Record producer David Foster told the 662 graduates at Berklee College of Music to expand their horizons while pursuing their artistic passions.
“Be open to things other than music,” said Foster, who has won 14 Grammy awards. “Remember the first words you learned in grade school: Look and listen. Learn as much as you can about everything. Because knowledge is power.”
Foster produced Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”
He and jazz vocalist and pianist Shirley Horn also received honorary degrees during Saturday’s ceremony.
Horn’s five-year career as a singing pianist has included collaborations with Quincy Jones and Miles Davis, her mentor. In 1998, Horn won a Grammy award for Best Jazz Local Performance for the album, “I Remember Miles.”