Bob Dylan, new honorary degree: “What a pleasant surprise”

Bob Dylan was awarded one honorary degree from Berklee College of Musicthe largest music academy in the world and one of the most prestigious music schools in the United States. Joining a list of illustrious musicians who have received the prestigious title from the music college, including David Bowie, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, the Duluth singer-songwriter returns to receive a new academic recognition after receiving honorary degrees from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 2004, and one from Princeton in 1970.

In a statement released by the US edition of “Rolling Stone”, Dylan he explained in a statement: “Thank you to the Berklee College of Music for awarding me this prestigious honor. What a pleasant surprise“. He added:

“Who knows what direction my career might have taken if I had been fortunate enough to learn from some of the great musicians who taught at Berklee. It’s something to think about.”

From the Berklee College of Music it was explained that the awarding of the title was born from the desire to recognize the “Dylan’s extraordinary influence on modern music” and his “constant commitment to creative exploration.” Dean Jim Lucchese commented, “This is an incredible moment for our institution.” He continued, “Bob Dylan’s music has shaped the way the world listens to itself. He is an artist who has never stopped evolvingwho continues to pursue the truth through sound and language. This is the spirit we try to cultivate here every day. Honoring him means reaffirming the creative impulse on which this school is founded“.

For his part, the artistic director of the American Roots Music Program, Matt Glaser, said: “Bob Dylan spent a lifetime learning, assimilating and transforming every American singing tradition, and Berklee is committed to teaching all the music Dylan loves. His deep immersion in African-American blues reflects much of our curriculum, rooted in the typically American variations of the music of the African diaspora.” And again: “Anyone who has read his books or listened to his over one hundred radio broadcasts knows well that Dylan is also a great teacher and a great student“.