Jack Newsome is an American singer, songwriter and dancer who first came to prominence as a member of the boy band New District. His first solo album, Medicine, was released in 2016. His career in music began at age 15, when he became a member of the Manhattan-based boy band NY5. His song "Hooked On Me" won Best Country Song at the International Acoustic Music Awards.

Kathleen Chen, aka DJ Rosemead, is an award-winning violinist, music producer, and DJ from Los Angeles. Through her performances and recordings, she captures the spirit of jazz and curates her sets with a colorful blend of hip-hop, neosoul, and everything groovy. A firm believer in the artist’s inherent role as a catalyst for social change, Kathleen has also coordinated and taught in non-profit music outreach programs, including The Movement at Berklee. DJ Rosemead will be playing a jazzy hip-hop set at Malabar on April 29, 16:30-18:00 for Jazz & Cookin' Festival in Valencia. Follow In The Shed Podcast for details, as well as student discounts for Berklee! Follow her on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/rosemeadmusic/

Vocalist Johnny O’Hagan from San Diego’s groovy, progressive band Idlehands, is a junior at Berklee College of Music's Online program studying Songwriting. "Like a lot of people who started singing at a young age, I grew up in the church. My mother was a worship singer and a piano player. I learned how to sing and got into singing through her and started singing gospel songs and contemporary Christian music. Eventually, I got a guitar and pursued that for a while. Singing became more important to me though and I began to only focus on that. Guitar didn’t come quickly for me and I gave it up. I always wanted to sing and I had a lot of friends in San Diego growing up that were in bands, but none of them really took me seriously with wanting to be a frontman. When I was 17, my neighbor had this funk and soul band and their singer had quit. They had all these songs and were like: “Hey do you wanna learn these and play shows with us?” So I just kinda jumped in and did it. And then from there I was approached by another friend in a band that was kinda like this post hardcore Dance Gavin Dance kind of ripoff band. That group went on to later become the band Keyes after I quit to start Idlehands with Seancarlo and Michael. I met those two through playing local shows in our previous bands."

Sergio Martínez is a professor at Berklee Valencia in both the Master's in Contemporary Performance and Study Abroad programs. He teaches primarily ensembles such as the Latin Jazz ensemble and Flamenco ensembles, and also a flamenco rhythm styles class. Sergio has performed and collaborated with several influential musicians, including but not limited to: Paul Simon, Joe Lovano, and John Patittuci. "Through learning by ear, imitation and practice, I developed strong listening and memorizing skills and also a very strong sense of rhythm, characteristic of flamenco music. I consider these necessary  aspects for the young musicians who have been educated under Western or classical parameters where interpreting is sometimes too attached to reading and where the learning process is also very attached to paper and computers. For me, the combination of both methodologies is the best way to teach, and I challenge my students to learn and memorize by ear as well as by using technology and other resources." - Sergio Martínez

Kris Sebastian Ramakrishna talks about continuing his studies in flamenco music in Spain. Kris was born in Milan, Italy to a Swiss mother and south Indian father. His musical influences and career choices have stemmed from his cultural background. After going every night to blues bars in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from age 9-14, Kris began studying with Maestro Ruben Diaz of Malaga, Spain (disciple and friend of legendary flamenco guitarist, Paco de Lucia). After adding exposure to jazz in high school, Kris continues his lessons in flamenco with Maestro Diaz in person in Malaga as well as on campus at Berklee Valencia with Professors Sergio Martinez and Cristobal Abellan.

Following their conversation, Eli and Kris perform "Convite" by Paco de Lucia and Larry Coryell. After Larry Coryell's death this past February, Kris invited Eli to cover Convite as a tribute to him, as well as the late Paco de Lucia who passed away February 2014.

Lily Williams is a singer/songwriter from the UK that has been classically trained in piano and clarinet from a young age. However, her true discovery of music came when she began songwriting. Immediately, she understood the power of music: the power to demonstrate things personally but also to reach and unlock emotions in others. She believes that music inspires because it has the power to say things that words can’t even begin to express, music demands to be felt.

This ‘discovery’ changed the way in which she reacted to many situations as it gave her an outlet to express herself - a new way to reflect, to mourn, to celebrate. The discovery of songwriting, and in a broader sense composition, gave her a vision and sparked a desire in her to spend her life absorbed in the creation and execution of music.

She believes that every individual is unique and so has something distinctive to say. The medium that she discovered to best express herself in is songwriting. She aims to be a prophet of culture by writing songs that are honest and that speak to people’s lives, shining light into dark places. She also hopes to depart from simplistic lyrics, trite analogies and predictable chord progressions, instead experimenting with tension and conflict within chords and songs to try and create moments of uncertainty and unexpectedness. Throughout her life she have cherished all kinds of music and believe that the lines separating genres are somewhat blurred, in this way she hopes to never restrict her music or put it into a box.

Sergio Duran is a Mexican all-around drummer, with a versatile musical background and experience, and a passion for rock n' roll music. Currently he is coursing the 6th semester of the degree program at Berklee College of Music, majoring in performance. Check out his website here: https://sduran22.wixsite.com/durandrums

Clara Maurer is a singer-songwriter from Newport, Rhode Island who is studying at the Valencia campus of Berklee College of Music. She has grown up with music her whole life through choruses, church choirs, and musical theater programs, but also through her mother playing Carole King and Simon & Garfunkel at home. She learned piano at a young age and picked up guitar when she was thirteen, using both to accompany herself. However, it wasn’t until she was sixteen and started performing her original music at a local coffee shop that she truly developed her sound; primarily a pop-acoustic and folk genre. Today she is singing her original song Naive--a track she is currently producing this semester. 

With the help of the Student Affairs Office and many other students, she is organizing SAAVE Valencia (Student Allies in Anti-Violence Education in Valencia) and putting together a few events for Sexual Assault Awareness month! Like the page to stay updated and don't forget to submit for the Sexual Assault Awareness showcase! Feel free to contact her or the Student Affairs Office directly with any questions. 

SAAVE Valencia: https://www.facebook.com/saavevalencia/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Hugh Macdonald is a British singer-songwriter in his 4th semester at Berklee. Majoring in Professional Music, Hugh is focusing on Music Production & Engineering, Music Business, and Songwriting. He also specializes in giving away free chocalate as a means of promoting music!

 Keep up with Hugh's latest music here!

hughmacdonaldmusic.com

Hugh on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xPfpFX7km8w563Ge5NBVX

Songs: Rumbling Jungle, Goddam Shame

Kristen Zagales is a declared dual major in Music Production and Engineering & Music Business from Miami, FL. She plans to switch her Music Production & Engineering major to Professional Music. She's even sung with Tori Kelly! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_wFVMdDdJA

 Keep up with Kristen and her career:

 Official Website: kristenzagales.com
 Twitter: @kristenzagales
 Instagram: @kristenzagales
 FaceBook: facebook.com/kristenzagalesofficial

Song from intro/outro: Insiders- Kristen Zagales