Berklee College of Music

Subject: Berklee College of Music
From: Alice
Date: 18 May 04 - 02:46 PM

Have any Mudcatters attended or taught at the Berklee College of Music in Massachusettes? It is college application time for my son, a high school junior, and a wizard on the mandolin. Can anyone tell me first hand experience with the Berklee College?

Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: Alice
Date: 18 May 04 - 02:49 PM

Forgot to post the college web site link:
http://www.berklee.edu/ Click here

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 18 May 04 - 04:18 PM

My son was interested in it but I really think it is more for rock, jazz, etc. - anything but folk (and the mandolin sounds like a very folky instrument). I may be wrong but that was my impression.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: GUEST,Alice without cookie
Date: 18 May 04 - 04:52 PM

It lists folk as an area of study and included on the web site is a description of a recent world folk performance. They have many international students.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: mack/misophist
Date: 18 May 04 - 05:40 PM

Joe Zawinul went there. But soon dropped out to play with Duke Ellington.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 May 04 - 06:13 PM

I went to college near there and dated several Berklee guys. At that time anyway (longer ago than I care to admit) the curriculum was heavily into jazz. Not sure how rewarding it would be for folky mandolin, but as I say, it was a long time ago. I do tend to agree with Maryrrf's impression, though. Anyway, Berklee has a fine reputation - are you near enough to Boston to get to any of their student performances?

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 May 04 - 11:11 AM

"The Poor Wayfaring Strangers" CDs give a taste of what happens to folk music at the Berklee community.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 19 May 04 - 05:21 PM

My son went to Berklee for 2 years, transferring there from the jazz program at Ithaca College. His high school instrumental teacher called Berklee "a guitar school" but in fact it has good programs in many genres, many instruments. It didn't suit my son enough to stay to graduate, so he left. Many kids go there for a semester or two, never even planning to stay, going for example after graduating from some other college. Others go, stay and prosper in their music, using the connections and Berklee background to open many doors.

One of the Dixie Chicks went to Berklee. Gillian Welch went there. Matt Glaser (of the Wayfaring Strangers band mentioned above) is the head of the strings program there. There seemed to be a lot of rock, jazz and pop, but also world music and everything else. I've run into many talented musicians who have a Berklee background (including my son).

If your son is motivated to go there, Boston is a wonderful place to go to school. You should go see the place. The dorm facilities aren't great, but most kids live off-campus after the first semester or so. The music facilities are impressive, especially for sound engineering and other technical areas of music production.

Depending on what kind of music your son has a passion for, in case he's interested in bluegrass or country, there's a supposedly wonderful degree program (only one of it's kind, I think) at Eastern Tennessee State University that you might also want to look into:

http://cass.etsu.edu/bluegrass/

Good luck! It's an exciting time for you.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 04 - 05:02 PM

Good luck with it!

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: GUEST,Larry K
Date: 21 May 04 - 08:53 AM

When I was in college 30 years ago at Northeastern, the students at Berklee were required to put on free concerts which were open to the public.    With Berklee only 2 blocks ago and the magic word "free" I went to a number of them.   The price was right and if you didn't like it you left.   It was a great exposure to a number of different styles of music.    I remember a lot of jazz, and baroque, but not a lot of folk.

In general I was very impressed with the musicianship of the students.    I don't know what it is like today, but I have very fond memories of those recitals.

Subject: RE: Berklee College of Music
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 10:32 AM

Hi, Alice -- spam brought this up again, but it makes me wonder: what did your son end up doing? Did he complete a music degree, or move on to something else?

~ Becky in Tucson