon at Friends, and doubles the fun, adding a second day and venue to present alumni and students at the Lucky Lounge on Thursday.

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Berklee's Party at the Lucky Lounge, Thursday, March 18, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., features alumni and students performing folk, pop, rock, and country. Artists include Melissa Ferrick, A House A Home, Ann Driscoll (HRR), Merry Go Round, Nini & Ben (HRR), Jordan Tarrant (HRR), and Amber Rubarth. The Lucky Lounge is located at 209A West 5th Street, Austin, TX. The party is 21+, open to the public, and free of charge (no badge needed).

Berklee's Fifth Annual SXSW Party, Friday, March 19, 1:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. at Friends, features Berklee, Berkleemusic.com, and Heavy Rotation Records alumni and students from all over the U.S. performing rock, indie pop, hip-hop, folk, and country music. Artists include Audible Mainframe from Long Beach, CA; The Young Republic from Nashville; Nini & Ben (HRR) from Boston; Austinites Stefan Wm and Jordan Tarrant (HRR); Ann Driscoll (HRR) from Cincinnati, OH; Love Like Fire from San Francisco; and Shayna Zaid & the Catch from New York. 

Friends is located at 208 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX. The party is 21+ and open to SXSW badge holders. SXSW wristband holders and the general public can rsvp to sxswrsvp@berklee.edu to attend free of charge. Alumna Sarah Sharp will host the event. Giveaways include SanDisk Sansa MP3 players, a Berkleemusic online course, and copies of HRR's Dorm Sessions 7 CD, featuring students Ann Driscoll and Jordan Tarrant. 

Heavy Rotation Records (HRR) gives music business/management majors at Berklee hands-on experience in running a record company. The students oversee all of the label's functions, including A&R, marketing, sales, touring, web development, media, and accounting. HRR has released 12 CDs since 1995, including Shekinah: 13 Artists, distributed by Epic; Apollo Sunshine's second CD, co-released with spinART; and Dorm Sessions 1-7. Many up-and-coming artists have appeared on HRR compilations, including St. Vincent (as Annie Clark); members of Passion Pit (as The Peasantry); the Click Five (as Oscar Bravo); Big D & the Kids Table; and Madi Diaz of the movie Rock School. The label also serves as a springboard for careers in the music industry. HRR alumni have gone on to work at companies such as Interscope, Capitol, DreamWorks, BMG, Universal, Live Nation, AEG Live, and Rightsflow.

Berkleemusic.com is the continuing education division of Berklee College of Music, delivering online access to Berklee's acclaimed curriculum from anywhere in the world. Berkleemusic's award-winning online courses and certificate programs are accredited and taught by the college's world-renowned faculty, providing lifelong learning opportunities to people interested in music and working in the music industry. As the business of music continues to move online, Berkleemusic is taking a leadership role in educating the next generation of producers, performers, and entrepreneurs on this evolving industry landscape. Berkleemusic's students come from over 80 countries around the world, and include Grammy Award winners, managers, artists, publishers, music business entrepreneurs, and major international touring acts.