Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Berklee Honors Usher, Roberta Flack, and Sona Jobarteh at Commencement

14/05/2023

Berklee Honors Usher, Roberta Flack, and Sona Jobarteh at Commencement The legendary artists received honorary doctorates for their immeasurable impact on music, activism, and popular culture.

By

Tori Donahue

May 13, 2023

Usher addresses the crowd at Berklee College of Musics commencement ceremony.

Image by Michael D. Spencer

Berklee Professor Gabrielle Goodman speaks at the commencement ceremony.

Image by Michael D. Spencer

More than 1,230 graduates from 62 countries and all 50 U.S. states came together to celebrate at the Agganis Arena in Boston for Berklee College of Music's 2023 commencement ceremony. Berklee Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs David Bogen presented an honorary doctorate to recording artist and icon Usher at the ceremony, while Berklee Professor Gabrielle Goodman accepted Roberta Flack's degree on behalf of the acclaimed singer-songwriter. Gambian kora master Sona Jobarteh received her honorary doctorate at the inauguration of President Erica Muhl in April and delivered her remarks to the graduating class in a video.

The annual commencement concert took place the previous evening at Agganis Arena and featured many of Berklee's most talented graduating students paying tribute to the honorees by performing their music, including Usher's smash hits Yeah!, U Remind Me, and Burn, among others. The artist joined students on stage at the conclusion of the concert to sing the final notes of Without You. Flack's tribute included Killing Me Softly, Feel Like Making Love, and her iconic cover of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Students performed a panoply of Jobarteh's music, concluding with Musolou, where she joined performers on stage to sing and play the kora.

Usher joins students on stage at the commencement concert.

Image by Elizabeth Friar

Global megastar and eight-time Grammy Award winner Usher was recognized for his tremendous artistry and profound influence on R&B music. He was also lauded for his role as a devout humanitarian, raising tens of millions of dollars for various causes and uplifting youth via his New Look Foundation, which has provided opportunities for young people in underserved communities since 1999.

My goal as an artist has always been to inspire people to make a positive impact through my music, to make you feel something, and last night I felt proud of the legacy that has been built and that we're building together as artists, said Usher reflecting on the tribute concert from the previous evening. He continued by urging the graduating class to keep running past that finish line [of your goals], break the barriers, identify that spark in you that motivates you to keep going, and don't expect everything to be perfect and run smoothly. Take what you've learned here [at Berklee], go into the world, and make great things.

Known for her timeless vocals and legendary songwriting abilities, Flack was hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, unparalleled in her ability to tell a story through her music. She was honored for enriching the lives of others through her humanitarian outreach with the nonprofit Feed the Children and the Roberta Flack School of Music in the Bronx, and her role as author of The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, her debut children's book with Tonya Bolden.

Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Use what you have and share yourselves with the world.

- Roberta Flack

Goodman, who toured and performed with Flack and considers her a musical mother, read remarks from the artist at the ceremony. I have always said that love is a song. Music crosses all boundaries, and in this time of great division and fear we need to reach for what connects us all, now more than ever, she said.

Sona Jobarteh performs at the commencement concert.

Image by Elizabeth Friar

In her remarks, Flack mentioned her deep love of education, from her time as a teacher to her role as a mentor for so many young artists. To this day, I continue to be a student of music; it finds me everywhere-in the darkest of moments, in the times of fear, and the depths of doubt it lifts me higher than the sky, warming my heart and opening my soul to love, to dream, and to try. Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Use what you have and share yourselves with the world.

A musician and educator from the Gambia, Jobarteh was born into one of the five principal griot families in West Africa, a hereditary tradition that dates back over 700 years to the Mali Empire. She is the first woman within this ancient tradition to master the kora, a 21-string instrument from the Mandeng regions. Jobarteh delivered the keynote address at the inauguration of President Erica Muhl in April, where she was recognized for her boundary-breaking role in Gambian music as well as for her work as an educator and activist.

In video remarks to the graduating class, Jobarteh described the adversity she faced in her career as a musician in a male-dominated tradition and as a woman of color studying in the United Kingdom. Always keep your eyes on the ultimate goals, and regard all stages of life as just another chapter to help you get closer to those goals, she said. I call on young people to always remind themselves that they have the power to effect real change on society, especially young people who have chosen to pursue music...Each of you have purpose in this life, just as your music also has a purpose.

With your music or talent, do something that makes life a little sweeter for someone you don't know.

- Ron Mahdi, professor of ensembles

This year's faculty speech was delivered by Ron Mahdi, professor of ensembles. A Berklee alumnus himself, Mahdi looked back on how artistic struggles made him a better person, which he imparted onto graduates in his remarks.
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/berklee-honors-usher-roberta-...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

30/05/2026

NAB Asks FCC to Shift Regulatory Fee Burden to Big Tech, Broadband

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/05/2026

NAB Announces 2026 Board Election Results

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/05/2026

IAB Tech Lab Releases Guidance for Managing AI Crawlers and Bots

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/05/2026

Zero in on one that says yes (and no)

Zero in on one that says yes (and no) Andy Marken May 29, 2026 0 Comments Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos For content creators the most difficu...

29/05/2026

InfoComm 2026: NDI Demos NDI 6.3, Hands-On Presentation About Educational Integrations

With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...

29/05/2026

Bell Media Inks New Long-Term Media Rights Deal for Broadcast, Streaming of the Canadian Football League

Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...

29/05/2026

Spring 2026 TV Survey: Vertical Live Matters. The Bigger Story Is Context

Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format Ring Digital's Sprin...

29/05/2026

Germanys Berliner Ensemble Bolsters Backstage Infrastructure With Riedel Stage Systems

Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...

29/05/2026

InfoComm 2026: Solid State Logic Spotlights TCA Tour, Live V6.2 Software, New SSL Live Trade-in Program

Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...

29/05/2026

Gerald Jerry Pierce, Architect of Modern Digital Cinema, Passes Away at Age 73

Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...

29/05/2026

CBS Sports Becomes New Home of Barclays Women's Super League Thorough 2029-2030

Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...

29/05/2026

Calrec Scales ImPulseV to Empower Broadcasters With Greater Choice in Virtualized Workflows

Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...

29/05/2026

Switzerlands Canal Alpha Streamlines Playout to Delivery With Harmonic

Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...

29/05/2026

InfoComm 2026: PTZOptics Showcases Intelligent Video Ecosystem

PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...

29/05/2026

Arizona's Family Sports Debuts Direct-to-Consumer Streaming App

Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...

29/05/2026

DAZN Brings The Canadian Football Leagues Saturday Night Football to the Masses in New Media Rights Deal

Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...

29/05/2026

Comcast Business Supports Advanced Technology Infrastructure at Levi's Stadium for Fan Experience, Venue Operations

Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...

29/05/2026

College Sports-Production Community Gathers in Atlanta for 2026 SVG College Summit

In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...

29/05/2026

TBT Reaches Two-Year Extension With FOX Sports for New-Look $2 Million Tournament

The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...

29/05/2026

Roku Expands Premium Subscriptions Experience with FOX One

Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...

29/05/2026

CBS Sports UEFA Champions League Today Studio Show Heads Budapest for Final as Transcontinental Popularity Grows

In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...

29/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: NBA, NHL Playoffs and Indy 500 Photo Finish Power a Record-Setting Week

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...

29/05/2026

Your Summer 2026 Soundtrack? Spotify's Predictions Are In

The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...

29/05/2026

Akai Pro unveil the MPC Live III Retro

New retro-inspired MPC announced There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...

29/05/2026

Bjooks Beat Gems Kickstarter continues

Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...

29/05/2026

Genelec update Aural ID

Binaural monitoring application improved Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...

29/05/2026

IMSTA FESTA 2026

6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...

29/05/2026

Remembering Gerald Jerry Pierce, Architect of Modern Digital Cinema

Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...

29/05/2026

Roku Unveils Redesigned TV Home Screen

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

Sinclair and AMP Sports to Launch Style of Play' Podcast

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

TV Pharma Ads Are Getting Longer, VAB Says

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality

Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality Kate Luvis May 29, 2026 0 Comments Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...

29/05/2026

Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton May 29, 2026 0 Comments Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...

29/05/2026

FCC Reminds Broadcasters of Their Public Interest Obligations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

Roku Unveils New TV Home Screen

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

Sinclair and AMP Sports Announce New 'Style of Play' Podcast

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

Study: YouTube Leads Global Streaming Ad Growth

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

TV Pharma Ads Are Getting Longer, According to VAB

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/05/2026

At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration

At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...

29/05/2026

Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to Video Content with Dolby Atmos

May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...

29/05/2026

Audiences Are Everywhere. Your Ad Strategy Should Be Too.

Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...

29/05/2026

Rosie Jones's Disability Comedy Extravaganza returns with another new lineup of eight comics

Youtube exclusive special drops today Watch now UKTV today announces another e...

29/05/2026

The Official Trailer of 'Physical 100' Italy, on Netflix From September 11

Back to All News The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...

29/05/2026

Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application

Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026 Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...

29/05/2026

Super Garden 2026 winner revealed

At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...