Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall

This summer and fall, the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) is sending eight up-and-coming artists from the college to perform at popular music festivals across the United States. The institute's BPMI Live course guides students through every step from the classroom to the stage, providing critical training for a career in live music, whether as a performer or an industry professional.

Throughout the academic year, BPMI Live students reviewed hundreds of artist submissions and narrowed the field through a combination of factors that included recordings, videos, live performances, and social media presence. The A&R group also considered the artist’s style of music for genre-specific festivals such as INKcarceration (metal) and Faster Horses (country). 

2024 BPMI Artists

• Singer-songwriter Kieran Rhodes, performing at Boston Calling in Boston, Massachusetts, May 24–26.

• Hip-hop duo Maz & Kidd Revel, performing at Governors Ball in New York City, June 7–9.

• Americana, folk, and country singer-songwriter Samantha McKaige, performing at Faster Horses in Brooklyn, Michigan, July 19–21.

• Metal band Nailed Shut MA, performing at INKcarceration in Mansfield, Ohio, July 19–21.

• Alternative-pop/electronic duo FifteenØeight, performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois, August 1–4.

• Country, bluegrass, and folk artist Kyle Ray, performing at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky, September 19–22.

• Progressive Carnatic fusion band Project MishraM, performing at Louder Than Life in Louisville, Kentucky, September 26–29.

• Soulful singer-songwriter, Rijah, performing at Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut, September 28–29.

Many of these artists performed at BPMI's 22nd annual showcase at Brighton Music Hall earlier this spring.

A Year to Prepare

While most Berklee classes take place over the course of one semester, BPMI Live runs on a three-semester, full-year cycle. In the fall semester, the class selects the artists and splits up into management teams. In the spring, students work on artist development, marketing, digital presence, budgets, merchandise, sponsorships, and advancing their assigned festival, in addition to organizing a spring musical showcase at a local venue. For the final semester, during the summer and early fall, teams rehearse with the artists to prepare them for the festival stage—a vastly different experience than a club show—and accompany them to each festival to handle on-site promotion, production, and tour management. Last year, a documentary crew from Bottle Tree Productions followed the BPMI students and artists to their eight festival appearances to showcase the process behind the course. The series will be released later this summer on the Berklee YouTube channel.

“From the moment we came to Berklee, playing Lollapalooza as a BPMI artist became a goal of ours, so the fact that we’re here four years later is surreal,” said Daphne Eleftheriadou and Tomer Oron of FifteenØeight. “We’re so excited and infinitely grateful for this beautiful program.” 

“I’m so proud of all the hard work and effort by the students in class and our roster of artists as we prepare for a busy summer and fall season with eight unique festivals,” said Morgan Milardo, managing director for BPMI. “This course is so important for both artists and students as they learn to navigate the concerts and touring industry and better understand the significance touring makes on an artist’s career. This season will be an incredible learning experience for all of the students and artists, filled with exciting performances that only come as a result of hard work and dedication. I’m also incredibly grateful for our industry partners at Live Nation, Danny Wimmer Presents, and C3 Presents, and our generous donors, who help make the BPMI experience a reality.”