Spotlight on…

Madi Diaz Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Major: Songwriting Instrument: Voice You could make a case that she's already ahead of Bob Dylan. After all, the iconic songwriter was 22 years old when he played the Newport Folk Festival for the first time in 1963. Fifth-semester student Madi Diaz, who will open for Linda Ronstadt at this year's festival, is only 21. "I am really freaked out," Diaz says. "There's 3,000 people. It's such an ancient festival with such a huge reputation. This is the craziest thing I've ever done." Read more about Madi... Other profiles...

News, Events, and Music…

• Roots and Reason

  This year's Africana Studies music programming celebrates the richness of America's roots music traditions. Roots music grew out of the intermingling of influences across cultures. From this sharing of American cultures came spirituals, blues, gospel, folk, country, and bluegrass—the roots of all American popular music. More

• What's Happening at Berklee

  Every week publicist Mitzi Dorbu suggests choice concerts and events by students, faculty, alumni, and special guests on Berklee's campus and at locales around Boston and beyond. The sounds are exciting, many shows are free, and the music is as diverse as Berklee itself. More

• Sounds of Berklee Podcast

  Mississippi Delta blues guitarist Ben Payton will be the featured guest artist during the kickoff concert for Africana Studies' Roots and Reason series in February. The show will highlight gospel, bluegrass, and blues music. Get a jumpstart on the show by by listening to Payton's "Boogie Child." More