Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) is sending six student and alumni artists from the college to perform at popular music festivals in the U.S. and Canada this summer. The program takes students from the classroom to the stage, providing an immersive experience in every aspect of artist development and touring-important preparation for a career in performance and in the music industry.
This year's BPMI artists-MKULTRA, Jobi Riccio, ALX, Jackie Foster, Roy Juno, and GOLDSPACE + Good Company-will perform on the main stages at the Governors Ball in New York, May 31-June 2; Country LakeShake in Chicago, June 21-23; Essence Festival in New Orleans, July 5-7; Lollapalooza in Chicago, August 1-4; Osheaga in Montreal, August 2-4; and Music Midtown in Atlanta, September 14-15.
Under the guidance of Jeff Dorenfeld, founding managing director of BPMI, students in the three-semester class reviewed more than 250 submissions in the fall and selected the final artists based on recordings, videos, and live showcases. Each artist is paired with a group of three BPMI students who serve as their management team. Throughout the spring semester, the teams work with the artists on development, marketing, promotion, digital presence, merchandise, sponsorships, and tour budgets. In the final semester, the artists rehearse extensively and hit the road to their summer festivals, accompanied by their teams, who handle on-site promotion, production, and tour management.
Seeing BPMI students working at the premier festivals in the country is the most rewarding experience I've had in my 20-plus years at Berklee, said Dorenfeld. Students working through the A&R process, advancing show demands, and preparing BPMI artists for the festival stage is an experiential education that sets Berklee apart from other colleges.
The fact that BPMI has my back makes me feel like Im not alone up on that stage, said BPMI artist Jackie Foster. In 2014, when I received the Lollapalooza scholarship, I got to attend the festival that year. I remember watching the Berklee performer and seeing her sense of ease and unapologetic confidence on that stage. I knew my sights were set, that one day Id be on the same stage. Five years later, here I am gearing up for one of the biggest stages, and its all thanks to BPMI.
We had a lot of great talent this year, but we wanted the music we brought to the festivals to reflect what most people are listening to, said student Megan McLaughlin, who is part of ALX's team. We are confident that the artists chosen will be an incredible addition to each festival's lineup. Each artist really brings something unique to the table, and we are elated to be working with them.
BPMI 2019 Summer Festivals Schedule
The Governors Ball (Featuring: Tyler, the Creator, Florence + the Machine, the Strokes) New York City, New York | May 31-June 2
Artist: MKULTRA
Think of MKULTRA as the name of a cinematic universe. The Milk Man, Green Guy, Meat Man, and the Brain Child are all characters in this universe. On the album THE MKULTRA SHOW, the protagonist that speaks throughout most of the project is the Milk Man. MKULTRA draws listeners into his universe of experimental hip-hop and a world of new sounds and feelings.
Country LakeShake Featuring Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan Chicago, Illinois | June 21-23
Artist: Jobi Riccio
Jobi Riccio is a student songwriter and performer from Denver, Colorado. Inspired by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, and classic country and bluegrass, she writes songs with a folk and roots sensibility. Riccio has received acclaim for her writing, including being a finalist in the 2018 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase. She also appeared on the Women In Music Spain chapter's compilation Sincerely, Women. Her EP Strawberry Wine came out on February 5.
Essence Festival Featuring Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Maze New Orleans, Louisiana | July 5-7
Artist: ALX
ALX (Aaron Gregory) is a student singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, Florida. I used to be that nerdy kid that would spend his weekends watching Dragon Ball Z, said ALX. Now Im that nerdy kid that spends his weekends watching Dragon Ball Z and making music. He began following his passion at 14 and has since opened for T.I. and ELHAE. His creative lyricism, intricate beats, and influences-such as Trey Songz, Big Sean, Eric Bellinger, Omarion, and Ty Dolla $ign-are reflected in his music.
Lollapalooza Featuring the Chainsmokers, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots Chicago, Illinois | August 1-4
Artist: Jackie Foster
An award-winning vocalist from San Diego, California, Jackie Foster B.M. 18 comes full circle as the first recipient of the Berklee Lollapalooza Endowed Scholarship to perform at the festival. Foster distinguished herself as a semifinalist on season 14 of NBC's hit show The Voice, and was mentored by Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and Alicia Keys. Whether it's pop, rock, R&B, or jazz, Foster's warm, rich tone and powerhouse vocals can fill up a room and leave audiences wanting more. She is currently writing and planning to release new original music in 2019.
Osheaga Featuring the Lumineers, the Chemical Brothers, Tame Impala Montreal, Canada | August 2-4
Artist: Roy Juno
Roy Juno is the name shared by three Allston, Massachusetts-based producers/instrumentalists. Led by lyricist/frontman Sayak Das B.M. 18, Roy Juno blends themes like struggling with identity, glorifying false heroes, and celebrity ego death, with sound design that transports the listener to an era where synthesizers were the vanguard of sensible pop. Rhythm section Henri Young B.M. 17 (bass/synthesizer) and Josh Parra 17 (drums, auxiliary sampling) pride themselves on seamlessly blending a wide range of backgrounds, resulting in a truly modern pop sound.
Musi
North America Stories
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight will showcase the next evolution of Nimbra Edge, its orchestration and control layer designed to manage live media services across...
27/03/2026
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced powerful new innovations that further elevate the company's sports streaming solution. The advanced capabilities enh...
27/03/2026
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced significant new capabilities for Player Web X, its next-generation web video player...
27/03/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Czech-based production company CS live has equipped its newest outside broadcast (OB) van with an integrated Riedel i...
27/03/2026
130 Industry Experts Confirmed as Show Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
MPTS, the UK's largest and most influential event for the media, production and tech...
27/03/2026
Grass Valley today announced the successful completion of a major live production deployment with NVP, a leading European media company specializing in live spo...
27/03/2026
Showcases resilient solutions for satellite-to-IP migration, REMI and hybrid live production
Appear ASA (Appear, OSE:APR), a global leader in live production t...
27/03/2026
San Francisco, California, March 2026 - Microsoft Ignite, a major annual conference hosted by Microsoft for developers, IT professionals, partners and business ...
27/03/2026
Clear-Com is proud to highlight its support for worship teams through professional communication solutions, with the deployment of its EQUIP wireless system a...
27/03/2026
Orban Collaborates with Sage on Virtualized EAS Technology Demo
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Sage Alerting Systems (SAS), in cooperation wit...
27/03/2026
Berklee Alums Bring GIANT to Broadway Brian and Dayna Lee BM '13 met and fell in love at Berklee, and now their production companys first Broadway debut i...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
25/03/2026
Live match directors Sarah Cheadle (Sky Sports), Rob Levi (TNT Sports), and Andrew Swift (BBC Sport) sit down with the Premier League's Rachel Nightingale t...
25/03/2026
The senior from Upstate New York is manning the mic while also interning for the athletic department's sports-information team
In the live-sports-video ind...
Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) is sending six student and alumni artists from the college to perform at popular music festivals in the U.S. and Canada this summer. The program takes students from the classroom to the stage, providing an immersive experience in every aspect of artist development and touring-important preparation for a career in performance and in the music industry.
