Angie Heaney
Pronouns Used: She/Her/They
Hometown: Corvallis, Oregon
Principal Instrument: Drum Set
Majors: Performance
Minor: Recording and Production for Musicians
Describe your favorite Berklee experience so far.
So far, my favorite Berklee experience has been being the drummer for the L.A. Studio Ensemble, waking up every week of the semester to record drums and help produce a track in Berklee's biggest flagship recording studio!
When you think about your favorite class so far, what is one example of why you enjoyed it?
Tiger Okoshi's original fusion ensemble has been my favorite class so far. Tiger expressed such love for our very diverse group of musicians, and we all bonded very closely. As a culminating experience, I directed and organized a live studio music video of one of Tiger's original tunes—"Wishing Well, Live at Berklee 2022"—on YouTube. I learned an incredible amount from Tiger throughout the semester, and he opened my eyes to his culture regarding jazz and fusion music. His compositions were extraordinarily beautiful, and I still stay and touch and frequently play with the members of the ensemble.
What is your favorite part about studying and living in Boston?
Boston is such a fantastic city for walkers and explorers. It's absolutely walkable, and since it's so old many of the streets are curvy and offer really interesting walks. It's not built entirely on a grid, like NYC, and it's not so big that it's overwhelming. The neighborhoods change the scenery significantly, and are easy to walk to and explore. You will find cool photo spots and longboard roads anywhere you go!
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone applying to Berklee College of Music or Boston Conservatory at Berklee?
Be tenacious with the opportunities here. Berklee is what you make of it—you can (and should) reach out to professors, faculty, administrators, even deans, and opportunities will follow. Stay at home and be complacent, and it will reflect in the opportunities available to you. I have made great connections with many professors and deans simply by being persistent, reaching out to them over email, and offering my services as a drummer. You'd really be surprised what doors may open!
Where is your favorite place on campus?
The 171 Drum Practice rooms. It's just this awesomely chaotic, sweaty place that reeks of determination, grinding, passion, and intensity. That energy fuels me and motivates my practice sessions to push myself further.
Why did you choose Berklee?
Berklee was the only school on my radar that teaches and encourages music of all genres, rather than just jazz and classical. Listening examples on some of my homeworks include music from hip-hop, heavy metal, strange folk music, and much more. I even was able to delve deep into traditional African drumming here with the outstanding percussion faculty and resources. Every opportunity you need as an up-and-coming musician is provided here; you just need to go out and find it. It's no coincidence that Berklee grads are so successful in the industry, and I think our motto sums the school up perfectly: Esse quam videre—to be, rather than to seem.
What are your plans for after graduation?
Buying my camper van and hitting the wilderness of the West Coast and North America! I have massive plans for road trips and nomadic life, and a list of over 1,000 locations of interest to me that I've collected over the past seven years.
What have you enjoyed most about the live shows you’ve been involved in at Berklee?
The incredible quality and thought that goes into the shows here is (in my opinion) unmatched anywhere else. And the sheer scale of some of them is awe inspiring. For example, the Berklee Beyonce Ensemble show was incredible on a very professional level, and it's so inspiring and motivating to me to see my friends and classmates performing at that super high level for real-world talent scouts.
Where do you hope to perform this coming year?
I would love to play a BPC Show.
Your social media channel/web URL?
Instagram: @ang_drums
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aheaney