MINNEAPOLIS — “I know that the scene is so rich in Bemidji and it's so rich in Grand Rapids and it's beautiful and fueled by people who are just doing it because they love it. And that's supposed to be at the center of all of this.”
That is Berit Dybing, aka Ber, talking about her time in the Bemidji arts scene. Now a rising indie pop singer, Ber grew up in Walker and Bemidji, and after stops in Norway and England, is now back in Minnesota.

She joined Malachy Koons on Centerstage Minnesota to talk about her love for the scene in Bemidji, plus her burgeoning career in pop music. She recently released an EP, Halfway, which helped Ber to find herself after a messy breakup.
“I was saying to my friends the day we wrote the title track 'Halfway,’ I said to them, you know, I feel like maybe I'm halfway through this breakup,” Ber said, “where I've finally accepted that it's happening, but there's still so much work that I have to do.”

To hear more about Ber and her journey from Walker Minnesota to rising pop star, listen to the full conversation above. Centerstage Minnesota is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota, through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
-
Doyle Turner, one half of The International Treasures, speaking and playing on Centerstage Minnesota Sept. 15, 2023.
-
Travis Zimmerman of the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post speaking on Centerstage Minnesota.
-
Siri Undlin, AKA Humbird, joined Malachy Koons on Centerstage Minnesota on Aug. 25, 2023.
-
Aitkin musician Aurora Baer joined Centerstage Minnesota, Aug. 25, 2023.
-
Jeff Arundel of The Scarlet Goodbye joined "Centerstage Minnesota" on Aug. 18, 2023. The band will appear live on the North Shore in two shows Friday, Aug. 25, and Saturday, Aug. 26.
-
Folk duo Storyhill joined "Centerstage Minnesota" to talk about their upcoming festival.