Alum

Zoë Knight

Assistant Professor

Affiliated Departments

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Zoë Knight has been writing and performing original music since 1998, and she has been teaching voice since 2011. A trained soprano raised on classic rock, she got her start as an artist singing hardcore and heavy metal while studying opera and musical theater. She then moved on to lead hard rock bands in Boston and NYC before studying jazz and improvisation at Berklee, where she earned her degree in music education while also singing in a professional gospel choir. She eventually landed in the world of funk, soul, and blues music, as well as jam bands. She now plays around 30 shows a year in these styles with her original band, Zoë Knight & Mythical Beasts, which features a revolving cast of New England's best working musicians and provides a platform for masterful improvisations. Her debut double album, recorded live-in-studio in four sessions with four different lineups and no rehearsals, was released in March of 2020 and is available on all streaming platforms.

She has appeared on stage with the Skatalites, Neighbor, Duppy Conquerors, and more. Her own band is a varying collective of monster players and features members of Soulive, Maceo Parker, Club d'Elf, Strange Machines, Bearly Dead, Roomful of Blues, John Brown's Body, Lettuce, Pink Talking Fish, and the Garcia Project, among others.

Knight and her band have performed in some of New England's best music clubs, including Soundcheck Studios (Pembroke, MA), the Burren (Somerville, MA), Electric Haze (Worcester, MA), Opus Underground (Salem, MA), the Music Room Cape Cod (Yarmouth, MA), Atwood's Tavern (Cambridge, MA), and many more. For fun, she also occasionally sings with Booty Vortex, Boston's finest 11-piece disco party band.

Courses Taught (4)

Pop/Rock/Country Vocal Ensemble with Background Vocals

ENVC-124

Elements of Vocal Technique for Non-Voice Principals

ILVC-210

Private Instruction - Voice: All Levels

PIVC-XXX

Recital Preparation: Voice - All Levels

RPVC-XXX

In Their Own Words

"My goal is to empower my students with the tools they need to fully realize their own potential. Every musician's career is unique to them, and success looks different for everyone, but there are certain foundational elements that need to be in place in order to reach our life goals. My teaching focuses on establishing a strong mind/body connection to support a healthy, sustainable, and versatile vocal technique that can suit any situation and last a lifetime."

"I've been at it for decades, despite profound obstacles, and I know what it takes to ensure one's own success. I had a career in business and nonprofit arts administration for nine years before attending Berklee for music education, and I was fully self-employed as a private voice and piano teacher for seven years before joining the school as faculty. My performing career has been accomplished almost exclusively through my own original music, with some studio work on the side. In addition to being a creative force, I have always handled all of my own administrative and managerial duties in both careers. From booking to billing to writing to promotions and pedagogy, I relish in sharing my experience for the benefit of others. The road is never easy, but it is always worth it."