Joni Mitchell has received an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music, as presented by Berklee’s Office of the President and Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. Linda and Russell Brown from MaddocksBrown Foundation hosted an exclusive gathering in Santa Monica where the singer was recognized.
“Well, luckily I’m too old to get a swelled head,”Mitchell said to the crowd during her acceptance speech “It’s a beautiful event. Words can’t describe it. I’ve got my good friends here with me.”She said, “I wish my parents were alive. My mother in particular would be really proud of this because she wanted me to go to college. I went to art school and I quit after a year. She thinks of me as a quitter. So to see this achievement would be really impressive to her. I wish I could share it with her.”
“Since her debut in the late 1960s, Joni has been a force for change in the industry,”Erica Muhl, President of Berklee, spoke during her introduction. “Blazing the trail for women in music with an unwavering commitment to achieving the status rightfully due her as one of the world’s great musical artists.”
Terri Lyne Carrington is the founder and artistic director of Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. She also thinks: “I am thrilled that we are finally able to honor Joni Mitchell. Her career and social principles stand for the values our institute pursues — imagination, freedom, equity, and identity. I can think of no one more deserving.”
The evening featured musical tribute performances by Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, Säje, and Berklee students Devon Gates, Julian Miltenberger, Milena Casado and Nika Ko. The group performed various songs from Mitchell’s catalog, like “A Case of You,” “Love,” “Both Sides Now,” “River,”You can find out more. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and others were our special guests.
Mitchell is hot on her heels of her spectacular full-scale return. She performed her first live performance since 2013, at the Newport Folk Festival. This set featured guest vocalists Wynonna Judd and Wynonna Mumford.