Ray Charles Symposium at Berklee

[Andy Volk]

American Roots Music Symposium
Inspired by Ray: The Ray Charles Symposium

Presented by the Berklee American Roots Music Program at Berklee College of Music in collaboration with the Ray Charles Foundation.

Ray Charles is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest geniuses in all of American music. In this artistic and academic symposium we will use Charles as a prism through which to examine, discuss, and celebrate various aspects of American musical life.

This conference will approach a variety of topics that any serious consideration of Charles raises: the musical substance of his work (including his singing, piano playing, and arranging); his choice of repertoire; the relationship between his performances and earlier versions of the same songs; the relationship between jazz, blues, gospel, and country music in the United States; the nature of individual musical genius in a societal context; and reflections on the transformative power of creativity.

Who is invited?

We anticipate that this symposium will interest a wide range of people, including performers, music journalists, scholars, musicologists, sociologists, psychologists, and others.

Symposium format

The three-day program will include panel discussions, individual presentations, and concerts.

Call for creative contributions

In an effort to expand the conventional academic discourse, this Berklee symposium welcomes a variety of creative submissions: papers, topics for panel discussions, performances, musical works, and more. For more information and to submit a proposal, contact Matt Glaser, artistic director of the American Roots Music Program, or Joe Walsh, managing director of the American Roots Music Program.