“Once I started playing piano . . . I felt like I had complete control over something for once, and it allowed me to be a more confident version of myself.”
Tag: Berklee College of Music
Insomniac Studios nurtures a music-business community on the far south side
With internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, and workshops, Blue Island’s Black-owned Insomniac Studios bypasses white industry gatekeepers.
A tragic plane crash denied horn-rock juggernaut Chase their legacy
Bill Chase’s virtuosic nine-piece band, powered by four trumpets, belongs on the same pedestal as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Antonio Sanchez composes jazz-rock anthems that celebrate immigrant journeys
The most immediately striking aspect of Antonio Sanchez’s music is its lush, cinematic feel, which the drummer also demonstrates in the percussion-only music he composed for the 2014 film Birdman. A native of Mexico City, Sanchez began playing drums at age five, and after performing professionally in rock, jazz, and Latin bands in his teens, […]
Trumpeter Russ Johnson dances along a fine line
Wisconsin trumpeter and composer Russ Johnson strikes a perfect balance between mainstream and vanguard.
Bay Faction blend emo and synth pop on Florida Guilt
Bay Faction are a band with roots in cyberspace. In 2013, lead singer James McDermott was studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston when he posted a call for bandmates on a Facebook page for local musicians. The only replies came from two fellow Berklee students, bassist Kris Roman and drummer Connor Godfrey (later […]