Berklee's Top Vocalists Perform Music from Abbey Road

The 2010 Berklee College of Music Signature Series continues on December 2 with Singers Showcase: The Other Side of Abbey Road. The annual Singers Showcase concert highlights Berklee's most talented vocalists. In the first half, singers will perform music by Usher, Janelle Monae, John Legend, Joss Stone, and others, followed by selections from the Beatles' Abbey Road—the first time the Showcase has focused on a specific album.

"We thought since we just celebrated the album's 40th anniversary, as well as the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth, we would do something special," said Rob Rose, Berklee's associate vice president for special programs. "But it will be more than a tribute show. Student vocalists, instrumentalists, and arrangers will be interpreting the music in their own unique ways." 

Featured singers don't easily earn the spotlight—auditions attract more than 100 students vying for a place in the concert. Alumnae Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Susan Tedeschi, Gillian Welch, and American Idol contestant Ashley Rodriguez have all performed in Singers Showcase. This year's student performers include Erika Cole, Chad George, Naomi Gillies, Shayna Goldstein, Joelle James, Mario Jose, Hannah Juliano, Emily Miller, Mia Verdoorn, and David Wyatt. 

The concert takes place on Thursday, December 2, at 8:15 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. General admission tickets are $15 and $10 reserved seating, and are available at the box office, at ticketmaster.com or by calling 617 931-2000. For more information, call 617 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com.

The Berklee College of Music Signature Series embraces the college's global community and Boston's diverse musical tastes. Upcoming shows include Jorge Drexler (1/20), Richard Smallwood (2/3), Great American Songbook: Sounds of Nashville (2/27), Kathy Mattea (3/10), and Berklee Global Jazz Institute Conclave with Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, Terri Lyne Carrington, and John Patitucci (4/26). Past shows have included Paula Cole and Ron Carter. Most of the performances feature Berklee faculty and students. For more information on these events, visit berklee.edu/events.