Young aspiring musicians hone their talents in Berklee City Music program

At Berklee College of Music, 17 students recently received scholarships and awards from the school after participating in the Berklee City Music program. Over the summer, Berklee’s Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive provided young aspiring musicians, aged 15 and above, from Boston and around the world, with access to explore the music industry through lessons in music production, songwriting, and coursework, all under the guidance of professors on campus.

Berklee City Music is a nonprofit organization founded by the college over 30 years ago. The program helps young individuals from underserved communities develop skills in music and academics, while supporting them socially and emotionally through the exploration of contemporary music and performing arts. Today, the organization reaches over 60,000 students each year, offering a variety of learning opportunities through initiatives such as the Berklee City Music Network and an online program called Berklee PULSE Music Method. Both programs are available to the students at no cost or an affordable rate.

“It provides access to all of the resources at Berklee, starting first really with the core, which is centered around performance and music literacy. As a creative youth development program, it’s really intended to build the whole person,” said Dr. Krystal Banfield, vice president of education outreach and social entrepreneurship at Berklee College of Music, who oversees the Berklee City Music program.

“We meet the students where they are, which is part of the Berklee pedagogy, and how they self-identify within their culture, which is a great meeting place for the adolescent young person and what it is that they’re interested in. In particular, popular music, which is how American popular music spawned, that’s the place where we really get to work with them and inspire them,” she said.

The program utilizes culturally relevant music as a means to help develop the lives of these young students, not just in music. Banfield explained that they help provide an opportunity for students to access pre-college pathways and utilize their talents to build their young careers, which they can use in the future, either at Berklee or other schools they may attend.

Justice Brooks, a student who participated in Berklee City Music and received a scholarship, explained how he was eager to join the program to build his skills in music. “It sounded like a great way to enhance my musical ability with like-minded people, so I had to take the opportunity. But once I heard about it I decided to do it because it sounded like a great experience.”

Brooks’ passion for music, particularly in voice, has been profound throughout his life.

“The earliest memory of music I have is screaming Dreamgirls at the top of my lungs when I was younger. Since then, music hasn’t been able to escape my life. Growing up, my voice gained recognition around where I live, and people started to want to hear me sing,” he said.

Berklee City Music has awarded 22 scholarships to incoming students this year, totaling approximately $400,000. Sixteen students received Berklee City Music and Berklee College of Music scholarships, which will cover tuition for all four years to matriculate at  the college.

But most importantly, the program also helps students find authenticity within themselves and each other through music.

“American popular music, contemporary music, is based in the African cultural diaspora, and that’s how we acknowledge it. But we also have roots music and other music, and any of the idioms that begin at the folk or rudimentary traditions will often be communal. It cannot exist without community. It can’t realize its authentic self without community,” Banfield said.

Music is often a shared experience among many people. It’s a way for people to connect and express themselves in ways that can usually drive change.

“We have to evoke community and ensure that there’s a safe place for the students to experiment, to explore, to support each other, and that we have teams of teachers and other staff that really help to foster that kind of environment,” she said.

Banfield explained that the students are often the drivers in their learning and development. Many of the students are determined in their work and are striving for excellence in their craft.

Elisha Pritchard, another student who participated in the program, said he always loved to drum and his parents would see that interest, getting him into different music lessons and programs when he was young.

“I wanted to pursue music and grow and really become good enough that people call me to play, specifically at church. I’ve been in church all my life and growing up I always wanted to be the church drummer. [The] only downside was that I was young and didn’t have the skills up to par to become one. That helped motivate me and really try different programs to reach my goal and ever since I started City Music and worked on my craft, I finally hit it,” he said.

Pritchard added that music holds everything together and is an everyday part of life.

“My memories are all full of music; my household was a musical household, and when I’d go out to school everyone had their own personal musical tastes. It brings everyone together and brings a space of unity which I love. It’s personally impacted me greatly regarding my talents and how I view the world even. The music you listen to affects how you act towards people, how you talk, how you cope, and how you really live,” he said.

To Pasley Thompson, who enjoys singing, it was a program that helped her become more confident from the support of other young musicians around her.

“Music has created a strong sense of community in my life because it connects me with people who truly understand my ‘why.’ Outside of music, many people don’t always grasp the demanding schedules or the fact that free time often gets spent working on my craft. With other musicians, however, there’s a mutual understanding of the dedication and effort that go into our art. Being surrounded by people who share that vision and support my growth is an incredible feeling,” she said.

“Being a global program, when you bring everybody together, they create all kinds of new voices and possibilities, mashing up all kinds of sounds, techniques, and possibilities, and it’s fascinating. I’m a musician myself, so I really am privileged to be part of it and to experience it.”

The program has enabled these young musicians to thrive and build upon one another, creating and developing themselves in music, as well as in understanding the culture and community that music brings.

“It just feels wholesome. There is such a family-oriented part of it especially with the Black community that I love. Music has brought out so many emotions and overall just helps me with watching others play,” said student Mecca Williams.

“Music is a human language, and as we grow, even as infants, we’ve allied and made musical sounds as we’re forming our languages. So it’s something that’s intrinsic. It’s part of who we are,” said Banfield. “But even more so with popular music, it’s something that young people identify with, they gravitate to. Music is something that they can find themselves as a resource for communication, for healing, and for carrying messages. There are cultural connections between families, intergenerational connections. There’s also the spirit variety, everything from one’s beliefs, religious beliefs, to school spirit and bringing clubs and groups together, so it really carries everybody.”

Pritchard explained people can teach each other skills, building upon the knowledge of one another.

“No matter the skill level someone may be at, no matter the genre, no matter if you like them or not, you can really learn something from anyone. It’s a humbling thing because especially in the music industry you start to fuel your ego a little bit and can forget that there’s always something to learn and the program helped me really see that lens clearly,” he said.

For Brooks, the program has provided him with a greater understanding in his love for music. “It helped me realize the feeling of working with an ensemble and how great my love for live music really is.”