Meet Michael Bernier of The Band Freevolt & Evolvement Radio
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Don’t let the dreadlocks and barefeet fool you. Michael Bernier works hard to live his best life. Michael is a musician, master of ceremonies (100+ events a year), a performer, a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur, a humanitarian, a father, a husband, and all around positive force. He possesses unflappable optimism and is a rare breed of individual who lifts the spirits of all whom he comes into contact with. He is a singer songwriter and frontman for the band Freevolt, a pop-reggae group from Boston’s North Shore. Additionally, he’s a talented producer and emcee who heads up Evolvement Radio in Newburyport, MA. Bernier started Evolvement in his bedroom and has grown it to a radio brand broadcast across 40 AM, FM and online stations across America. Evolvement is a platform for like-minded artists, creatives, businesspeople and musicians — from Boston to Jamaica — all with a common agenda: spreading positivity and unity.
We are grateful to have Michael participate in a Q&A below. We also recently visited Michael at his Newburyport studio to record a BSU pod — enjoy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or here on SoundCloud. Enjoy.
Note: Michael is a free spirit, and one that I would never attempt to contain to one-word answers, so we allowed him the flexibility to flow with whatever length response felt right.
Where did you grow up? Dracut & Lawrence, MA
How would you sum up your childhood? Dynamic
What word would your loved ones use to describe you? Driven
You’re a spiritually enlightened person. Who most inspired you to choose the path you’re on? I am a combination of everyone and everything I have come across on this wild journey.
What’s most core to your strategy to find balance and harmony in life? Meditation? Singing? Songwriting? Something else? Love
What notable food have you given up in life because you felt it wasn’t good for your mind and body? — Animals (and all animal by-products)
I recently began reading the book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Have you used psychedelics to attain heightened spiritual enlightenment? Everything I participate in assists in attaining heightened spiritual enlightenment… otherwise…why am I doing it?
I, like you, believe there are no strangers in the world, just new friends. Who in your life most influenced this mindset for you? No One Person — Traveling the World made me this way!
What musician most influenced you in life? Bob Marley & Zach of Rage Against the Machine
What do you love about reggae? Everything (when it comes to real traditional roots reggae)
Outside of music, radio, and the production side of your life, what’s your favorite personal hobby that might surprise people? Running barefoot
You greet people with a smile and sincere positivity. Why is spreading positivity so important to you? It feels good to feel good. Our system does not emphasize the benefits (to all) of being positive. Positivity is most often overlooked. You can smile as you overcome your struggles.
Fill in the blank. Negative people should try. Love
Is there a new mission or production you’re working that you’d like to share with people? YES! “Enjoy Your Life” Brand
You’ve done more motivational speaking over the years. Why is that important to you? To help people understand that it is a realistic option to do what you want to do with your life.
If you lived anywhere else in the world, where else could you see yourself calling home? There are endless locations on this planet that are full of beauty, love, and peace that I would happily call home.
What is your favorite thing about being from the Greater Boston area? The impact of the seasons and the cyclical nature of the the beginning and end of each year.
What do you love most about Newburyport, MA? Community
What would you change about the world? I.E., What problem facing the world would you most like to see solved? I would like people to understand that we are all the same. No one human is greater than the next. We are all from the same family. The ultimate continuing goal throughout life for everyone should be world peace. Love should exist in every place between everyone.
Get hip with Michael Bernier on Instagram — @enjoymichaelbernier — and check out his website: Michael Bernier & The Uprising.
If you would like to connect with BSU, you can follow @BostonSpeaksUp on Twitter or email us at BostonSpeaksUp@gmail.com.