Elvis Costello was honored in Boston with an honorary doctorate degree from New England Conservatory. The award was bestowed upon Costello in celebration of his influential career as a songwriter and performer. Costello received the award after a day of teaching songwriters enrolled in the conservatory's Contemporary Improvisation program. Costello was awarded the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, which came with the draping of a ceremonial hood and some Red Sox memorabilia. With this degree, Elvis Costello joins Miles Davis, Quincy Jones and Aretha Franklin as the fourth Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to receive an honorary doctorate from New England Conservatory. Following the presentation, Costello spoke about his career and recent collaborative work with the legendary Burt Bacharach during a moderated discussion with music critic Sarah Rodman of the Boston Globe. He also revealed that he would someday like to release the demos from his time writing and recording with Paul McCartney. The award follows the release of Wise Up Ghost - Costello's collaborative LP with The Roots.
Spotted at NEC
