Jessica Barco Guerra

Jessica Barco Guerra is a first-generation American and college student, proudly entering her junior year at Berklee, majoring in music business with a marketing track. On stage, she goes by her middle name, ‘Nayely,’ which comes from the Central American Zapotecs and translates to “I love you”—a fitting connection to her passion for music.

The Chelsea native first found music through her church. In middle school, she wrote poetry, painted, and joined a chorus. She loved singing R&B, hip-hop, and Latin covers, but initially lacked the confidence to pursue performance. That changed when she joined East Boston’s Zumix program, where musical opportunities ignited her passion. Through Zumix, Barco Guerra played in her first band, Oceanz, an experience she says she never took for granted. “Some people are already very used to playing in bands. This was just another band for them. But for me, this was my first band, so I was honestly so excited.”

The band helped Barco Guerra blossom as a singer-songwriter and led her to Berklee’s City Music Program, where choir and music theory classes built her musical foundation. Barco Guerra embraced every chance to grow as an artist and cherished the opportunity, often telling herself, “I'd better enjoy this because I definitely can't afford Berklee, and I'm not going to study music in college.” Still, she gave her best effort at her Berklee audition and was awarded a City Music Full-Tuition College Scholarship.

Barco Guerra recently completed a semester abroad at Berklee Valencia and, upon her return, secured a summer internship in Music Business Partnerships at Apple Music. She’s also working as a social media assistant with City Music. She plans to use her skills to secure a marketing job with a record label, aiming to eventually pitch herself to executives and launch her own career. Until then, she’s focused on using her marketing skills to build a future in the creative industry by creating her own lyric videos, cover art, and soon, an EP. 

Reflecting on her journey, Barco Guerra credits her drive to her family’s sacrifices and Berklee’s support. “I’m thankful I applied myself in high school because it set me up for where I am now…Berklee has shown me that a job in music is possible, and that my dream is possible.”

Written by: Jacob Garcia