Bradford Dickson usually dons a Speedo in preparation for matches. This time he wore a tuxedo.
Head coach Ted Minnis and a few players recruited Dickson, an accomplished cellist, to perform the national anthem before the women’s team’s senior day game against Princeton. The sophomore attacker on the men’s water polo team is one of 53 students enrolled in the Harvard-Berklee College of Music joint studies program.
“Those are some of my favorite types of performances,” Dickson said of last spring’s event. “I’m playing for all my best friends, and it brings together everything I love: the people I love, the sport I love, and the music I love — all in one. That’s really special to me.”
“It was awesome to watch Bradford bring his two passions together in the same place,” Minnis said. “He did a great job, and it showed how well-rounded he is as a student, athlete, and as a young man.”
Dickson’s musical journey began in the second grade. He initially picked up the violin as part of an elementary school requirement, but his time with that instrument proved short-lived.
“I tried the cello in third grade, and I really liked it,” Dickson said. “The cello has the closest range to the human voice. Over time, I learned that the cello could do so many things; it can be the percussion, the bass — it’s so versatile. There’s no role the cello can’t take on.”
Along with his undergraduate coursework at the College, the economics concentrator takes classes and does private sessions and public performances at Berklee, all of which will set him up to pursue a graduate degree there.
“All the classes are music-based and everything is centered around music, which I really enjoy,” Dickson said. “I get to take a wide variety of classes and receive a very open and broad music education.”
Finding a place where he could continue to study music at a high level played a significant role in Dickson’s college decision-making process. From music to academics to athletics, Harvard provided Dickson the best of all worlds, allowing him to practice cello, work toward his undergraduate degree, and play NCAA Division I water polo.
“Harvard was the only place where I could get an amazing education, play a Division I sport, and have the opportunity to pursue music at the best contemporary music school in the world,” Dickson said. “The fact that all three things aligned at Harvard was perfect.”
Whether in the pool with teammates or on stage playing the cello, Dickson credits his success to a strong work ethic and attention to detail, both of which allow him to continually improve.
“Bradford’s developed into his role as a defender on our team as he’s worked extremely hard on developing his skillset, and I’m very excited to see how he continues to progress,” Minnis said. “Out of the pool, just watching Bradford grow out of his shell and into a leader on this team has been remarkable to watch. He has been a major piece to our Boys and Girls Club program [of volunteers to Greater Boston chapters] and he’s such a great friend and role model to all his teammates.”
“Once you reach a certain level, the time you put in and the small details make a significant difference,” Dickson said. “It’s making that extra pass, practicing that shift on the cello a few more times. Those little things make us better than our competition. Cello is very similar. Everyone at Berklee can play, but when you have that extra bit of passion and the drive to be great, you stand out.”
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