Two Track Highlights the Power of Equality' in March

Two Track Highlights the Power of Equality' in March Berklees YouTube series features musical and storytelling segments.

By

Mirtini Oikonomou

March 31, 2022

Upper Structure

Image courtesy of the artist

Berklee's music video series Two Track features student artists performing in an intimate setting with only one microphone and shot in single continuous camera takes. Designed for Berklee's YouTube channel, the virtual concert series launched in September of 2021 and premieres new videos every Wednesday throughout the spring semester at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Each recording session revolves around a single theme that is expressed by the artist, either through their track selection or a short storytelling segment recorded as part of the performance. March puts the spotlight on the theme of equality, with each session displaying the raw talent of Berklee artists and creating a community around common themes, shared experiences, and emotion.

Kaiya Nyasha

On March 2, Kaiya Nyasha performed an original spoken-word piece, Black Women, and a cover of Free Mind by Nigerian singer Tems. Nyasha, who was accompanied by Julian Wilson on keyboard and Sydney Ewing on baritone saxophone, layers lush harmonies over themes of self-love. The 21-year-old alternative R&B singer uses her music as a call to action for youth to empower themselves to rewrite their narratives. Her music is a celebration of culture, of womanhood, and of hope. The Miami native has found a balance in fusing socially conscious messages with upbeat, lighthearted grooves and catchy hooks.

Watch Kaiya Nyasha perform Black Women and Free Mind:

Khaleb Roberts

Khaleb Roberts performed John Lennon's Imagine and Cynthia Erivo and Joshuah Brian Campbell's song Stand Up on March 9, accompanied by pianist Entifan. In between songs, the singer from Tampa, Florida, shared how he learned the harsh realities of discrimination as a 12-year-old in seventh grade competing in a talent show. After learning he didnt win, Roberts asked for feedback and was told that he wasn't a fan favorite and wasn't marketable or commercial enough. It immediately clicked at that moment that as a double minority, a black man, a gay man, he would have to work twice as hard in the future just to be considered good. It was a hard lesson to learn and one that Roberts has not forgotten. Ever since, the aspiring choral music teacher has worked to lift up and motivate his students, just as his director inspired him.

Watch Khaleb Roberts perform Imagine and Stand Up:

Upper Structure

The award-winning coed a cappella group Upper Structure performed their arrangements of Bigger by Beyonc featuring Brandon Harris and Inhale Exhale by Nao with Kristen Henry on March 23. Founded in 2015 at Berklee, the group aims to create unity through music. Their newest EP, Full Disclosure, released in the summer of 2021, features their award-winning set from the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF) competition, and is available on all streaming platforms. They recently placed second at the 2022 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) semifinals. During their performance, they tackled the themes of classism and patriarchy.

Watch Upper Structure perform Bigger and Inhale Exhale:

Nicolle Horbath

On March 30, singer-songwriter and arranger Nicolle Horbath sang A Primera Vista by Argentinean musician Pedro Aznar, with Eli Torgersen on acoustic guitar and Sergio de Miguel on keyboards. She also performed an original song, Mi Vida, Mi Coraz n, accompanied by Gabriel de Leon and Andrea Brun on violin, and Savannah Bourke and Kely Pinheiro on cello. The Colombian singer combines jazz, pop, and popular music from the Caribbean coast of Colombia and Latin America. A 2018 recipient of the Carlos Vives Prodigy Scholarship awarded by the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, Horbath will release a new single, Sue a, on April 8. Shes also producing her own concert at the Berklee Performance Center called The Dream-Viviendo el Sue o, which will take place on April 20.

Watch Nicolle Horbath perform A Primera Vista and Mi Vida, Mi Coraz n:

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Image courtesy of the artist

Two Track Highlights the Power of Equality' in March Berklees YouTube series features musical and storytelling segments.

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