Berklee Student Sings the National Anthem at Boston Celtics Game
Before players took the court, Berklee College of Music student Ryan Peter Murphy gave fans a reason to cheer with his performance of the national anthem at the Boston Celtics game against the Detroit Pistons at the TD Garden on December 12.
(L-R): Siblings Caitlin Murphy and Ryan Peter Murphy on the parquet floor at TD Garden in December 2024. Image by Dean Weaver
Image by Dean Weaver
A vocalist and professional music major with concentrations in songwriting and vocal performance, Murphy has been an active member of the Berklee community, including performances in four different Singers Showcases at the Berklee Performance Center. Murphy expressed a special appreciation for this moment because “they are the defending NBA champions. It wasn't my first time performing for professional sports teams, but this meant even more due to it being my favorite NBA team.”
Throughout his years at Berklee, Murphy has gained over 100,000 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram by singing covers filmed behind staircases. This milestone not only earned the artist an opportunity to perform on The Jennifer Hudson Show last January but also inspired prospective students and incoming freshmen to pursue their musical aspirations at Berklee.
Murphy is a singer-songwriter known for his emotional ballads that echo the styles of Sam Smith, JVKE, Adele, Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, and Lewis Capaldi, with the online community deeming him a “male Adele meets Frank Sinatra.” The crooner covers songs of all genres and eras, including modern pop hits, musical theater, and timeless Frank Sinatra standards.
Berklee has collaborated and partnered with the Boston Celtics on numerous occasions. In addition, two commercial dancers, Sophie Reynolds and Isabelle Richards from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, also joined the Celtics dancers for the season. Berklee City Music and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation have collaborated on various initiatives throughout the years, and the foundation has been a co-lead sponsor of the annual Amplify Berklee (formerly the Berklee Encore Gala).