Female Berklee students from countries around the world – including Russia, South Korea, the U.S., Brazil, and South Africa – will showcase their formidable songwriting, arranging, performing, and producing skills at the 13th annual Berklee Women Musicians Network (WMN) concert, Thursday, March 4. The show features 12 exciting and diverse acts across a wide spectrum of genres, including fusion jazz, world, funk, Brazilian, country, rock, and r&b.
This year’s concert features a special music medley from guest artist City Music Voices of Mercy. City Music is a nonprofit Berklee education program that harnesses the energy of contemporary music to reach underserved 4th to 12th graders. Voices of Mercy is an ever-evolving, diverse collection of Berklee students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The group was originally created to perform songs from the CD We Are All Connected: Berklee College of Music Reaches Out to the Women of Darfur, from the Berklee community to raise awareness of the plight of women and children affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Together the two make City Music Voices of Mercy.
Women Musicians Network is $10, all ages, and begins at 8:15 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA. Please call 617-747-2261 or visit www.berkleebpc.com for more information.
The concert shines a spotlight on female musicians, bandleaders, composers, and sound engineers, but not to the exclusion of men. Says associate professor Lucy Holstedt, «If a woman is leading a band that also has guys, terrific. This show is about inclusion. The bottom line is great music.»
WMN, under the direction of Holstedt and voice instructor Christiane Karam, is the only annual concert at the Berklee Performance Center presented by a student club. In addition to City Music Voices of Mercy performers include Tais Alvarenga, Hannah Barakat, Sonia Belousova, Jenna Bollard, Rachel Borovik, Lisa Forkish, Karien DeWaal with Ayumi Ueda and Women of the World ensemble, Julgi Kang Jill Peacock, Ann Driscoll and Mrs. Danvers, Aslihan Niksarli, and Kata Kozma.
