ASEAN: Echoes of Home Concert

The ASEAN: Echoes of Home concert was a cultural showcase held at the Berklee Performance Center, representing the music and heritage of Southeast Asia. Initiated through the collaborative efforts of three student clubs — the Berklee Malaysian Association, the Berklee Philippine Student Association, and the Berklee Indonesian Community — the event was entirely organized and managed by students. Following nearly a year of extensive planning, casting, and rehearsals, the performance took place on March 11th, 2025. This concert aimed to raise awareness of the underrepresented music, culture, language, and the people of Southeast Asia within both the Berklee community and the United States, featuring music from Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, alongside theme-based compositions on topics such as Harmony & Diversity, Culture v. Modernization, and War.

Participating in this show as a vocal director, co-arranger, and vocalist was an extensive and enriching experience. My responsibilities as a vocal director included casting vocalists, scheduling and leading rehearsals, providing detailed feedback, and coordinating with native language speakers to ensure accurate vocal performance in different languages.

As a co-arranger, I collaborated with two other arrangers on the Thai piece of the setlist. Through countless meetings and shared tasks, we crafted the "Lao Duang Duen & Bo Rak Si Dam" mashup. It was an honor to perform this very piece as a vocalist, which marked my debut in the Thai traditional and folk genres. Working with the entire Berklee ASEAN team was a truly unforgettable experience and a definitive highlight of my time at Berklee.

Photos by Eileen Pandjaitan

Live performance video by the Berklee Performance Center team