Berklee Artists to Perform at Festivals Including The Governors Ball Through BPMI

Berklee’s Popular Music Institute (BPMI) is sending seven artists to perform at top music festivals in the U.S. and Canada this summer. The program enables students to go from the classroom to the stage in every facet of artist development and touring. BPMI has nearly doubled its festival slate, from four to seven, since piloting the program last summer. Students will perform at The Governors Ball in New York, June 2-4; ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, June 30-July 2; Chicago Open Air, July 14-16; WayHome Music and Arts in Ontario, July 28-30; Lollapalooza in Chicago, August 3-6; Osheaga in Montreal, August 4-6; and Outside Lands in San Francisco, August 11-13.

Jack Martini performs at The Governors Ball on Sunday, June 4. Jack Martini, an Italian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, cooks up songs with the finest flavors from around the world. Collecting places to call home, Berklee student Martini has lived in Rome, New York, Paris, London, and Boston. His eccentric sound and eerie melodies are complemented with simple yet thought provoking lyrics sung in English, Italian, and French. The self-taught guitarist also accompanies on piano, bass, and the occasional clarinet.

Eighteen music business/management students were selected for BPMI’s inaugural class, which began its first full-year cycle in the fall of 2016. The class listened to hundreds of submissions and chose seven student artists to appear at a festival and to feature on its artist compilation, Dorm Sessions 12. Jack Martini, Mayah Dyson, Aversed, Flakes, Lady Pills, Olivia Swann, and D-Will were selected based on live performances, recordings, videos, and social media presence.

The class then split into teams of three, with each team assigned to work with an artist throughout the spring and summer to prepare for their festival appearance. The teams handle artist development, marketing, contracts, tour budgets, digital presence, merchandise, and sponsorships. They will also accompany the artists to each festival to handle on-site promotion; assist with production and tour management; and film the performances and document their travel experiences.

“This year, BPMI breaks new ground in experiential education. The students will travel to their respective festivals in a Berklee/Vans branded tour bus, and the artists will play club shows on the way to and from the festivals,” said Jeff Dorenfeld, BPMI founding managing director. “The students will also rehearse their artists, preparing them to perform on stages that are 40 to 60 feet wide and over four feet high – much larger than what they’re used to.”