Berklee music students came together for an enormous collaboration, when students from its various schools, including Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee Valencia, Berklee NYC, and Berklee Abu Dhabi, all came together in a display of talent that will have Music Man readers amazed. The song they were collaborating on was ‘September’ by Earth, Wind & Fire, and the students had decided to give it a festive twist, renaming it ‘December’.
Their festive interpretation worked surprisingly well; the original’s infectious, upbeat melody perfectly captured the holiday spirit. The students threw themselves into the festive spirit, covering themselves in tinsel for the performance. The end result is truly charming and moved one viewer so much that they commented, “I haven’t cried for joy in a long, long time, but this video made that happen,” on the video, which has gained over 100k views in only ten days.
What stood out to me was the variety of such impressive talent on display. With students from all over the world, with different strengths and disciplines, working together on the cover, the Berklee students painted themselves as a diverse and creative group, with singers, guitarists, DJs, and dancers all contributing. A particular highlight for me was Ike Moemeka’s talkbox keytar contribution, putting his own unique spin on the bridge of the song in a way that I couldn’t have predicted.
The Berklee YouTube channel showcases the true breadth of its students’ talents, featuring performances of pop hits, jazz classics, and traditional genres from around the world. Many of their most popular videos feature the Berklee Indian Ensemble, with their top-viewed video capturing the Ensemble’s rendition of A.R. Rahman’s ‘Jiya Jale’ from the film Dil Se. With over 63 million views and counting, this is not one that Music Man readers will want to miss.
Berklee is known for its prestige, but with the students’ cover version of ‘September,’ they not only captured their immense talent but also the joy music can bring. With their sense of humor and infectious energy, they encapsulated so much of what makes people fall in love with popular classics by bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, while still managing to put their own twist on it. While listeners may not have been able to imagine a holiday version of this 70s disco hit before they heard it, for many, ‘December’ is sure to be on repeat alongside other festive favorites until the New Year.
Berklee’s students — from Boston to Valencia, NYC and Abu Dhabi — deserve kudos for this joyful ‘December’ collaboration. Special shout to Ike Moemeka’s talkbox keytar moment and to everyone who made the tinsel-clad performance sparkle. Want to see the video and more from these talented musicians? Useful links to discover more are below this paragraph.