Making friends at Berklee College of Music

Berklee is a global music school in the middle of Back Bay. The campus is spread across the neighborhood, and the social life is built around music. Jams, rehearsals, gigs, and late-night practice sessions are the natural friendship environments. If you are not playing or listening to music, you can still find community, but the fastest path is through sound.

Berklee students are constantly playing together. The jam sessions, open mics, and student recitals are the easiest places to meet other musicians. Even if you are shy, showing up to listen and asking questions is a great way to start. The people who play together often hang out together.

The practice rooms and studios are where the real social life happens. You will hear people through the walls, run into classmates, and end up in spontaneous collaborations. Spending time in these spaces makes you part of the rhythm of the school.

Back Bay, the South End, Cambridge, and Somerville have music venues, open mics, and small clubs that Berklee students frequent. The Red Room at Cafe 939 is a Berklee venue that hosts student performances. A weekly routine of seeing live music, whether on campus or in the city, gives you common ground with other students.

The most meaningful friendships at Berklee come from collaboration. Recording projects, bands, songwriting sessions, and performance groups are all ways to work with people. Do not wait to be asked. Start a project and invite people to join.

• Week 1: Meet your classmates and find out where people are jamming or practicing.
• Week 2: Attend one open mic, jam session, or student performance.
• Week 3: Join one collaboration, band, or project. Even a small one is enough.
• Week 4: Invite your collaborators to a show, a meal, or a practice session hangout.

• Is Berklee competitive? Yes, but it is also collaborative. Most students want to play with other musicians.
• What if I do not play an instrument? There are programs for music production, music business, songwriting, and film scoring. You can also contribute as a writer, engineer, or manager.
• What is the best venue for meeting people? Cafe 939, the Berklee Performance Center, and the local open mics in Back Bay and Cambridge.
• How do I find people to play with? Bulletin boards, student groups, class announcements, and simply asking after a performance.
• What if I am an international student? Berklee is very international. There are cultural clubs and events that help students connect across backgrounds.