I haven’t had time to stop and absorb my Oscars appearance, as I had to jump directly into another show in NYC that I absolutely love doing yearly. ⠀
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I can’t adequately describe my OSCARS experience. It was too magical to put into words. Truly living dreams out loud!⠀
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I only hope my appearance in my role will, or has already, inspired some young person to pursue whatever they’re passionate about. Even if it’s not music! ⠀
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Don’t ever stop! In your passion, or life in general. Be a lighthouse. Help light someone’s path to their destiny. ⠀
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Life is a gift. Share yours with the world. and, leave it better place than you found it. I’m grateful to all who did that for me! 🙏🏾 M~ #legacy
I like to set intentions in my life and work. I set intentions for my orchestra for the 97th and this year’s 98th Oscars. Every musician on that stage bought into my philosophy and purpose of music. Basically to move souls. My favorite saying. I’ve also been blessed to work with the greatest artists in history. Too many to list here. The one icon I wanted to work with but hadn’t was Barbra Streisand. So, I set an intention last year that it would happen within a year. That intention manifested on the Oscars stage in front of a billion viewers last night! Grateful!🙏🏾 M~ #livingmydreams #oscars #intentions
We’re finally here—game day. The 98th Academy Awards have set the anticipation over who will take home the coveted Oscar at a fever pitch.
One of the more underrated aspects of the evening, of course, is the music. Helmed by the renowned Michael Bearden for the second year in a row.
Bearden, a Primetime Emmy-nominated keyboardist, arranger, conductor, and composer, spoke with ESSENCE about all things music, specifically as it pertains to the Oscars.
“The thing that excites me most is when we actually start, because all of this preparation is one thing. People think you get a lot of rehearsal for that. It’s a lot of moving parts to the show, so that we don’t get to rehearse much. So you have to know what you’re doing. “
Read more of our exclusive at ESSENCE.com.
Prepare to be amazed😍🎼✨ the best musicians in the world led by Emmy nominated Musical Director Michael Bearden gave us a glimpse at what they are working on for the Oscars🌟 tune in to GMA for more! #oscars #orchestra #michaelbearden @theacademy
In countless interviews during my 40 plus years of rising up in this industry, I found @donlemonofficial to be one of the most thorough and professional! Tough l! But, fair. Prepared! But, able to pivot away from his notes when necessary. What is happening to Don (and all journalists just doing their jobs) should be a wake up call for ALL! Democracy is not a spectator sport! Be loud!🗣️ M~
Today marks another solar return of my birth! ♐️🎉 I’m Grateful for many things. But, mostly I’m grateful for Life! Thank you to anyone who’s followed me. Hopefully you’ve been inspired. It’s never the destination, it’s always about the journey for me. Still going. Still rising! 🙌🏾 M~ #birthday #saggseason♐️ 📸 @milesbittonphoto
The blessing that is my life. Living dreams out loud. Hopefully inspiring others to live theirs too! I’ve known Tom, Debbie, Phylicia, Andra, forever! Just meeting Ryan and others. Blessed and beautiful journey. And still going! M~ #beinspired
I’m gutted!!💔😔 my phone has been going off all morning about D’s passing.
I’m honored to have been D’s music director during his debut album era.
I told his management at the time, even before D and I spoke about his live show, you don’t have just another “new artist” here, you have an absolute industry disrupter! He will change the game!
I had no way of knowing for certain if that would be the case, I just had a feeling. D’s talent was so pure and natural he moved energy in a way that only geniuses could. I’d been blessed to work with a few, so I saw the same thing in D immediately!
Even with that, D’Angelo was one of one. The way he sang, the way he composed, even the way he programmed his keyboards was unique and singular. He created an entire genre of music just by being himself. (Although it was never his intention to have a “name” for what he was doing. He was just unapologetically creating from the black experience! Which is universal!)
It’s hard to process this news. The world has lost an extraordinary artist. I am uniquely blessed to have been in the close presence of greatness my entire career. D is someone I’ll always cherish.
Like most supernovas, he came here and his light shined brightly through out the universe. And then he left. Gratefully, we still have the music.
Rest well my friend. You will be missed. You are loved! Say hello to Angie for me!
XO, M~ 💔😔🕊 #DAngelo
One of the things I remember about my time with MJ, was how much we laughed. ⠀⠀
Even with all the work and the outside pressure that comes with being who he was, almost every day I was with him, we were able to find something to laugh about. It was like our daily medicine. ⠀
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I’ll recall more than a few moments in the book I’m writing. but suffice to say, the amount of joy he expressed during those days was palpable. ⠀
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I think as he said once “if you enter the world knowing you’re loved, and you leave the world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.”⠀
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Still, all these years later, I don’t see the love of Michael Jackson slowing down anytime soon!⠀
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Miss my dude MJ! HBD🎉🎉🎉🙏🏾🕊 #michaeljackson #birthday #virgo
A little BTS of my weekend conducting at the AFI awards, honoring Francis Ford Coppola! ⠀
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Always love working with my buddy Josh Groban. Super talented and just a wonderful person!⠀
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Also got a chance to catch up with George Stevens Sr. (we worked together on the Kennedy Center Honors for 12 years) He created the honors and AFI!⠀
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Anytime I get a chance to speak with Morgan Freeman is a treat. He’s always encouraging me!⠀
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The Godfather is probably my favorite film ever! What a thrill it was to meet the genius behind it. Mr. Coppola pulled me aside to give me the rundown on how the theme I conducted became what it did. Fascinating stories. ⠀
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All in all, I love this new pathway I’ve entered after my first MD Oscars performance. Looking forward to seeing where it leads! Grateful! M~ #beinspired
I’m so heartbroken 💔 and deeply saddened to hear of one of my greatest heroes and influences passing this evening! Quincy Jones was a Legend and Universal icon!⠀
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If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m from Chicago’s south side. (so was Q) You’d also know that I’m a musician, composer, producer, conductor, arranger, music director, humanitarian, etc. (so was Q) ⠀
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What you may not know is, probably the main reason I became All of those things is because of Q! He is literally the blueprint of what I do! Q is who inspired me as a boy. Q became a mentor as I started rising up in the music business. Q encouraged me through dark times and applauded me during the triumphs. ⠀
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I don’t have enough room here to say everything I want to say. For now, I’ll just say, THANK YOU so much for everything you’ve done for the world and for me! I’m not sure I’d be who I am, at this level, without you. ⠀
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Healing energy to Quincy’s family and to those all around the globe who loved him. He was truly 1 of 1! ⠀
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I’ll do my very best with the time I have left to represent Q’s legacy in the many ways he taught me! Love you Q! You will be sorely missed! Say hello to MJ for me! We still have the music! Which is what you were always about! 💔🙏🏾🕊 M~ #QuincyJones
