Berklee and Spelman Colleges Student Exchange Program Returns for Fall 2024

Berklee and Spelman Colleges Student Exchange Program Returns for Fall 2024 The initiative celebrates Black music, culture, and the power of sisterhood.

By

Colette Greenstein

August 19, 2024

Berklee senior Nia Skeete will be heading to Spelman College as part of an exchange program between the two institutions.

Image courtesy of the artist

Berklee and Spelman College, a global leader in the education of women of African descent, will offer students Nia Skeete and Ashley Rawls the opportunity to participate in the second year of an exchange program between the schools this fall. Idriemeka Bailey and Maydson McSwain were the inaugural Berklee and Spelman students, respectively, who participated in fall 2023.

The mission of the Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program (BSEP) is to promote educational opportunities in music and liberal arts to female-identifying students of African descent; facilitate cultural and social integration through the study of music performance, theory, and history, with a specific focus on jazz and contemporary music; and increase the retention of African American women in jazz while expanding the jazz canon.

Skeete, a senior at Berklee, is double majoring in electric bass performance and business management. Alongside her studies, she is also a dancer with Jo-M Dance Theatre in Boston. During her time at the college, Skeete has participated in numerous advanced ensembles and large productions, including the Berklee Beyonc Ensemble, a large production that captures the essence of HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) culture and aesthetics.

Through my various performances, I've cherished the opportunity to connect with a diverse range of individuals, says Skeete. I believe that sharing love through music, dance, and the arts can help build a more unified society. At Spelman College, I hope to expand my knowledge of the performing arts and business, immerse myself in a community of Black excellence, and most importantly, spread my love for Christ while creating lifelong sisterhoods.

Ashley Rawls

Image by Jamea Beavers

Ashley Rawls, a junior at Spelman, is majoring in music with a concentration in music technology. The piano and vocal student will be able to take advantage of Berklee's offerings in musical performance, production, and composition in a wide array of African and Afro-diasporic styles and genres, as well as study with renowned Berklee faculty and visiting artists.

I chose to participate in the Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program because I knew that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really invest in myself and my growth as a musician, Rawls says. Berklee's highly acclaimed music programs will instill in me the necessary tools to navigate the music industry and introduce me to a different environment and cultural perspective. I believe that my time here at Berklee will greatly prepare me for my journey as a musician and allow me to excel at Spelman College.

The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program (BSEP) was conceived several years ago by its founding director, Tia Fuller, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, saxophonist, bandleader, and professor and artistic director of Berklee's Ensemble Department. Fuller, a magna cum laude graduate with a bachelor's degree in music from Spelman College, collaborated with Paula Grissom-Broughton, PhD, an assistant professor at Spelman, to develop the program. BSEP aims to provide Berklee students with a strong foundation in Black culture and its influence, the power of sisterhood, and the empowerment of self. The program also offers Spelman students access to Berklees abundance of resources, ensembles, and world-class education in contemporary music and performing arts.

Learn more about the Berklee-Spelman exchange program.

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