Berklee's March Two Track Series Emphasizes Equality

Berklee's March Two Track Series Emphasizes Equality The popular YouTube series features students performing original music and sharing ideas around a central theme.

By

Mirtini Oikonomou

April 3, 2023

Emilio Gonzalez

Image courtesy of the artist

Berklee's Two Track music video series features some of the schools most talented artists performing in a stripped-down recording session filmed in continuous camera shots with just a single microphone. The series, which has more than 400,000 views to date, premieres new videos every Wednesday evening at 8:00 p.m. ET on Berklee's YouTube channel.

Each installment of Two Track revolves around a monthly theme that the artist engages with, either through their choice of songs and/or through a short storytelling segment recorded as part of the session. In March, performers explored the theme of equality.

Jessie Starnes This month's series began on March 1 with 19-year-old singer-songwriter Jessie Starnes performing two of her originals, Nothing to Me and Somebody Tell Me, accompanied by Liam Garcia (guitar), Lex Kolody (guitar), Owen Reinders (bass), and Jack Becker (drums). The Seattle, Washington, native grew up on pop, country, and folk, and is currently inspired by artists like Maggie Rogers and Del Water Gap. With sweet melodies and lyrics derived from the heart, Starnes's songs tap into a vulnerable space that leaves listeners feeling a little bit lost and a little bit seen.

Josephine Glass On March 8, alt-rock artist Josephine Glass put her own spin on two timeless songs, Gloria Gaynor's 1980 Grammy Award-winning I Will Survive and Led Zeppelin's Since Ive Been Loving You. A native of Los Angeles, Glass was shaped and influenced by the music of Florence Welch, Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga, Janis Joplin, and Carole King. She is currently recording her first EP.

Emilio Gonzalez Emilio Gonzalez performed Blue Motel Room by Joni Mitchell and his original song Look Alive on March 15. Hailing from Tampa, Florida, Gonzalez's style is influenced by Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, and Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf. After performing at various open mics, restaurants, and bars, the Puerto Rican singer and guitarist was welcomed into the Florida folk scene, where he began collaborating with artist and producer Liam Bauman, who assisted in the recording of Gonzalezs most recent EP, Hazy. Gonzalez continues to write songs through a creative mix of jazz and folk storytelling.

Almira Ara Almira Ara grew up in a musical family in Columbus, Ohio, where they were exposed to artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Aaliyah to Queen and the alt-R&B band the Internet. Ara learned how to play the drums at 3 years old, then started singing and writing little songs, as they describe them, at the age of 5. The 20-year-old songwriter and producer's creative bent leans towards melding rock and R&B to create a genre that is truest to their creations, as heard in their performance of SZAs Drew Barrymore and their original composition Cathedral, which they sang on March 22. Ara is a member of the inaugural Folk Collective at the legendary Club Passim and a cofounder of the Fae Richards Collective, a group that is actively creating a community for Black queer creatives to be seen, be heard, and thrive.

Bianca Cabili Bianca Cabili, an Argentinian multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and activist, was the final artist of the month on March 29. Surrounded by her friends, she sang her own composition Una Sola (Copla) + El Dia en que Naciste en mi Memoria and El Tiempo No Para by Cazuza, a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Through a mix of Latin American folklore, tango, house/techno, and jazz, and with themes about identity, nature, and the environment, her music communicates the urgency of addressing these modern-day issues. To create awareness about them, Cabili produces recordings, performances, and other community-building events, including debates and interdisciplinary jams and gatherings that combine artistic and musical activism.

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