
Berklee Hosts Inaugural BAMS CONX Conference at BAMS Fest The program will showcase artists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, setting the stage for a weekend filled with performances and festivities that celebrate the arts and soul music in Boston.
By
Daniel Pesquera
June 13, 2023
Terri Lyne Carrington, founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee College of Music is honored to host the first ever BAMS CONX conference, a one-day event that connects creatives, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to amplify discussions around Black artistry, business, and culture. The public conference, which is free for all Berklee students, takes place on Thursday, June 22, at the Berklee Performance Center and David Friend Recital Hall. BAMS CONX will kick off the BAMS (Boston Art & Music Soul) Festival, an annual outdoor celebration that boasts a full weekend of performances, activities, and community engagement June 23-24 at Franklin Park in Dorchester.
The BAMS CONX lineup highlights influential voices from diverse fields, spanning performing arts, education, non-profit businesses, and social justice. Discussions focus on the intersection of art and culture, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Notable participants include Terri Lyne Carrington, founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice; acclaimed singer-songwriter Kevin Ross; Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Maimouna Youssef, who will conduct a 60-minute master class on songwriting; broadcaster Dyana Williams, co-creator of Black History Month; and Boston City Council member Julia Mejia.
We are ecstatic and humbled to bring together so many incredible and influential members of the local community for this inaugural event, said Toki Wright, chair of Berklee's Professional Music Department, whose efforts helped turn Berklee's support of BAMS Fest into BAMS CONX. At the student level, there is an enormous value to providing opportunities for direct engagement with the community like this, and as an institution, we recognize our responsibility to help amplify voices that are often marginalized. We look forward to this and future conferences as we continue to be a strong collaborator and supporter of the BAMS Festival.
Wright, an accomplished MC, producer, and community ambassador for the arts, will perform with festival headliner Carrington amidst an inspiring lineup of powerful performers. Additional headliners for Saturday include Ross and rap legend Grandmaster Flash, who will take the stage as part of his tour celebrating 50 years of hip-hop music. Other featured artists include Youssef, who will co-headline Friday's performances with alternative R&B artist Zyah Belle; Berklee professor, musician, and performance poet Tim Hall; and students from the drumline and youth chorus groups from the Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music & Arts.
BAMS Fest is more than a festival, and this partnership with Berklee and the development of BAMS CONX is further proof of that, said Paul Willis, managing director of BAMS Fest. We value Black artists and creatives across disciplines in Boston and beyond, and we need more spaces to connect our local impact with a global audience. This conference and our events and programming throughout the course of the year will continue to center and amplify Black voices and perspectives while also creating opportunities for connection and Black joy and imagination to thrive.
This year marks the fifth iteration of the popular festival, with more than 15,000 people expected to attend. Conference tickets for the general public are $65; Boston high school and college students can attend for $50. Sponsorship and group rates are available. More information on BAMS CONX, including details on registration, individual sessions, workshops, and presentations, can be found at bamsfest.org. For more information on BAMS Fest and how to attend both BAMS CONX and the festival, visit blacksoulsummer.com.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Goose guitarist and vocalist Rick Mitarotonda B.M. 16 performed with the band at a sold-out Portland, Maine, show on July 6, 2023.
Image by Adam Berta
Both Sides of Goose, Americas Premier Jam Band On a new Sounds of Berklee: Goose's live act attracts a devoted following-and the bands studio work highlights the sharp songs that spark their legendary jams.
Latest
Berklee Abu Dhabi
Berklee Abu Dhabi Convenes Community Leaders for Creative Arts Educators Symposium The two-day event connects educators from the region with academic innovators from across the college and features a performance from Berklee Abu Dhabi students.
Image courtesy of Juliette Ojeda
Conservatory Student Wows Gwen Stefani on The Voice Premiere Juliette Ojedas bilingual rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You landed her on Team Gwen.
Trumpeter Laura Bibbs (fourth from right) joins Harry Styles and the rest of his band as they take a bow on stage at the RFC Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Lloyd Wakefield
Laura Bibbs Comes into Her Own on Tour with Harry Styles The trumpeter and Boston Conservatory alum performed for record-breaking crowds across the U.S. and Europe.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
13/12/2025
Powering Client Growth: Horizon Deepens Nielsen Partnership, Enabling More Effic...
13/12/2025
In a move that will help it offer more flexible and less costly programming options, YouTube TV has announced that it will be launching YouTube TV Plans with mo...
13/12/2025
SINGAPORE Magna Systems has designed, built and completed what is believed to be the first full UHD and IP-based OB truck in Southeast Asia for a Singapore medi...
12/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Everything You Need to Know for Next Week's Big Sho...
12/12/2025
Hailey Gates at the Atropia premiere (photo by George Pimentel / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the elimination of Federal federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and changes in the way they...
12/12/2025
Wisycom and DPA Microphones announce the appointment of Ren Moerch as Group Product Director, Wireless, a strategic leadership role that will guide the combine...
12/12/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, in conjuncture with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technolog...
12/12/2025
Keepit, the vendor-independent, cloud-native data protection provider, today announced a strategic go-to-market relationship in Poland with Ingram Micro, a lead...
12/12/2025
Atomos announced the immediate availability of a new firmware update for its Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX monitor-recorders, unlocking Open Gate 48P RAW recording w...
12/12/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) once again played a critical role in delivering flawless wireless coordination and support at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards a...
12/12/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), together with the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadc...
12/12/2025
DHD audio will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of digital audio production solutions on Booth 321 in Hall B6 at Hamburg Open 2026. The show will b...
12/12/2025
Chaos today announces the release of V-Ray for Blender, update 2, bringing its award-winning rendering technology to even more Blender users by adding support f...
12/12/2025
Lighting specialist UltraLEDs has launched Precision LED Tape, a high-CRI lighting solution designed specifically for professional film, TV, and studio use.
P...
12/12/2025
Zixi, the Emmy Award-winning leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that Roi Sasson has joined the company as Vice President, Engineer...
12/12/2025
BitFire (bitfire.tv), the leader in software-defined live production and IP transmission, today announced a strategic partnership with Appear, a leader in high-...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
HUDSON, Mass. BitFire and Appear have struck a strategic partnership aimed at offering broadcasters, sports leagues and streaming platforms a faster, more flexi...
12/12/2025
The broadcast industry is evolving faster than ever. #IPWorkflows #remoteproduction, and next-gen audio systems are reshaping how teams design, deliver, and sca...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The payroll and production accounting platform Wrapbook has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a modern scheduling platform for film and televisi...
12/12/2025
DEHLI Ross Video has announced that it is expanding and restructuring its commercial and technical teams in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...
12/12/2025
LONDON Following the success of its UK launch in January 2025, Rise AV, the global not-for-profit initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in the ...
12/12/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Ad-supported streaming service Tubi next week will launch Matter Casting, a new casting standard that will enable seamless mobile-to-TV viewing di...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
In Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, fans of the Golden Knights are getting more than just hockey - they're getting a taste of the future. ADAM, a robot devel...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
12/12/2025
Scripps Research team pioneers an efficient way to stereoselectively add fluorine to drug-like molecules A new method uses a novel catalyst and inexpensive fluo...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
ESPN's Aims for Spectacular With Heisman Trophy ShowEvent firsts include 1080p HDR production airing on both national broadcast and cableBy Dan Daley, Audio...
11/12/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Frankie Patton, University of ColoradoThe 2025 grad is hitting the ground running as a PA on national broadcastsBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 3By SVG Staff
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:24 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2...
11/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: What Makes Gen Z, X, and Y Fans Tick? Dave Gavant of WSC Sports Go...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: 5G, MXL, Spectrum Loss, and Outerspace on Tap for Tues...
11/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: David Levy, Turner Titan and Master of Al...
11/12/2025
SVG Launches Follow the Money' Podcast: Go Inside the Sports Media Biz with...
11/12/2025
A Deep Dive Inside Game Creek Video's Bird and Magic Mobile Units, Home to A...
11/12/2025
How Sound Effects for Monsters Funday Football' Emulated the Sonic Soul of ...
11/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CSP Mobile Productions' Len Chase on Upgrading Tr...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
New satellites for the SDA Tranche 1 Tracking program in production at L3Harris&...
11/12/2025
The Meadowlands system, a compact and mobile version of the CCS, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications....
11/12/2025
The L3Harris demonstration united tactical communications devices, counter-UAS c...
11/12/2025
Throughout 2025, L3Harris delivered innovative solutions to U.S. and allied warfighters across every domain.
With an unrelenting commitment to excellence, our...
11/12/2025
A Majority of the World's Population (51%) Identify As Soccer Fans
The 2025 MLB postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up +24% from the prior y...
11/12/2025
WALTHAM, Mass. Video-over-IP software provider Zixi said Roi Sasson has joined the company as vice president, engineering....