Exploring Local Music : What is going on at Boston’s Open Mics?

Photo by Julia Norkus

By Everly Orfanedes 

As many of us know, Boston's local music scene has given us plenty of bands and fresh artists over the years. Many young musicians flock to this city to attend schools such as Berklee College of Music or just to join a community of new, undiscovered musicians trying to make it big. Becoming successful in the music industry is a formula that people of all ages, backgrounds, and stories are desperately trying to find. But as the music industry continues to develop and grow, it might surprise us, as music lovers and listeners, to see just how different everyone's story is. Last week, I visited The Bebop music venue’s weekly open mic to try and catch a glimpse of what the true underground up and coming music scene is looking like in Boston, Massachusetts. I had the pleasure to meet and talk to a couple artists along the way and learn their stories, as well as how they plan to create an impact through music, both for their own lives, and the world around them. 

Chiara 

Many artists discover their passion later in life, and pursue them even later, but this specific singer-songwriter is getting out there performing covers as well as originals on stage at only 15 years old. Chiara (she/her) is a singer-songwriter from Waltham, Massachusetts. She traveled into Boston this past Thursday to perform a few songs, with the accompaniment of her acoustic guitar. When asked about her goals for music, she presented herself to be a very ambitious young artist. She is very passionate about music and plans to pursue it as a career; this is not just a hobby for her. Chiara draws inspiration for her writing and music from many popular singer-songwriters, such as Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish. Local venues should keep an eye out for this up and coming young singer-songwriter who is filled with ambition and talent. 

Haku Kim 

Music can weave its way into people's lives in many different ways, and Haku’s story has to be one of the most intricate, inspiring ones I have heard so far. Haku (he/him, 30) was first intrigued by music at the very young age of six when he noticed his sister playing piano. From then on, he began dabbling in the craft, playing piano, and eventually began writing his own music. Recounting his thoughts from his early years, he mimicked himself, “I was like ‘I want to do that!,” and that’s how I got into music,” he said. However, his journey from playing music casually to pursuing it as a career is quite the story. 

Haku was born and raised in Korea, and moved to the United States when he was about 20 years old. He learned English in California while he attended community college, from there, his interest in music continued and he was inspired by friends to heavily pursue it. For a period of time after that, Haku joined the army and gained citizenship in the U.S. During his time in the army, Haku attended many open mics and continued to practice the craft and write, this inspired him to make the decision to fully dedicate himself to music. After a long journey and many incredible experiences, Haku has found himself studying at Berklee College of Music and is actively pursuing his dream of music. When asked about what his career and overall music goals are, he stated “I feel like I have something beautiful inside me, I want to see what kind of music comes out of me… I just want to write the most beautiful music I can write, so if other people happen to like it then that’s great!” 

You can follow Haku at @hakufromtheheart on Instagram. 

Josh Riley 

I was very lucky to catch the  weekly host of Bebop’s Thursday night open mics after his set, and I have to say, it was a fantastic one. Josh Riley (he/him) is a third year student studying at Berklee College of Music, and plays a multitude of roles in the music industry. Some of these include producer, engineer, singer-songwriter, and guitar player. Josh grew up as a military kid, and didn’t spend much time in one place. I mentioned how this will definitely come in handy in the music industry, since many successful musicians have a hard time calling one place home for too long, a very travel heavy industry I have to say.

 Josh’s journey with music began after highschool. After graduation, Josh worked for the department of defense and as a contractor for a couple of years, but soon realized he knew he was not going to be happy pursuing that kind of career for the rest of his life. He stated, “I hated it, I looked at all the older people and I was like I do not want to live the next 40 years complaining on Mondays and waiting for Fridays, so I put in an application at Berklee and I just went all in to music.” When asked about what artists inspired him the most for music, he listed a multitude of blues and folk artists, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, and Marcus King. Josh even has a band at Berklee, Rock and Riley, and they are writing a blues rock record. At the end of our conversation, Josh stated simply, “My purpose is to inspire.” 

You can follow Josh Riley on instagram @joshrileymusic.

Photo by Julia Norkus

If there is one thing we can learn from these artists is that if you are not all in, you aren’t in. All three artists I spoke to expressed dedication to their craft, and a true love and respect for music. These are the kinds of artists that we can expect to see coming up in the industry, and influencing others. I am so thankful I had the experience of chatting with these artists, and I hope you will consider visiting an open mic or two sometime soon for a really amazing experience and a glimpse at the future of music.