Oceanside's ‘Anthem Girl’ Ali Berke looks to make MLB history

Oceanside High School alumna Ali Berke is determined to enter the Major League Baseball record books.

The 22-year-old pop singer has her heart set on performing the national anthem at all 30 MLB ballparks across the United States and Canada — a feat that no one else has accomplished.

Berke is next scheduled to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Fenway Park in Boston on Saturday, before the 4:10 p.m. game between the Red Sox and the Dodgers.

Fenway will be the fourth ballpark in which she has sung the anthem. She has also performed at Citizens Bank Park, in Philadelphia, before a Phillies-Nationals game; at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in Baltimore, before an Orioles-Blue Jays contest; and at Citi Field, before a Mets-Phillies game.

“It’s a big deal and a big honor to perform at some of these venues in the stadium,” Berke, a 2018 Oceanside High School graduate, said. “To be able to even start with Fenway this year is pretty crazy.”

Berke also sang “God Bless America” at Citi Field in 2017, during a Mets-Phillies game.

And her résumé extends far beyond her ballpark performances. Berke, an aspiring singer and songwriter, has performed at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif., in a show that included dancers and a backup band; has opened for AJ McLean, of the Backstreet Boys, at Stereo Garden in Patchogue; has performed at the famed South by Southwest Festival in Texas, and opened for Aaron Carter at numerous malls and venues across the country.

Ali’s father, Jack, a sports agent, handles the bookings for all of her performances. He came up with the idea for her to sing at MLB stadiums, which sparked her nickname, “Ali, the anthem girl.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Jack said. “We’re working our way slowly. I’m reaching out, and I’m hoping by next year, through the wintertime work, I can get lined up with at least five to 10 ballparks for next season.

“Fenway is probably one of the top five old-time established ballparks in the whole major leagues,” he added. “That’s why ‘Ali, the anthem girl’ is such a great thing that we’ve come across to market her.”

Berke has also sung the national anthem at the Nassau Coliseum before a Long Island Nets basketball game, and at Coney Island, before a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, and has performed at Adventureland Amusement Park, in Farmingdale, as well as at Roosevelt Field Mall.

She said she is also looking to perform at all other sports venues, including the NBA, NHL, NFL, soccer and college football.

Her father said she enjoys sharing her music with new crowds, and they both realize what her anthem performances could mean for her career.

Berke has written more than 30 original songs, and her passion for music dates to when she sang karaoke with her dad when she was 3. She found her own recording studio, Loft Sound Studio in Syosset, when she was just 13.

After graduating from high school, she decided to take a year off from college to focus on her music. At the time she was juggling a full-time job working in the medical field, as a concierge for plastic and bariatric surgeons. In May, Berke made the hard decision to quit her job and focus on her music full-time.

While making music has always been her dream, she said the industry can be a mental grind. “It’s definitely very stressful,” she said. “Social media kind of runs the world now, and that’s kind of where me and a lot of other artists hit this roadblock of what we can physically do to make our music seen by more people. That’s the most stressful part of it, but it doesn’t take any love for the process of creating away from it.

“At the end of the day, I really do love creating music,” she added. “I love performing and helping more people inspire other people. I love all the aspects of it. I think that the most important thing is just waking up every day and doing what you love and not being miserable going to work.”

Berke has faced other personal roadblocks along the way. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer last year, which forced her to take a break from music. Last July her mom died, which created a hard transition period, but Berke said she was determined to be a success, which would have made her mom proud.

“This is my time when I can do it for her, and I’m looking forward to making her proud, as much as I wish that she was here,” she said. “Learning how to live without anybody that you lose is really difficult, but it’s given me more meaning to push forward and to do this, because I know it’s what she would want for me.”

Berke said her father has been supportive at every step of her career, through the ups and downs, sharing her passion for success. As the end of the baseball season approaches, he is looking to book her for anthem duty at hockey games, including Islanders games.

Berke said she is confident that with her dad’s help, reaching out to the various venues, she can reach a new audience, and anthem history, with her performances.

“I’m excited for this point in my journey,” she said. “I think this is going to be memorable, and also a big honor to be able to even get to think about doing these things.”

Berke can be found on Instagram and TikTok at Alitheanthemgirl and aliberkeofficial.