September is officially here, and so are all of the students. Boston has swelled in size once again because of the student population. While many are tempted to groan at the sight of clueless students pingponging their way down the streets, it’s important to remember just how many of us originally came to the city to pursue higher education. In that, it’s key to give back, especially if it helps alleviate the fear and stress that can accompany joining not only a new city, but a new music scene.
To make that process less scary than it needs to be, we asked local musicians and artists to share some tips. Folk punk guru the Michael Character, psych rock act Bat House, hook maestro Sidney Gish, electronic producer Mmph, neo-soul singer-songwriter Aubrey Haddard, art rock explorer Anjimile, and pop punk band Mint Green each shared a fresh batch of recommendations for this year’s back-to-school roundup. Whether they chose to dish on the best spots around campus to plow through work, to highlight the free amenities your college offers, or explain what to expect from Boston’s music scene at large, there’s a lot to learn. So grab a pen and get ready to take notes. These words are ones you’ll want to remember forever.
UNDERUTILIZED COLLEGE PERKS
“Berklee has amazing gear that you can check out if you’re an EPD major. It’s amazing to see them sometimes hardly touched. Also, hardly anyone uses the EPD studios during regular semester periods. I’ve noticed that it only gets busy during midterms and finals, and there were stretches of weeks where I was able to check out a studio and use it for the entire day.”
— Sae Heum Han (Mmph, Berklee)
“There’s a recording studio (Snell Studio) at our on-campus library (Snell Library) that is available to all students. It includes a control to outfitted with monitors, pro tools, and a nice mixing board, in addition to a nice recording space with a drum kit, a keyboard, bass and guitar amps, and an array of microphones. All you have to do is sign up for space on the Snell Library website.”
— Anjimile (Anjimile, Northeastern)
“Berklee does this super cool thing where Mass Eye and Ear comes in and does hearing exams. If you let them examine your hearing you get free ear plugs. That’s super duper important cause once you lose your hearing that’s kinda it.”
— Muñeca Diaz (Mint Green, Berklee)
“Grab discounted Boston Symphony Orchestra tickets at the Student Resource Center in the 921 building. I used to snag whatever they had!”
— Aubrey Haddard (Aubrey Haddard, Berklee)
“Northeastern has pretty good studios available to students studying recording. At other schools sometimes, the school owns the masters of what you record in their studio, so it’s not technically allowed to be released, but Northeastern doesn’t do that. You can use the studios for whatever you want. I’ve worked in them for classes before, but haven’t really used them for my own music yet. I’m going to try to in the future before I lose access.”
— Sidney Gish (Sidney Gish, Northeastern)
“Check your library’s computers. Ours are stacked with several DAW programs (Pro Tools, Logic, etc.). So, if that is of interest to you, goofing off in those programs between classes is a good way to get your footing in those programs for free.”
— Shane Blank (Bat House, Berklee)
ON-CAMPUS HIDEOUTS
“The work areas in the basement of the library, specifically the set of desks in the basement closest to the main stairwell, served me well when I needed to get lots of work done without distraction. Meanwhile, the roof of the library is a perfect spot for getting creative, when it isn’t too crowded. Also, let me try to describe this correctly: the brick wall at the top of the stairs that go down to the library from the pathway directly facing East Hall? It’s weirdly great for a sit and a think.”
— James Ikeda (The Michael Character, Tufts)
“In the basement of 150, there is a lounge area that hardly anyone goes to. It’s a great place to be at when you want to just focus and not have to worry about people practicing their instruments around you. It’s great to hear music around you and your peer’s passion, but sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming, especially when you’re looking for silence.”
— Sae Heum Han (Mmph, Berklee)
“I like to sit in Shillman Hall. It’s never too crowded and it has a Dunkin inside of it. It also has printers that usually work. If I have to write an essay early in the morning before a class, I always go there instead of the library.”
— Sidney Gish (Sidney Gish, Northeastern)
“My favorite on-campus spot has got to be the 1108 Boylston St practice rooms. Not a lot of people go to them and you can stay as long as you want. I remember one time I literally stayed in one of them all day ’cause I lost track of time. That place is the dope.”
— Muñeca Diaz (Mint Green, Berklee)
CITY SPOTS TO SAVOR
“When I look back and think of the most productive setting that I was able to get nonmusic-related work done, it was away from my room. I think as musicians, and especially as students, we don’t have the luxury of having a space that’s solely dedicated to creating art. Most of the time, our bedroom becomes a place where we make music and it’s hard to separate work from being able to relax if you start mixing different energies.”
— Sae Heum Han (Mmph, Berklee)
“Dudley Cafe is my favorite place, period, to do homework and music work like bookings and emails. It’s right in Dudley Square in Roxbury — about a 15 minute walk from Northeastern’s campus. The coffee is bomb, they have breakfast all day, and it’s POC-owned and operated.”
— Anjimile (Anjimile, Northeastern)
“I spent 50 percent of grad school in Danish Pastry House. An excellent selection of good food and drinks, and you don’t feel like a burden when you post up for four hours doing work.”
— James Ikeda (The Michael Character, Tufts)
“I like to go to the Pavement on Gainsborough since it’s close. I’m there right now lol.”
— Sidney Gish (Sidney Gish, Northeastern)
“The Common is always a good way to kind of lift the roof of your thoughts, especially if you’d been working on something in your room for awhile and needed to take a second to bring yourself back to Earth.”
— Shane Blank (Bat House, Berklee)
“When I go to write music, I like to find a rooftop and a cheap glass of wine. My bedroom is also a complete sanctuary for writing and productivity, and I encourage everyone to set their bedroom up in the most efficient way. Surrounding yourself with a productive environment is key.”
— Aubrey Haddard (Aubrey Haddard, Berklee)
JOIN THE MUSIC SCENE
“[Boston’s music scene] is in constant transition. So get involved in any capacity, whether it is as a showgoer, a promoter, or as a band, because there is a lot to be seen and heard here.”
— Shane Blank (Bat House, Berklee)
“If you’re looking to be in a band, I met Ronnica, Mint Green’s vocalist, through the musicians section of Craigslist. That worked for me, but it took a lot of patience. Check often because there is a lot to sift through.”
— Daniel Huang (Mint Green, Boston University School of Medicine)
“Practice all the time, and don’t be afraid to try new things! Your best work will always happen while you’re working, so getting started is the most important thing.”
— Sidney Gish (Sidney Gish, Northeastern)
“Find out about local bands! Go to Bandcamp and local music blogs like Allston Pudding, Sound of Boston, WBUR Artery, and of course DigBoston. Find some local bands and songwriters and then go to their shows!”
— Anjimile (Anjimile, Northeastern)
“Best thing to get into the local music scene is to just ask what’s going on around town. It’s a bit intimidating to ask a stranger if there are any shows going on, but almost everyone I know in the scene will be more than accepting and welcome you in as long as you bring the correct energy and are respectful to the space and the people in it. Ultimately, try your best to connect with people around you. They’re most likely feeling the same way about approaching you and someone has to break the ice, right?”
— Sae Heum Han (Mmph, Berklee)
“Because the music scene is essentially a massive network, you can start going to shows to see nationally touring acts that you might be familiar with, catch the local openers, then find shows where those local openers are headlining, then follow the opening acts of those shows and continue the process until it’s just you and 12 other people in a living room listening to someone play their first show. It won’t take too long. There is a frankly unreasonable number of incredible artists in Boston, and no matter what your taste is I am willing to bet that your new favorite local band is only a few degrees of separation away from that big show you see at the Royale or the House of Blues.”
— James Ikeda (The Michael Character, Tufts)
I WISH SOMEONE TOLD ME
“I wish I knew that despite almost everyone having attended Berklee, Berklee is pretty removed from the music scene of the actual city. Other than their own privately owned events and venues, I was never encouraged to participate in anything not Berklee related.”
— Aubrey Haddard (Aubrey Haddard, Berklee)
“I wish I knew earlier that there was an entire community of queer and trans musicians, and queer and trans musicians of color that kick ass and don’t take shit. I wasted a lot of time watching hordes of generic straight white dude bands playing straight white dude band indie rock. Yawn. Also, the boston hip hop community is popping off — don’t sleep on that shit.”
— Anjimile (Anjimile, Northeastern)
“If you don’t see any events that are precisely your jam in terms of how they are run or curated, start running your own events. Chances are you’ll be great at it. Feel free to get in touch with the Bummer City Historical Society for more specific advice towards this end. But if you really like music and want to play music but can’t, SURPRISE, you actually can! And you should. Just do it.”
— James Ikeda (The Michael Character, Tufts)
“When everyone is making art, it’s so easy to compare yourself to others and feel as though you aren’t good enough. Talking to my close friends that I personally and musically trust, it’s a common feeling amongst artists. When there are so many different creative voices around you, how can you truly find your own? For me, I embraced all of it. Be a sponge. Take in everything and listen to what people have to say. They’re passionate about something for a reason, and sometimes knowing that reason can lead you to appreciate something that you normally wouldn’t. Take influences and analyze them and after that, figure out the best way you can personally use them.”
— Sae Heum Han (Mmph, Berklee)
“If you are passionate about music, start getting involved now! Join music groups, enroll in music classes, and take every opportunity to perform. I just wish that I had known about the amazing bands and artists in Boston (Honey Cutt, Edge Petal Burn, Raavi & the Houseplants, Ozlo, Cosmic Johnny, The Water Cycle, Sidney Gish, and many others) earlier!”
— Daniel Huang (Mint Green, Boston University School of Medicine)
“I wish I knew that no one really cares if you go somewhere alone! I went to a lot of shows alone and wasted my time beforehand being like ‘Who do I know who’s gonna be there?’ It’s fine to go somewhere by yourself if you’re there since you like the music, and you’ll probably meet people at the show anyway.”
— Sidney Gish (Sidney Gish, Northeastern)