Our Mentor-in-Residence
Dr. Bill Banfield has served as Professor of Africana Studies/Music and Society and founding director of the Center for Africana Studies/Liberal Arts at the Berklee College of Music. He taught in the Department of Composition and in the graduate program from 2005 to 2020.
In the past 25+ years, he has produced a body of productive music/ arts scholarship activities, books, compositions, recordings, establishing an active teaching, student and music/ lecture programming development, professional service and creative work, that contributes to contemporary arts leadership. He is founder/ director of JazzUrbane, a contemporary jazz art recording label, dedicated to producing creative new artists. The seminal project released in 2014, was produced by legendary icon George Duke, and included such leading artists as; Christian Scott, Terri Lyn Carrington, Najee, Greg Osby, and Grace Kelly. The label has already produced and released 8 albums now heard internationally.
As our Mentor-in-Residence, Dr. Banfield uses his wide-reaching experience and creativity to inspire our department to view jazz in its entirety, from its cultures, history, experience, and beyond. He also provides special curation from JazzUrbane and his extensive catalog to bring our DJs' shows to the next level of contemporary radio and assist in special projects, such as artist interviews and his very own Essays of Note series.
Our DJs
Alyssa Wagner '24
Jazz idols: João Donato, Blossom Dearie, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Nancy Wilson
Concentration: East Asian Studies
Interests: LORD OF THE RINGS, GAME OF THRONES, trivia, and grapefruit juice
David Chen '22
Jazz Idols: Jacob Collier, Louis Cole, Jacob Mann, Jake Kaufman, Calum Bowen, and insaneintherainmusic
Concentration: Computer Science, Secondary in Music
Interests: Video games, video game soundtracks, piano, youtube, headphones, and anything audio-related
Zavier Chavez '23
Jazz Idols: Mongo Santamaria, Esperanza Spalding, and Chick Corea
Concentration: Philosophy, Secondary in Environmental Science and Public Policy
Interests: Education, latin percussion, and animal advocacy
Steven Portillo '23
jazz idol: talie monin
concentration: molecular and cellular biology
interests: directingthe darker side department at whrb!
Chloe Koulefianou '23
Jazz Idol: Cécile McLorin Salvant
Concentration: Social Studies, Secondary in African Studies
Andrew Nickerson '24
Jazz Idol: Bill Evans
Concentration: Computer Science
Interests: Almost anything music related (WHRB, G&S, HRO), playing volleyball, photography, and graphic design
Sam Murdock '23
Jazz Idols: Nina Simone, Count Basie, Chick Corea, Benny Goodman, Lalah Hathaway
Concentration: Neuroscience & Philosophy, Secondary in Chemistry
Interests: Wind Ensemble, Singing/Songwriting, Philosophy of Science, Visual Arts, Froggy Chair, Witchcraft
Pratap Signh '21.5
Jazz Idol: Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Hancock
Concentration: Computer Science
Interests: Urbanism, sci-fi, general knowledge
Marc Courtemanche'24
Jazz Idol: Ron Carter, Esperanza Spalding, Charlie Haden
Concentration: Applied Math and Economics, Secondary in Ethnomusicology
Interests: Ultimate frisbee, playing bass in the jazz groups on campus
Robert Greene '24
Jazz Idol: Louis Armstrong, Bill Evans
Concentration: Environmental Science and Public Policy
Interests: Sustainability, music, dogs :)
Steph Yao '22.5
Jazz Idol: Duke Ellington
Concentration: Comparative Literature
Interests: Film, spicy food, and dance music!
Halima Badri '23
Jazz Idol: The one and only First Lady of Jazz -- Ella Fitzgerald
Concentration: Psychology, Secondary in Folklore and Mythology
Interests: Crimson Key Society, the Women in Law Association, Response Peer Counseling, Peer Advising, baking, reading, hiking and biking!
Calla Bai '23
Jazz Idol: Milt “The Bags” Jackson
Interests: Harvard Undergraduate Student Art Collective and the Harvard Korean Association
Isa Peña '24
Jazz Idol(s): Etta James, Billie Holiday
Concentration: Government
Interests: Musical theater, sour patch kids, Stephen King novels
Max Snyder '23
Jazz Idol: Frank Zappa, George Duke, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth
Concentration: Computer Science
Interests: Jazz Fusion, Prog Rock, programming languages, and algorithms
Noah Covey '24
Jazz Idol: John Coltrane, Pat Matheny
Concentration: Applied Math
Interests: Playing piano, cooking, playing tennis
Claire Yoo '23.5
Jazz Idol(s): Monk, Mingus
Concentration: History and Literature
Interests: Stand-up comedy, film photography, cooking ungodly amounts of food
Hashem Abdou '24
Jazz Idol: Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, Bird
Concentration: Biomedical Engineering and CS
Interests: Aerial photography, disruptive tech, surfing
Lilly Cunningham '23
Jazz Idol(s): Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery
Concentration: History and Literature (for now…)
Interests: Nature documentaries, surfing, sketch comedy
Micky (Micaela) Rosen '22
Jazz Idol(s): John Coltrane, Johnny Hodges, Miles Davis
Concentration: Art, Film, and Visual Studies
Interests: Mediocre tenor-sax playing gay art nerd who loves corn ice cream, climbing trees, and long improvisations
Catherine Deskur '24
Jazz Idol(s): Buddy Rich, Bill Evans, Kamasi Washington
Concentration: Computer Science
Interests: Biking, making Spotify playlists, and playing with my two cats,
David Shaw '24
Jazz Idol(s): Yoko Miwa, Jacob Collier
Concentration: Economics
Interests: Anything outside, spikeball on the beach
Céline Cuadra '24
Jazz Idol(s): Chick Corea, Wes Montgomery, Caetano Veloso, Jaime Roos
Concentration: History and Literature & Art, Film and Visual Studies
Interests: Communalism, Gardening, Cooking
Ashley Chung '24
Jazz Idol(s): Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Shirley Scott
Concentration: Economics
Interests: Food, my dog
Griffin Andres '22
Jazz Idol(s): Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Sun Ra, Milt Jackson
Concentration: Visual and Environmental Studies
Interests: Got much love for the arts (cinematic, culinary, musical and visual), catch me cruising around town on my bike
Henry Haimo '24
Jazz Idol(s): Frank Sinatra, Erroll Garner, Amy Winehouse
Concentration: Philosophy
Interests: Acting, making affogatos, & learning *jazz* piano!
Shan Ara '23
Jazz Idol(s): Joy Crookes, Little Simz, Jelani Blackman, Samm Henshaw, Black Pumas
Concentration: Government
Interests: Creative writing (poetry, vignettes, short stories, novels), beautiful architecture, long walks
Aarya Aparna Kaushik '24
Jazz Idol(s): Turiya Alice Coltrane, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan
Concentration: English and Music, Pre-Med Track
Interests: Staff Writer for the Crimson Arts Board, Cultural Co-Chair for the South Asian Association, clinical student researcher, consuming ungodly amounts of coffee, asking to pet any and every dog in Harvard Square
Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara '23
Jazz Idol(s): Bong Peñera, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Rubén Blades, Nat King Cole
Concentration: Social Anthropology and Comparative Study of Religion
Interests: Jazz as a global phenomenon, WHRB, Bossa Nova
Albert Zhang '22.5
Jazz Idol(s): HERBIE HANCOCK BABY
Concentration: Art, Film and Visual Studies
Interests: Funk sci-fi disco, funk classical