Tiny Desk Concerts Featuring Berklee Alumni
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and his band performed their Tiny Desk set in 2015.
NPR's Tiny Desk concert series has spotlighted hundreds of groups over the past decade, performing original material at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Listen to a sampling of Tiny Desk performances by Berklee alumni.
Watch Esperanza Spalding's Tiny Desk set
Esperanza Spalding
Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding B.M. '05 '18H is known for her fresh blend of jazz, rock, funk, soul, and R&B. She and her fellow performers played several tunes from her third album, Chamber Music Society, in their 2010 Tiny Desk performance.
Watch Big Thief's Tiny Desk set
Big Thief
Indie rock band Big Thief is composed of Berklee alumni Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, James Krivchenia, and Max Oleartchik. They began playing together after graduation in Brooklyn, where they're still based. Big Thief performed a Tiny Desk set soon after releasing their debut album, Masterpiece, in 2016, with several songs from the record, including the title track.
Watch Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's Tiny Desk set
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
In his 2015 Tiny Desk set, trumpeter and composer Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah B.M. '04 shared the story behind his song "K.K.P.D." With his band, Scott played that tune and two others from his jazz fusion album, Stretch Music.
Watch Lalah Hathaway's Tiny Desk set
Lalah Hathaway
Soul singer Lalah Hathaway B.M. '94 paid tribute to Boston, which became her second home during her years at Berklee, in her Tiny Desk set. She also sang about modern-day romance in "Change Ya Life" and drew on the complicated legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in "Honestly."
Watch Lucius' Tiny Desk set
Lucius
All five original members of Lucius are Berklee alumni, but the group came together in Brooklyn after college. Their 2012 Tiny Desk concert featured songs from their self-titled debut EP, which swings from sixties girl-group pop to soulful folk and back again.
Watch Usman Riaz's Tiny Desk set
Usman Riaz
Pakistani musician and TED senior fellow Usman Riaz learned classical guitar at a young age, but taught himself to play other instruments and compose music using the internet. His 2014 Tiny Desk set featured percussive guitar, piano, and harmonica.
Watch Aimee Mann's Tiny Desk set
Aimee Mann
Prolific singer-songwriter Aimee Mann B.M. '80 performed songs from her latest album, Mental Illness, at a Tiny Desk concert in 2017. She joked about the songs' "depressing" feel, but the audience responded to her honesty and warmth.
Watch Nick Hakim's Tiny Desk set
Nick Hakim
Queens-based neo-soul musician Nick Hakim came back home to D.C. for a Tiny Desk set in early 2018. He performed several songs from his 2017 record, Green Twins.