Bernadette Bascom

{{short description|American R&B singer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

File:Bernadette Bascom 04.jpg

Bernadette Bascom (born 1962 in Baltimore) is an American R&B singer.

The daughter of Civil Rights activist Rev. Marion C. Bascom, she began her career as a voice over artist for a local DJ on a Baltimore, Maryland radio station. Bascom was the first artist signed to Stevie Wonder's label Black Bull, and she later forged a great recording career in the Pacific Northwest.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=29387 |title=Roots & Americana |last=Reighley |first=Kurt B. |date=February 2, 2006 |work=The Stranger}}[http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=3827 HistoryLink Essay: Parker's Ballroom] For fifteen years, Bascom sang on the Las Vegas strip, and she was the co-star in the award-winning show Divine Divas. She was also one of the Motown Moments at the Motown Cafe. Bascom recorded for her own labels Penguin and Solidarity Records. "I Don't Want to Lose your Love" (written and produced by Bill Miller) is her trademark song. She has worked with Elton John, Lenny Williams, among other musicians.

In 2004, Bascom returned to Seattle where she has taught vocal lessons, performance, and production.[http://seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=30707362 Seattle Channel - Video] She is the creator of "PRAISE!, a Sunday Gospel Supper," which has run at The Triple Door in downtown Seattle.[http://www.tripledoor.com/event.aspx?eid=1241&venue=mainstage The Triple Door - Praise: A Sunday Gospel Supper-Produced & Directed By Bernadette Bascom W/ Special Guests]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[https://archive.today/20070808091630/http://www.thetripledoor.net/event.aspx?eid=620&venue=mainstage The Triple Door - Bernadette Bascom: "Let'S Celebrate"] She manages the Northshore Wranglers Program as a vocal coach.{{cite news |date=November 7, 2013 |title=Bothell based Northshore Wranglers raise voices in song Dec. 6 |work=Bothell Reporter |url=https://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/bothell-based-northshore-wranglers-raise-voices-in-song-dec-6/ |access-date=February 2, 2020}} Room 315 at the Anderson School is dedicated to her.{{cite web |title=Bernadette Bascom – McMenamins Blog |url=https://blog.mcmenamins.com/Bernadette-Bascom/ |access-date=3 February 2020 |website=blog.mcmenamins.com}}

In 2010, Bascom became a music and vocal teacher at [https://www.northwestu.edu/ Northwest University] in Kirkland, Washington, where she still teaches.{{Cite web |title=Northwest University Directories |url=https://eagle.northwestu.edu/directory/department/arts-and-sciences |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=eagle.northwestu.edu}}

File:Bernadette Emmy with Stevie Wonder.webp

File:Bernadette Bascom Emmy for Human interest story.webp

In 2007, Bascom started the [https://www.musicprojectnorthshore.com/the-music-project Music Project], a program designed to use singing to develop children's speaking skills and confidence.{{Cite web |last=Swanson |first=Gaard |date=2020-01-17 |title=Bernadette Bascom's Music Project gives kids courage, inclusion & confidence for life |url=https://seattlerefined.com/the-show/bernadette-bascoms-music-project-gives-kids-courage-inclusion-confidence-for-life |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Seattle Refined |language=en}} She discovered that many of her enrollees were neurodivergent and their speaking and ability to express themselves benefited greatly from the program. A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG2gPJFSsYo documentary on the program called "Bernadette's Touch" was filmed by Seattle station King 5 News] . The documentary earned her a 2012 Emmy Award for Human Interest Documentary{{Cite web |title=Emmy® Award-Winning Vocal Coach Bernadette Bascom Invests in Northwest University's Music Department |url=https://www.northwestu.edu/blog/emmy-award-winning-vocal-coach-bernadette-bascom-invests-in-northwest-unive |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=www.northwestu.edu |language=en}} in conjunction with the writers and producers of the piece.

As a result of her success in the Music Project, Bascom collaborated with innovators at Microsoft Corporation to create a mobile application that teaches the principles from her in-person Music Project program.{{Citation |title=091922_Bernadette.mov |url=https://vimeo.com/levyfilms/review/752336119/7281de77fa |access-date=2023-03-29 |language=en}} Her intention was to reach more people than just those who were able to attend her program in the greater Seattle area. As of March 2023, the app called "Speak!" is available in the [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speak/id1599665238 Apple store]{{Cite web |title=Speak! |url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speak/id1599665238 |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=App Store |language=en-US}} and as an early release in the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.northshorescholarshipfoundation.musicaslanguage&gl=us Google play store].{{Cite web |title=Speak! - Apps on Google Play |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.northshorescholarshipfoundation.musicaslanguage&hl=en_US |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=play.google.com |language=en-US}}

As of 2023, Bascom is a resident of Bothell, a northeastern suburb of Seattle.