Student Spotlight: Al-Fadl Salem

Student Spotlight: Al-Fadl Salem The Danish singer recently performed for the queen of Denmark.

April 1, 2026

By

Editorial Staff

Image by Junia Morrow

What's it like to study at Berklee? Our Student Spotlight series asks current students all about their Berklee experience-what they're learning in class, what kinds of projects they're involved in onstage or behind the scenes, how they recharge, and of course, what they're listening to. In this installment, get to know singer Al-Fadl Salem, a fourth-semester student majoring in performance and electronic production and design from Copenhagen, Denmark.

You can follow him on Instagram.

After graduating high school, Al-Fadl Salem spent six months in Buenos Aires studying at Otro Mundo Escuela de Arte. One of his teachers, Andres Rotmistrovsky BM '07, was just unbelievable on bass. He also saw pianist and producer Cirilo Fernandez BM '00 perform at a jazz club one night. I was blown away by his compositions and the performance, and approached him after the gig despite my nervousness to ask if he would be willing to give me a lesson, Salem said.

Fernandez agreed; its a day Salem remembers well. I went to his house and stayed there the whole day talking and learning about music, but also about life. Cirilo told me, Berklee is the Hogwarts of music. The teachers are masters and your classmates magicians. You have to apply. When his studies in Argentina were finished, he returned to Denmark and did just that.

On January 9, just before beginning his fourth semester at Berklee, Salem had the distinct honor of singing for Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark as part of a New Years event at Christian IXs Palace in Amalienborg. He performed solo with pianist Jesper Ren .

Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you?I have a couple of favorite classes at Berklee so far, but I'll stick to one and pick the class most people probably wouldn't expect: Ear Training with Jane Potter. Having a good ear is integral to musicianship, regardless of which direction you wish to pursue. The ear is the means of understanding the language of music, and though it has been a great deal of work, I have really enjoyed it and felt the immediate effects outside of class. Jane is a fantastic teacher who genuinely cares about her students and their learning. I have had her from my first semester at Berklee and I am taking her elective, Harmonic Ear Training 2, this semester.

Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about?A project I am very excited to be working on since coming to Berklee is my debut mixtape, Real Life Utopia, with songs all written and co-produced by me under the artist name Grace Salem. If I had to describe the genre, it would be leaning towards electropop inspired by artists such as James Blake and Rosal a. Its still in the works, but progressing steadily!

How do you typically recharge or find new ideas outside of class?I find inspiration by spending time with and observing people and the world. Taking a walk alone-even without headphones sometimes-and letting yourself notice what's around you. All the sensory impressions. When I do that, I can't help but get inspired. I'm urged to create something which translates my impression of the world. Most often it happens to be through words and music. If you open your eyes to the world, ideas will come.

When you think toward your own future, who inspires you most?I am inspired by a big number of people, some of which I am lucky to call friends and even family. I look up to anyone who pursues their dream and tries to make a positive difference in the world, whether an artist, computer scientist, or investment banker. None named, none forgotten.

Whats one piece of advice youd give to your high school self?You should practice right now, bro.

Al-Fadl Salems Top Five SongsWe asked Al-Fadl to give us five tracks from his favorite artists. Check them out:

1. Rain, Sunday Service Choir

2. 715 - CR KS, Bon Iver

3. Nobody Knows (Ladas Road), Loyle Carner

4. ..THUS IS WHY (I DONT SPRING 4 LOVE), Saya Gray

5. SAKURA, ROSAL A

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Student Spotlight: Al-Fadl Salem The Danish singer recently performed for the queen of Denmark.

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