Beyoncé’s original all-female band celebrates its 10-year anniversary at Berklee, led by Tia Fuller, a professor in the Ensemble Department. The band will include original members Nikki Glaspie ’04 (drums), Rie Tsuji ’02 (keyboard), Bibi McGill (guitar), Brittani Washington (piano), Divinity Roxx (bass), Katty Rodriguez (tenor saxophone), Crystal Torres (trumpet), Marcie Chapa (percussion), and students in Berklee’s Beyoncé Ensemble. In addition, current Beyoncé dancer Ebony Williams ’05 will choreograph and perform with students from Boston Conservatory at Berklee on select songs and current Beyoncé background vocalist Crissy Collins will perform with the ensemble.
The group will feature music members played while on tour, drawn from Beyoncé albums B’Day, The Beyoncé Experience, and I Am…Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, and will also perform some of her newer material. Berklee alumnus Nikko Ielasi ’15 is the musical arranger, current student Jonathan Foo is the producer, current student Niya Norwood is the vocal director, and current Berklee student Josh Foster is the student musical director.
Watch Berklee students perform a medley in tribute to Beyoncé:
Free Hot Chocolate on National Cocoa Day
Wednesday, Dec. 13 is National Cocoa Day and Fairmont Copley Plaza will celebrate with its Back Bay neighbor, L.A. Burdick Chocolates by serving complimentary Burdick hot chocolate from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the hotel’s Dartmouth Street entrance. The artisan chocolatier, famous for its European-inspired chocolate bonbons, hot chocolates and pastries, will have warm cups of its Dark Drinking Chocolate (robust & full-bodied) and Milk Drinking Chocolate (gentler yet still decadent & luscious) to brighten the morning for passersby, while supplies last. L.A. Burdick’s hot cocoa – named one of the “11 must-try hot chocolates around the U.S”. by Zagat – will be served snow or shine to mark this fun food holiday and spread holiday cheer to the neighborhood. It will certainly be a welcome surprise after Boston’s first snowfall this past weekend!
