Slideshow: Berklee City Music Summit 2016

The 2016 Berklee City Music Summit featured Academy Award-winning rapper Frayser Boy, Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton, Snarky Puppy's Michael League, and Jennifer McCrea, coauthor of The Generosity Network. The summit was an opportunity for community organizations across the U.S. and Canada who participate in the Berklee City Music® program to collaborate around enabling youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, socially, and emotionally, primarily through the study of contemporary music.

December 21, 2016

The 2016 Berklee City Music Summit was held in November at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a longtime member of the Berklee City Music Network® (BCMN). The summit is an opportunity for the more than 40 community organizations across the U.S. and Canada who participate in the Berklee City Music program to engage in professional development, share best practices, network, and collaborate on ideas aligned with the Berklee City Music mission of enabling youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, socially, and emotionally, primarily through the study of contemporary music.

This year, the summit featured thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions, interactive sessions specifically designed for high school students, amazing performances from BCMN student ensembles, and an inspiring keynote address by Jennifer McCrea, coauthor of The Generosity Network and cofounder and CEO of Born Free Africa who is also senior research fellow at the Hauser Institute for Civil Society at Harvard University.

The summit also featured master classes with music coaches such as Michael League, bandleader of acclaimed jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy, and discussions with panelists such as Academy Award-winning rapper Frayser Boy and Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton, among many others.

The 2016 summit was sponsored by Avid, Billboard, Casio, Conn-Selmer, Flipcause, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Magix, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Noteflight, P. Mauriat, The Sessions, and the Take Me to the River Education Initiative.

There are several ways to support the work of the Berklee City Music program, including donating to scholarships for students to attend the program, joining or supporting the Berklee City Music Research Consortium, and incorporating the Berklee PULSE® music method in your classroom or school district.