Berklee’s Two Track Series Celebrates ‘Pride’ to Kick off Summer
Boston Conservatory at Berklee students (left to right) Morgan Kyle, Jordan Hall, Amber Talley, and Steven Eckloff performed music from Rent in their Two Track performance in June.
Image courtesy of the artists
Berklee’s Two Track music video series features members of the Berklee community in a stripped-down recording session, filmed in continuous camera shots with just a single microphone. Since the series launched in September, videos have premiered every Wednesday evening at 8:00 p.m. ET on the Berklee YouTube channel.
Each installment of Two Track revolves around a single theme that the artist engages with through their choice of songs and/or through a short storytelling segment recorded as part of the session. For the month of June, performers were asked to address the theme of “pride.”
Boston Conservatory Performers from Rent
June opened with the release of an ensemble performance—a first for the Two Track series—by cast members from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s staging of Rent, which ran from April 7–10 as part of the spring 2022 Center Stage collection. Jordan Hall and Steven Eckloff are featured vocalists on “I’ll Cover You,” while Amber Talley and Morgan Kyle sing a rendition of “Take Me or Leave Me,” both written by Jonathan Larson for his culturally groundbreaking musical. Jonathan Goldberg (guitar) and Ben Laham (keys) accompany cast members on each track.
Watch Boston Conservatory students perform “I’ll Cover You” and “Take Me or Leave Me”:
Tyler Christian
Tyler Christian performed Ariana Grande’s “I Don’t Care” and an original song, “Never See Me,” for their June 8 session. Christian is a 21-year-old performer, singer-songwriter, and vocal arranger from just outside Atlanta, Georgia. Christian’s music draws inspiration from an eclectic mix of modern and classic styles, from Beyoncé and Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana and James Taylor. Their inventive melodies, which borrow from jazz, pop, and soul, represent a fresh take on nostalgic ideas. In a brief monologue between songs, Christian touches on “pride” as it relates to their struggle growing up in Atlanta to balance who they were and who others wanted them to be.
Watch Tyler Christian perform “I Don’t Care” and “Never See Me”:
Tony Succar
On June 15, two-time Latin Grammy winner Tony Succar, accompanied by musicians from the Latin American Association of Berklee Students (LABS), performed “Eye of the Hurricane” by Herbie Hancock and “Negra Presuntuosa” by Andrés Soto Mena.
In spring 2022, LABS organized the concert Ídolos Latinos with Succar as a special guest. Many of the students featured in that show performed with Succar in this Two Track session, including Nicolle Horbath (vocals), Miguel Morales (guitar), Sergio de Miguel Jorquera (piano), Sebastian Duque (percussion), and Carlos Andrés Fabré Muñoz (bass). In his monologue, Succar talks about moving from Lima, Peru, to Miami when he was 2 years old, and how Latin music remained a foundational influence in his life throughout his childhood.
Watch Tony Succar perform “Eye of the Hurricane” and “Negra Presuntuosa”:
chrysalis
Isa Ansin, known professionally as chrysalis, showcased their ethereal vocal melodies in a solo acoustic performance of their original song “Flying Solo,” as well as a cover of “Madison” by Orla Gartland, for their session on June 22. Despite writing music for less than two years, chrysalis has had major success in their career, with shows opening for Vérité in Boston and at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. chrysalis has also found success via TikTok, accumulating over 85,000 followers and 2.2 million likes through their original music, covers of popular songs, and videos surrounding LGBTQ culture.
Watch chrysalis perform “Flying Solo” and “Madison”:
Christelle Pascal
Christelle Pascal closed out the month on June 30, performing the original track “Me and You” alongside song cowriter and guitarist Maxime Schwiersch, as well as a cover of Shontelle’s “Impossible,” accompanied by keyboardist AJ McBride. A 21-year-old singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress from Brooklyn, Pascal is currently studying music business/management and minoring in musical theater at Berklee. She is a first-place winner at Amateur Night at the Apollo and was recently a lead performer in Berklee’s Beyoncé Ensemble.
Watch Christelle Pascal perform “Me and You” and “Impossible”: