K - Berklee College of Music

Spring1996
Becklee_
A Forumfor Contemporary
Musicand Musicians
14
AI Di Meola’74: A Io~Bkbackand
forward20 yez~rsaftor RTF
19
Somaticeducationfor musicians
K
r
Years
Overthe past year, jazz writer Ed Hazell has been collaborating with
President Lee Eliot Berk to produce a history of Berldee College of
Musicfor publication in its 50th anniversary year. Theresult of their
efforts is Ber/alee: The First Fifty Years, a 300-pagephoto history
including over two hours of music on two compact discs.
The story begins with the vision of founder and Chancellor Lawrence
Berk and contains fascinating material from the archives of Chief
Public Affairs Officer AlmaBerk. Profiles of faculty, staff, students,
and visiting artists, and photo spreads of institutional and educational milestones provide an in-depth look at Berklee and a better feel
for the people and events that make Berklee’s story both important
and unique. Eventsat the college are placed in a larger historical context tba’ough the use of concurrent time lines of important milestones
in the history of jazz, rock, pop, and musictechnology.
The photos, manyof them never before published, include someof
the world’s most celebrated musicians and music educators. Among
Berklee’s renowned alumni who are profiled in the book are producers such as Quincy Jones and Arif Mardin and jazz musicians such
as Toshiko Al~iyoshi and Gary Burton. Profiles of Berklee faculty
include Herb Pomeroy, Joe Viola, and John LaPorta.
The compactdiscs include selections from the 15-volumeJazz in the
Classroom series produced between 1957 and 1980 and selections
recorded in the 1990s. Notable alumni recorded as students include
Toshiko Akiyoshi, Teodross Avery, Gary Burton, Bob James,
AbrahamLaboriel, Sr., John Scofield, Sadao Watanabe,Ernie Watts,
Joe Zawinul, and manyothers.
Author Ed Hazell writes about jazz for the Boston Phoenix and other
publications, tie is coauthorof Jazz.. FromIts Origins to the Present
and a contributing editor to the NewGroveDictionary of Jazz.
Funding for Berklee: The First Fifty Years was provided by the
Lawrence and Alma Berk Fund and the Lee and Susan Berk Fund
at Berklee, with additional support from EMCO
Printers and KAO
Infosystems.
How To Order
The book is available for sale through the Berklee College of
MusicBookstore for $75.00. First-class shipping in the continental
United States is an additional $7.50. International shipping is an
additional $20.00.
To pay by credit card, phone the Berldee College of MusicBookstore
at (617) 266-1400, extension 8280. This is an automatedline. Be prepared to leave complete shipping and pay,-aent information. AMEX,
VISA, Mastel~ard, and Discover are accepted. To pay by check or
moneyorder, send $75.00 plus shipping to:
Berklee College of Music Bookstore
1080 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02215 U.S.A.
SPRING ¯ 1996
VOLUME ° VII
NUMBER
¯
3
Contents
LEADSHEET
by Lee Eliot Berk.
BERKLEEBEAT
Lawrence and Alma Berk memoriam, NARAS/Houseof Blues tribute,
Dues Bandreunion, faculty notes, visiting artists, and more
ON THECOVER:Ace guitaristA1Di Meola ’72 gives his
take on the highs and lows
of the jazz life. Story on
page 14. Cover photo by
Gene Martin.
PLAYING THE CROWD
A passion for sports and music has made some alumni
a large presence at major league sporting events
12
NOMYSTERY
by Mark L. Small ’73
Guitarist A1Di Meola’72: Aninfluential figure in the fusion
movementhas found career longevity in a number of styles
14
SOMATICEDUCATION
FORMUSICIANSby Ric/aard Ehrman ’89
Taking a holistic approach to mind, body, and environment
can improve your performance
19
GROOVE
GYMNASTICS
by Yuki Arimasa ’84
A workout with the metronometo tune up your playing and teaching
22
ALUM NOTES
News,
quotes,
24
and
recordings
CODA:by Tim Edwards ’87
Connectivity
of
note
............
36
LEAD SHEET
Zbward the
Publication
of the Officeof InstitutionalAdvancement
Editor
MarkL Small"73
Copy
Editor
Stephen
Melisi
Next 50 Years
EditorialBoard
President
RobHayes
Director
of PublicInformation
Judithlucas
Director
of Publications
Lawrence
McClellau
Jr,
Dean,
ProfessiOnal
EdUcation
Divisiop
LarryMonroe
"70
Associate
VicePresident
for International
Programs
Donald
Puluse
Dean,
Music
TeChnology
Division
Joseph
~ith ’75
Dean,
Prof~ssibnaI
Writing
Division
Officeof lnstitutionalAdvancement
John
Collins
VcePresident
fGrlhs{i~utional
Advancement
MarjorieO’Malley
Director
of DevelOpment
Beverly
Tryon
’82
Director
OfCbroorate
Relations
PeterGordon
’78
Assistant
Directorof DeVelopment
for Alumni
Relations
LauraLynn
Kulha
Assistant
Director
f~rtl~e50thAnniversary
Leadership
Executive
Committee
As the alumni-oriented music magazine of Ber~lee
Berklee today is dedicated to informing,
and serving the extended Berklee community.
By shaiSnginformation of benefit to alumni about college
lee today serves as both a vdluable forum for our ~amily
throughout the wortd and an important source of commentaryoncontemp
orar y music .
Berkleeto@(ISSN1052-3839)is published three times year
by the BerkleeCotlege
of MusicOfficeof Institutional Advancement. All contents ©~996by BerkleeCottegeof Music.Sendall
address
changes,pressreleases,letters to the editor,andadvertisinginquidestoBerkteetoday Box333BerkleeCollegeo~Music¢
1~0~o}ist0n Street~ Bost~£, MA02215-3693,(61~) 266-I400[
extension325.Alumni
are invited to mailin details of activities
suitable for feature coverage.Unsolicitedsubmissionsaccepted.
Berkleet o d a y
~
Lee Eliot
Berk
s we look back on the many wonderful events,
over
the past year in commemoration of Berklee s 50year anniversary, we can be proud of the many achievements this celebration has marked. As we look forward
to writing the next chapters of Berklee’s history, there
are many exciting challenges to be met in order to continue our tradition of offering the finest contemporary
music education available.
Among the forward-looking
ideas I have discussed
with the board of trustees executive committee are observations which surfaced during the college’s reaccrediration process. The New England Association of Schools
& Colleges suggested that Berklee adopt an internal organization which conforms more closely to established
higher education structures.
Our reorganization,
effective January 1, 1996, brought changes of role and responsibility to manyadministrators. This allocation of leadership strength moves us toward the realization
of the
vision set forth in Berklee’s long range plans.
With the continuing support of my wife Susan, my
personal role as president will shift from operational
matters to major challenges and planning issues, and
meeting the interactive needs of key college constituencies in the advancement area (trustees, donors, and alumni). I will focus on strengthening valuable relationships
Berklee has with major community, national, and international education and music industry organizations.
Making this broader direction possible are several leadership changes. Gary Burton, who served for 10 years as
dean of curriculum, is now executive vice president of
the college. He will provide the ongoing access to the
highest levels of decision-making in operational matters.
Warrick Carter, formerly dean of faculty, is now provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The other
former deans have become the vice presidents of their
areas. In recognition of their educational leadership, the
former division chairs are now deans of their divisions.
Two new positions have been created. Searches are
underway for a vice president for Information Systems,
and for a dean of the Performance Division to replace
Larry Monroe who is now serving in the new position of
associate vice president for international programs.
These changes, as well as others affecting the next tier
of college leadership, have broadened the contributions
of manyat Berklee, setting the stage for continued achievement as we move into our next 50 years.
Spring 1996
Berklee
b e a t
ENDOF ANERA
Berklee’s
founders a
light to many
in the music
world
Spring1996
In December,
the college
mourned the passing of
LawrenceBerk, Berklee’s
founder and chancellor on
Friday December22, 1995;
and his wife Alma, who
died on December 1.
Lawrence was 87, Alma
was83.
LawrenceBerk grew up
in Boston’s west end, and
workedas a professional
pianist fromthe age of 13.
He graduated from M.I.T.
in 1932 with a degree in
architectural engineering,
working his way through
college playing such Hub
nightspots as the Mayfair,
the Latin Quarter, the Metropolitan Theater (nowthe
WangCenter), and the Coconut Grove.
In 1934, Berk movedto
NewYork City to further
his musicalcareer. Hebecamea staff arrangerfor the
NBCand CBSstudio orchestras, and beganstudying with famed Russian
composerand theorist Joseph Schillinger. In 1937,
he married Alma(Schlager), whojoined himin New
York and became his music copyist.
During the war years,
the Berks movedback to
Boston and Lawrence becamean engineer for Raytheon. He began to teach
musicpart time at a private
studio on Massachusetts
Avenue,just a few blocks
awayfrom the present site
of Berklee. Withthe love
Lawrence
Berk1908-1995 AlmaBerk1912-1995
and support of his wife riage to Lawrence
Berk, she
Alma,he left Raytheon:in played a key role in help1945to begin teaching mu- ing him achieve his goals
sic full time, andmoved
his for the college. In 1959,she
studio to NewburyStreet, establishedBerklee’sOffice
and opened a school ini- of Public Information.
tially knownas Schillinger Almahad a keen sense of
House,after his mentorJo- the news value of the husephSchillinger.
maninterest stories which
He guided the college aboundedat Berklee. She
througha period of incred- retired as chief public afible growth,shapingit into fairs officer in 1994.
Together, they estabthe world’s foremost college of contemporarymu- lished the Lawrence and
sic. Heservedas Berklee’s Alma Berk Fund at Berkpresident until 1979, when lee to provide support for
his son Lee Eliot Berk be- deservingyoungmusicians.
camepresident. Lawrence In 1991,the college’s precontinued as Berklee’s mier recital hall was cochancelloruntil recently.
namedin their honor.
Lawrence and Alma
Honors bestowed upon
himin the recent past in- Berk are survived by their
clude the Pepsi Boston son Lee, daughter-in-law
Music Hall of FameAward Susan, and granddaughters
(1993), the NAMM
(Na- Nancy and Lucy.
tional Association of MuThose wishing to may
sic Merchants) Music for send contributions to the
Life Award
[see full details Lawrence and Alma Berk
on page 5]; and the NARASfund in their memory.Send
(National Association of correspondenceto the OfRecordingArts and Scienc- rice of Institutional Ades) President’s Merit vancement, Berklee College of Music, 1140
Award(1995).
Alma Berk grew up in Boylston Street, Boston,
East Boston.After her mar- MA,02215-3693.
Berkleetoday
3
NARAS
TOASTS
BEI~KLEE
AT LA.’S HOUSE
OF SLUES
Berklee was clearly in accepting
the spotlight on Novem- the award
ber 8, 1995,as MusiCares, on behalf
the charitable wingof the of his faNational Academyof Re- ther,
cording Arts and Sciences President
(NARA~), honored the Berk gave
college on its 50th anni- a moving
versary at L.A.’s Houseof speech
Blues. This was a fun paying
eveningwith a cajun-style tribute to
andMakoto
Ozone
’83
dinner, courtesy of the both his GaryBurton’62
Houseof Blues, followed father and
Watts in crowd-pleasing
by a concert featuring the college.
well-known alumni as
The showbegan with a fashion. His blues set
well as honorary degree fast-moving set by Gary opened with "All Blues"
and closed with "Every
recipient Joe Williams.It Burton and Makoto
was standing room only Ozone. They immediate- Day I Have the Blues."
for the crowdof 600 peo- ly put a stampof quality Amongthe other highple. In addition to Presi- on the concert with an im- lights of the set washis
dent Lee Eliot Berk and pressive rendition of the signature tune, "Tenderly." Williamsclosed out
his wife Susan, and Berk- Benny Goodman tune,
lee Vice Presidents Gary "OpusHalf" and other se- the eveningin fine style.
Proceeds from the
Burton and John Collins, lections fromtheir latest
and Provost Warrick CD,Faceto Face.
evening will establish a
Theywere followed by Houseof Blues scholarCarter, there werenumerkeyboardist
Jeff Lorber ship at Berklee. With
ous alumni,
NARAS
members,music industry ’71 andhis band.Theirset muchenthusiastic feedfolk, and musiciansHora- of contemporaryjazz pro- back coming from both
ce Silver, MelbaListon, videda stylistic contrast, those whoattended and
and Gerald Wilson.
emphasizing grooves and the subsequentpress reFollowing the dinner, electronics. Thethird set, views,this eventservedas
NARAS
President Micha- spotlighting pianist Alan an importantstep forward
el Greenegave a speech Broadbent ’69 and saxo- in broadening awareness
highlighting Berklee’s phonist Ernie Watts ’66, of Berklee’s presence in
prominenceand influence opened subdued and con- Los Angeles.
m contemporary music templative, but closed
--Peter Gordon’78
education,and madea pre- with a rousing version of
sentation of the Presi- Charlie Parker’s "Relaxdent’s Merit Award to in’ at (;amarillo."
SingerJoe WilliamsfolBerklee Chancellor, the
late Lawrence Berk. In lowed Broadbent and
’71
LeeEliotBerk(left),JoeWilliams,
andMichael
Greene JeffLorber
4
Berkleetoday
THREENEW
SCHOLARSHIPS
In December, 1995,
TimCollins, of Collins
Management, sent the
college a check for
$10,000to establish an
Aerosmith endowed
scholarship fund at
Berklee. Thescholarship
wasa holiday present to
the five members of
Aerosmith, whomCollins manages. Collins
designated that the
scholarship be given annually to a student majoring in Music Business/Managment.
Japanese saxophonist
SadaoWatanabe’65 also
established the Sadao
SadaoWatanabe’65
Watanabe Scholarship
Fund.
Watanabe’s
$10,000gift followshis
receiving the Purple
Ribbon award from Japan’s EmperorAkihito
recognizing his musical
accomplishments.
In establishing the
perpetual scholarship
fund, Watanabestated
his desire to give back
to the scholarship system whichgreatly benefited himduringhis student years at Berklee.
A Phil WilsonScholarship fund for outstanding brass players
wasestablished following a December9, 1995,
tribute to Wilson. [See
page8 for full story.]
Spring1996
NOTEDSPEAKERS
ANDPROCLAMATIONS
MARKBERKLEE’S
FOUNDERS
DAY
Proclamations from both Massachusetts Governor William Weld and
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino recognized the achievements
of
Lawrence Berk on October 13, 1995,
Berklee’s Founder’s Day. Present for
the events were key spokespersons
for music education in the U.S. and
around the world gathered at the college for a symposiumon the arts and
education. Amongthose speaking
were Jane Alexander, chair of the
National Endowmentfor the Arts;
Michael Greene, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts
and Sciences (NARAS);and National Public Radio (NPR) and CBS-TV
personality Dr. Billy Taylor.
The group issued a strong call to
arms against the continued de-emphasis of music education in America’s public schools. Theycited recent
clinical studies that document the
neurological and cognitive advantages experienced by young music students. The speakers also noted that
making music is an
intrinsic part of humanlife which faces the prospect of
beinglost to the rising generation of
children.
NEAChair Jane
Alexander, speaking as an advocate
for music education
and for the beleaguered arts endowment said, "It only
takes one generation to lose a reciBerkleefounder,the late Lawrence
Berk(seated), re- pe, a piece of muceives the MusicFor Life AwardfromNAMM
President sic, a song, any kind
LarryLinkin,whileLeeEliot Berk(center)lookson.
of art form."
Michael Greene, President of
NARAS,the National Academy of
Recording Arts and Sciences, spoke
against a trend to demonize music
and arts eclucation, and noted the
problems that public broadcasting is
facing. Greene stated, "If NPRis
eliminated, I don’t know where in
this country you’re going to hear
blues and jazz."
Later, at the college’s Fall Convocation for faculty and staff, Berktee’s
founder, the late LawrenceBerk, was
honored for his contributions to music education. Berk received the "Music For Life" award from National
Association of Music Merchants’
(NAMM)President Larry Linkin.
In his address, Billy Taylor noted
Berklee’s past success in educating
top flight jazz artists and issued a
challenge for the college to nowtrain
jazz business professionals whoknow
as muchas possible about the music.
Over 80 faculty, staff, students,
alumni, and[ local community members who have been key figures in
Berklee’s first 50 years were each presented a 50th anniversary medallion.
The Founder’s Day events ended
on a high note with an evening concert at the PerformanceCenter.
A NEWBOSTONLANDMARK
Before Berklee College of Music filled 11 buildings on Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston
Street, its homewas a three-story
brownstone at 284 NewburyStreet,
now home of Charley’s Saloon. On
October 12, a plaque was unveiled
on Charley’s brick facade marking
the site as the birthplace of jazz
education. Inside, historical photos from Berklee’s NewburyStreet
era are mountedon the pub’s walls.
The occasion also served as a
book signing for Berklee: The First
Fifty Years, the 300-pagephoto history telling of Berklee’s evolution.
A collaboration between jazz
journalist Ed Hazell and Berklee
President Lee Eliot Berk, Berklee:
The First Fifty Years is filled with
hundreds of photos of faculty, students, alumni, and, and text chronicling important events and educational milestones. The book also
contains two compact discs with
Fromthe left, CharlesSarkis,owner selections culled from the "Jazz in
of Charley’sSaloon,Susan
Berk,and the Classroom"series produced beLeeEliot Berkattheplaqueunveiling. tween 1957 and 1980, and from the
Spring1996
Historic collaboration: authorEd
HazellandPresident
LeeEliot Berk
Berklee Reverence Gospel Choir
and the Thelonious MonkEnsemble. Al.umni heard as young performers or composers range from
Ernie Watts, Joe Zawinul, and
Sadao Watanabe, to Tiger Okoshi,
John Scofield, and Teodross Avery.
Berklee today
5
STRUMA SAX. TONGUE
A DRUM. HE
Mold and shape up to
256 sounds and 128
combinations per bank.
IT
JUST
MAY
SIGNIFICANT
SOUND
BE
SYNTHESIS
ACOUSTIC
IN
TECHNOLOGY.
THE
SYNTHESIZER.
AMAZING
ACTUALLY
Control where you strike the drum
surface, determine the mouthpiece
angle on a.fl~tG etc., in real time.
TECHNICS
MODELING
THIS
YOU’LL
MOST
BREAKTHROUGH
INTRODUCING
WITH
THE
INSTRUMENT,
CREATE
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Maximumof 64-note polyphony gives
you.]’hll MID1orchestration capability.
MUSICAL,
THE
DRIVER
SOUNDS
OF
ONE
BY
COMBINING
INSTRUMENT
TRUMPET.AND BLOWYOUR
SUCH
THE
AS
A GUITAR
RESONATOR
EVEN
SAX.
YOU’LL
INVENT
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THE
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CREATE
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Real-time expression lets
you control sounds as" you
would physically, such as
bending strings.
OF
PICK
WILL
MUSIC
THE
CAN’T
NEW
MODELING
CHANGE
THE
FOREVER.
ProudSponsor
of the U S A
~-~escience of sounO
GATHER
FORPHIL WILSON
TRIBUTE
ALUMNIFROMACROSS
THEGLOBE
The last major event of Berklee’s
50th anniversary, the December9,
1995 International
Dues Band Reunion honoring Phil Wilson, was a
fitting wind up of the celebration.
The Performance Center was the
meeting ground for alumni spanning
four decades who flew in from such
far-flung points as Prague, the Bahamas, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. Of
the 38 instrumentalists in the band,
only five were students; the remaining 33 were active professionals who
came to honor a beloved mentor.
For the opening number, Atlantic
recording artist Cyrus Chestnut ’85 Trombone
Summit
: Prom
the left, TonyLada"72, Hal Crook’71, andPhil Wilson
played a fiery, unaccompaniedpiano
introduction to Phil’s "Basically
Blues." After Cyrus yielded the spotMostly Bees That Way, Sigmund
light, tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts soned veterans Watts and Wilson.
Floyd," and then played Phil’s chart
The Trombone Summit (],~Ial
’66 took the band to a high level of
of Billy Strayhorn’s "Chelsea Bridge"
spirit and energy which they main- Crook ’71, Tony Lada ’72, and Phil)
commandeered
center stage for an in- (originally heard on Buddy Rich’s
tained until the finish. Shifting stylis1969 Different Drummer album).
tic gears, the Brothers Wilson--Phil cendiary sackbut romp on Cole Por- Richie Cole ’67 ripped an impressive
ter’s "In the Still of the Night." Closand Dennis Wilson ’74 (no relation)alto solo on the latter.
provided a lighthearted
trombone ing the half, Terri Lyne Carrington
AbrahamLaboriel Sr. took a cam’83
showcased
her
formidable
drumduel on the Dixieland chestnut "Just
eo spot to sing a Mexican folk song
ming chops as well and her recently
a Closer Walk with Thee."
learned from his father. His bass arunveiled
songwriting
and
vocal
abiliThree cuts from Phil’s acclaimed
ties on her song "Lovin’ Life." She peggiation was accompaniedby light
Wizard of Oz Suite CD, Wilson ardrumming from son Abe Jr., comrangements of Harold Arlen’s "If I left the drumkit to sing in front of pleting the family connection. TrumOnly Had a Brain," Ding, Dong, the the band, augmented on that number
peter/composer Mike Crotty ’72 conWicked Witch Is Dead," and "Over by the 36-voice Berklee Reverence tributed "Reunion Dues," a blues
Gospel
Ensemble.
Terri
then
made
the Rainbow," were interspersed
her Wayback to the drum throne for vehicle for soaring solos by saxothroughout the program, and offered
phonists Jan Konopasek’78 (in from
vibist Yusuke Yamamoto ’93, and a percussion battle with AbrahamLa- Prague), Bill Pierce ’73, and Carol
boriel Jr. ’93.
students Christopher Hollyday (alto
After intermission
the band Chaikin; trumpeter Riley Mullins ’92;
saxophone), and Cyril Gerstein (piand bassist Marshall Wood’83.
ano) a chance to shine alongside sea- opened with a Wilson original, "It
The most striking programming
changeup came when Christian
Justilien ’90 came out on stage in a
vividly colored native Bahamianpaper costume (complete with headdress) to sing Phil Stubbs’ "Down
Home" and the Bee Gees’ "To Love
Somebody" with the Caribbean ensemble and Haitian American Dance
Theater company.
Phil was visibly movedby the participation of friends from various
times and places in his life. The enthusiasm and high caliber of the musicians whoreturned to pay him tribute eloquently testified that in his 35
years at Berklee, Phil has madea difBassistAbraham
LaborielSr. ’72 accompanies
himselfona songfromchiihlhood ference. Concert proceeds have eswhiledrummer
AbeLaborielJr. ’93 (center),andguitarsitJoeCohn
’90 iisten in. tablished a Phil WilsonScholarship.
Spring1996
Berklee today
8
LIBERATED
BY JAZZ
nan took a year a year off to practice and compose. "I was sitting
at the lunch counter in Mike’s
Drug Store on the corner of
Boylston and Hemenway
streets,"
she recalls. "That’s where everyone used to sit wondering what
they were going to do with their
life. I looked over and saw iretired Composition Department
Chair] Bill Maloof and asked him
if he needed any teachers. He
asked if I was serious and then
told meto meet him at his office
to sign somepapers--it was that
easy. I got a full schedulethat fall
teaching composition and piano
lessons."
Even since she was named assistant chair of the Piano Department in 1990, Tiernan’s schedule
continues to include piano instruction as well as composition
courses. "Currently, I teach directed study in piano sonata composition, piano lab, and private
students," she says. "I teach analysis classes too. Last year I did
the music of Charles Ives.
"We have some incredible
composition students here who
go on to the top graduate schools.
Berklee is becoming knownas an
alternative school for composers
becauseit is not so restrictive and
there are manykinds of musichere
for them to draw on. It is a very
rich environment for composers.
Mystudents might not want to
commit to being jazz musicians,
but they sure want to learn about
it. These young students want to
write for the 21st century."
Tiernan pursues a balance between work and art. "I try to play
every day and write a bit too,"
she says. "You almost have to
choose one direction and stay with
it. It is a challengeto makea living and stay creative in your music. I am fortunate to be in this
situation. I love teaching and the
students here are very inspiring.
They keep you going--you don’t
Stephany
Tiernan:"It felt greatto get to a point where you forget
whatthat is like."
makesomething
upat the piano."
For years, Piano Department
Assistant Chair Stephany Tiernan
’74 has had a foot on two different
musical paths--piano performance
and composition. She began classical piano training at seven, but
by the time she was ready for college, she knewshe didn’t want to
becomea concert pianist. A quest
for a different direction brought
her to Berklee in 1970.
"I found the idea of improvising really exciting," Tiernan says.
"Creatively, jazz is very liberating-it freed meup a lot. The jazz
feel is exciting and rhythmically
very freeing. All the great early
composers were improvisors. In
the 20th century,
something
strange happened--composers
weren’t improvising anymore.
"I was brought up learning the
repertoire, but not improvising. At
Berklee, it felt great to just sit at
the piano and make something
up." Tiernan ultimately changed
her major from performance to
composition so she could take
Herb Pomeroy’s courses. Notwithstanding the influence of jazz,
Tiernan’s compositions have more
in common with 20th century
classcial music, makingit hard to
categorize her writing style. "I hate
to call it classical," she says. "That
conjures up images of Mozart or
tonal music. Mymusic isn’t tonal
in a traditional sense."
After graduating in 1974, Tier-
Spring1996
_ -
L_UDMILAULEHLA
CONTEMPORARY
HARMONY
ROMdkNTICISM THROUGH
THE 12.-TONE ROW
t534 PAGES)ORDER# 11400 $ 29.95
It is the purposeof this bookto trace the path of
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the diatonic figured bass and makesexercises and
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Theexplanations describing each techniqueare
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NOTES
Pianist DeanEarl played a ben- The Bitten Moon, with Ray Drumefit concert for Roxbury Commu- mondon bass and James Williams
nity College with Dave Weigert on piano. Included on the album
(drums), GregHopkins(trumpet),
are compositions by Hazilla, Coland DaveChapman
(bass), and sax- trane, and JimmyGarrison.
ophonist George Moyer.
Pianist DaveFrankreleased Solo
DeannaKidd received a recog- Piano on Breeze Records.
nition award from the Music EdLive/is the newest release by
ucators National Conference
trumpeter WayneNaus and his
(MENC)for her years of dedicatgroup Heart and Fire. The band
Boardof trusteesChairWilliamDavis
ed service as a collegiate chapter members include alumni Efrain
(center)surrounded
by Galapartygoers advisor.
Hidalgo, Pat Loomis, Henrique
Vocalist Mill Bermejo
toured the Cavalcanti, Carlos Sanoja, Tim
western states as a performer and Mayer and Channing Booth.
The reviews are in and Berklee’s
clinician, and was the subject of
Bassist Anthony
Vitti authored
50th anniversary Encore Gala was
stories on both "Voice of Ameri- The Slap Bass Bible. The instrucan unqualified success. Over 500
ca" and National Public Radio.
tional guide includes 90-minute
guests, decked out in their finest
Bassist JimStinnettsat in at the audio tape and is published by
cocktail attire, graced the halls of
Worcester Centrum with Phish,
DaaDoo Music.
Boston’s Harvard Club on October
at the invitation of former student,
The CD Boston Jazz Antholo14, 1995, to celebrate Berklee’s 50th
MikeGordon, Phish’s bassist.
gy, Volume1 is a collection of reanniversary and raise over $50,000
Guitarist CharlesChapman
au- cordings by Boston musicians feafor Berklee’s scholarship fund.
thored an article on Kevin Eu- turing over three dozen Berklee
The evening opened with an elebanks in the February issue of faculty and alumni. Faculty includgant reception and dinner for special
Guitar Shop. He and guitarist Jon ed are Wayne
Naus,OscarStagnasponsors and their guests. At 8:00
Finn are heard on the CDSound ro, TonyLada,RaySantisi,JoeHunt,
p.m. the gala began in Mardi Gras
Check, from Guitar Player maga- FrankWilkins, FredSchmidt,Andy
fashion. Five function rooms of the
zine’s "Notes on Call" series.
Edelstein,andRobRose.
Harvard Club were transformed into
The Sled Dogs, featuring guiGuitarist LeoQuinterohas remini-nightclubs featuring blues, jazz,
tarist Jim Kelly, drummer B0h leased the CD Nothing Serious,
classical, bluegrass, and world muTamagni, and woodwinds player
which features five of his composic. Boston Billiards Housepro Frank
Jim Odgren, were named Best Lo- sitions. Bassist OscarStagnar0is
Donnelly kept the billiards action
cal Jazz Act by the Worcester
also heard.
going in the Blue Room. The place
Phoenix.
Vibraphonist Cecilia Smith rewas hopping until midnight with
ComposerJulius Williamscon- leased CSQ Volume II with her
sounds ranging from the dance muducted the Bohuslav Martinu Philquartet. Perfoming on the album
sic of the Jerry Secco Band to the
harmonic on Symphonic Brotherare Bill Pierce on sax, and drumBerklee Reverence Gospel Ensemhood--The Music of African
mer RonSavage.
ble. Over 100 Berklee students and
American Composers. His piece
Guitarist JohnStein released
faculty volunteered their time to
"Meditation" is on the disc.
Hustle Up/ The disc was engipresent outstanding performances
Pianist JoAnne
Brackeen
has re- neered and mastered by Joe
coordinated by the Performance
leased two live CDs, Power Talk Hostetter, and features perforCenter crew and the Yo Team.
and Turnaround with her trio.
mances by retired Professor Les
The silent auction was a high point
Forget Everything is the latest
Harris, pianist DaveLimina, and
for those hoping to make the winrecording from guitarist Bruce alumni Marshall Wood’83, Dave
ning bid on 50 one-of-a-kind items
Saunders. It spotlights Mike Cain Hurst ’87, and Bruce Torff ’83.
including guitars autographed by
on piano, Jack DeJohnette on
Vocalist/pianist MaggiScott reAerosmith, Jeff Beck, and Buddy
drums, Dave Pietro on saxocorded Together with her trio and
Guy, dinner with Gary Burton, a
phones, and Tony Scherr on bass.
the Greg Hopkins/Wayne Naus
private whale watch, and a Steinway
Guitarist Jack Pezanelli re- Big Band.
piano. At the end of the evening,
leased Pleasured Hands, his first
GregoryFritze and the Colonial
guests headed for the Berklee Coolrecord as a leader. Also heard on Tuba Quartet released the CD
er for ice cream sundaes.
the disc are pianist d0hnArcaro, Spectraphonics. Compositions by
The much-anticipated and festive
drummer Jimmy Madison, and Fritze and KenPullig are included.
event was one of the high points in
bassist Michael Moore.
The disc was engineered by Don
the year-long celebration of BerkDrummerJ0n Hazilla released
Puluse.
lee’s golden anniversary.
10 Berklee
today
Spring1996
FALL’95 VISITINGARTISTSand former
Journey drummer SteveSmith"76presentThis fall, onceagain a diverse ar- ed a rhythm section clinic
ray of artists from a multitude of dis- and played together in an
ciplines cameto the campusto share evening Berklee Perfortheir experiences with Berklee stumance Center concert.
dents and faculty.
Renowned songwriter
Vice President of Marketing for K.A. Parker presented a seBMG
Distribution Terri R0ssi delivries of clinics on lyric writered a talk entitled "Music and the ing and the business of
Business--A Reality Check" as this
writing songs for film.
year’s James G. Zafris Distinguished
Classical and jazz corn- HowardShore’68 withfilm scoringstudents
Lecture Series speaker.
poser/French horn player
Studio bassist Neil Stubenhaus
"75 David Amram
gave a seminar for the personal friendship with the bassist.
Composition Department.
Cuban pianist Jesus "Chucho"
Film composer and original "Sat- Vald~s and guitarist Carlos Emilio
urday Night Live" show creator
Morales, formerly of the group IrakHoward
Shore"68 shared insights into ere, gave clinics on Cubanjazz.
CathySegaI-Garcia "76, Carmen
his work on Silence of the Lambs,
Philadelphia, Single White Female, Bradford, Vivian Reed, and Sunny
and other movie scores.
Wilkinson
gave master classes and perAerosmith manager TimCollins,
formances during Voice Week.
founder and president of Collins
Drum greats Joe Morell0 and
Mangaement,gave a seminar for the DanklyGottliebparticipated in clinics
Music Business/Management
De- and a concert for Percussion Week.
partment.
Dylan, Lennon, Etheridge, and
Bill Milkowski,author of Jaco: The Raitt producer Rob Fraboni gave
Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco record company management and
VoiceWeek
facultyartist VivianReed Pastorius, spoke of his book and long studio production seminars.
STUDENT
LABELLAUNCHED
Berklee’s student-run label, Heavy Rotation
Records, issued its debut CDin November--a 20minute disc, Uncle Jud, by the four-piece alternative rock band of the same name. The music was
coproduced by Associate Professor Mitch Benoff,
Lamar Lowder ’84, and Uncle Jud, and mixed at
Berklee by Associate Professor Carl Beatty.
A hands-on part of Berklee’s Music Business/
Management Department courses, Heavy Rotation has a record division and a booking and concert promotion division. The booking and concert
promotion area gives students a chance to break a
new act as other independent record companies
do. Acting as A&Rpersonnel, the spring 1995 class
members reviewed tapes and voted to sign Uncle
Jud to a one-year contract. Students and faculty
advisors handled preproduction and recording.
The fall class undertook the marketing and promotion chores--including a successful CDrelease
party at Aerosmith’s MamaKin nightclub. The
CDwill be marketed and distributed in the Boston
and Chapel Hill, NC, areas.
Faculty advisor Sky Traughber says, "The situations the students face in operating the company
are like those at other record companies. This is
preparing them for a ’real world’ experience."
Spring1996
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Berklee
today 11
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGF[T
Playing
the Crowd
Mark t.
Small
"73
~l
and a passion for sports are key personnel at arenas
across the nation. The entry of MIDIsynthesizers, sampiers, and hard disk recording equipment into the mix
has drawn a number of Berklee alumni to posts as musical directors and keyboardists at venues ranging from
Madison Sqnare Garden to the Great Western Forum.
While those interviewed agree the musicis still ancillary
to the mainevent, they all feel it plays an important role
in enhancing the ambianceat major sporting events.
Ray Castoldi ’86 works perched high above the arena
at Madison Square Garden playing for the NewYork
Knicks basketball team and the Rangers hockey team.
He has been the Garden’s musical director for six years.
Castoldi operates an arsenal of MIDIsynths,
samplers, and CDand DATplayback machines,
andplays a fair amountof organ.
"I do a lot of programmingand preprogramruing, and run everything musical at the Garden," states Castoldi, " but there is still a strong
organ tradition in hockey as in baseball. It is
more than just playing snippets; I play whole
pieces for the Rangers’ games."
Castoldi has had a hand in changing the musical traditions at MadisonSquare Garden. "Before I was hired, they were running music off
carts [8-track loops] and there was no rhyme or
reason to it," he states. "They needed a person
to put musical meaning into the presentation
because it was very flat. They wanted a live
element again, and sought someone with keyMadison
SquareGarden
MusicDirectorRayCastoldi’86: "Myrole is board chops to run their MIDIequipment.
"Myrole is mostly to supply musical cornto supplymusicalcommentary
onthe !;lame."
any school kids in America have pondered a delightful (though largely imaginary) dilemma. Should
I become a sports superstar or a famous musician wonders a youngster at the piano bench staring out the windowat friends playing ball in the yard. As youngfingers,
hands, and embouchuresgain skill in fine musical movements, the toll exacted on them by playing sports is often
a deciding factor in which dream one pursues. There are,
however, some who made music their choice early on,
yet are a vital part of the action in major league sports.
As the needs in sports music change to reflect our
multimedia era, musical directors with keyboard skills,
technological savvy, a sense for dramatic underscoring,
12 8erklee
today
Spring1996
mentaryon the game.There is little I files in to present
can do to create atmosphere that has more live music.
not already been created by the play- Humor and a seners. If the crowd is trying to cheer sitivity to all conthe team on, myjob is to pick up on stituents are hallthat energy and run with it. For the marksof his success
Knicks,I need to play the right record at the Forum.
"If a ref makesa
at the right time. For the Rangers,
bad
call," Stein
more live skills are required. I wear
says,
"I might play
manyhats up there."
’Blinded
by the
Castoldi spins cuts by alternative
Light.’
If
a
player
is
rock by groups like Pearl Jam or Colwhining
about
a
lective Soul as well as classic rock.
call,
I
play
’Hearts
For the Knicks, it is more urban,
I
R&B, and funk music with a smat- and Flowers.’
tering of new rock. During the sea- once got a call from
"Playing
therighttuneandhaving
all the
son, he will work four nights a the team’s owner LarryBethune’71:
who
told
me
not
to
fans
go
with
you
is
like
surfing
and
riding
the
wave."
week--each team plays 40 games.
"It is the kind of gig where you play Springsteen
can prepare," he says, "but you nev- because he doesn’t
er know what you will need. I have like his music. ’Are You Ready for tic--like a live TVshow."
Bethune also controls the cheerto respond whether it is boring game This’ brought complaints from fans-leaders’
music and all other musical
they
blamed
our
losses
on
it.
They
or an exciting one. In sports there is
cues
from
a computer system
alwaysa surprise, I can’t miss an op- are as superstitious as the players."
Stein
is
also
a
TV
composer
with
equipped
with
eight hours of music
portunity to play something ironic
synth
arrangements
to
"Sea
Quest,"
stored
on
its
hard
drive. (There is no
or appropriate. That keeps it fresh."
keyboard
or
brass
band music at Foxthe
theme
and
score
for
"Crusaders"
This gig opened doors with Tomboro
Stadium.)
The
computer enables
for
Disney,
promos
for
"Melrose
my Boy Records and ESPN for
Bethune
to
copy
and
edit music to
Place,"
music
for
"Totally
Hidden
whomCastoldi produced Jock Rock,
create
10-second
bites
on the fly. The
Video,"
and
several
Showtime
movI & II andJockJams. These compilacomputer monitor displays a page of
tion albums feature organ, crowd ies of the weekon his resume.
song titles for defense or offense to
"I take the Forumgig quite serinoises, and the sounds of sports overously
though,"
he
states.
"I
have
to
respond to the action. If there is a
laid and placed in between tried and
fumble, he may hit "Give It Away"
really
follow
the
game
to
pump
up
true arena favorites like the Romanby the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
the
crowd.
I
have
to
know
what
to
tics’ "What I Like About You,"
"Another part of my job," says
play
when.
It
is
almost
like
I
am
creQueen’s "We Will Rock You," and
ating
the
game’s
soundtrack.
There
Bethune,
"is to forecast situations-Todd Rundgren’s "Bang the Drum
like whena time out will be called-All Day." Both Jock Rock I and Jock have been times when I have influenced the game by boosting the
so we cart play the right musical cue.
Jams have gone gold.
On the other coast is Dan Stein crowd up. I know what to play to I also make the decision on whether
make the crowd hostile toward the to do a replay on the stadium’s video
’83 who has been musical director
for the L.A. Kings for four years. He other team. Essentially, I amthe loud- screen. The league has a rule against
traded in his season tickets for a seat est fan--the cheerleader whogets ev- embarrassingthe officials, so if I recognize a bad call I won’t replay it."
behind the console when he found eryone clapping. I love that role."
Berklee’s
Vice
President
of
StuLike Stein and Castoldi, Bethune’s
out the Kings were auditioning. His
job is a little less technical than Cas- dent Affairs, Larry Bethune ’71, be- passion for the sport and music are
toldi’s. "I control all musicselections came music director for the NewEn- the payoff. "We are riding on the
gland Patriots football team after
crowd’s and the team’s emotions,"
from prerecorded songs to playing
initially
writing
music
and
designing
he says. "Playing the right tune and
the organ. I trigger music from a hard
scenery
for
the
team
cheerleaders’
having all the fans go with you is an
disk recorder which places 300 songs
amazing feeling. Whenyou catch it,
musical
revue
in
1979.
When
the
staat myfingertips. The higher-ups in
it’s like surfing and riding the wave.I
dium
unveiled
a
new
high-tech
authe Kings organization don’t want
any dead air. As soon as play stops, dio-video control room, Bethune be- like to think it can motivate the team
too. If they hear the crowd going
cameits operator.
they want music."
"Everything having to do with with the music, a whole aura develFour years ago, 80 percent of the
sound or video goes through this
ops. But really, it is the players who
music at the Forum was played live
set the rnood, we can only get the
according to Stein. Nowit is just 20 room," says Bethune. I run replays
on
the
stadium
screen,
the
TV
feed
crowd behind them and enhance it.
percent, the rest is recorded material
comes
in
through
here,
and
we
conHaving 60,000 people give you imfrom a variety of groups. He plays
_-71
trol
the
referee
mikes.
It’s
very
hecmediate feedback is great."
before the games while the crowd
Spring1996
Berklee
today 13
No Mystery
Twodecades after RTF,AI Di Meola’74
is connecting with jazz and world music
by Mark L.
Small "73
or A1 Di Meola, there has the ~14idnig,ht Sun,his first solo albeen no mystery involved bum in 1976, A1 proved himself a
with either breakinginto the bankableartist and has beenrecordbusiness or sustaining a career among ing and performingaround the world
the most respected guitarists in the with top namesin contemporaryjazz
musicindustry. It wassimple.All that eversince.
was required were killer chops, to
Highlights amonghis 18 post-RTF
answer yes whenChick Corea asked albumsare a pair of acoustic guitar
himto join his bandwithoutan audi- trio outings with Paco DeLucia and
tion, the ability to devour Chick’s John McLaughlin.Their live album
treacherous charts, and then to wow Friday Night in San Francisco was
a full house at CarnegieHall later certified platinum.Later efforts with
that week. A1 was only 19 whenhe his eclectic acoustic project World
left Berkleeto join Corea’sReturnto Sinfonia documented
Al’s rich musiForever (RTF)band, one of the most cal collaborationwith Argentinetaninfluential ’70sfusionacts.
go composerAstor Piazzolla. For the
A1earnedacclaiminitially for his last half of 1995,A1touredextensivewarp-speedlines andthe searing tone ly andrecordedwith Rite of Strings,
of his Les Paul in concert and on another superstar acoustic collaborecord with RTF. He topped Guitar ration with bassist StanleyClarkeand
Player magazine’spolls after RTF’s violinist Jean LucPonty.
No Mystery album earned a Grammy I caught: up with A1at his northin 1975. Uponleaving RTFto lead ern NewJersey homea week after
his owngroup, nine further honors the Rite of Strings tour ended,before
fromGuitar Player (including induc- his much-anticipated reunion with
tion into their Galleryof the Greats) DeLucia and McLaughlin.Al’s home
and accolades from other magazines reflects his fascinationwith his Medfollowed. Withthe release of Landof iterranean cultural heritage. Some
F
PHOTO
BY
GENE
MARTtN
PRODUCTION
ASSISTANT
DAVID
SMITH
Berklee today
15
RTFcirca 1974:
left to right,
LennieWhite,
ChickCorea,AI
Di Meola,and
StanleyClarke.
sculptures, mixed media works (oil on canvas applicable to myinstrument. It was inspiring to
with polenta) by Italian painter Andrea Vizzi- be aroundall the musicians and to go to clubs at
hi, and a Salvador Dali lithograph are displayed night. I am sorry it had to end so soon. I was
nearby photos of past generations of Al’s fam- enjoying learning, but whenI got the offer to
ily in the foyer of ibis Spanishvilla-style dwell- play with Chick Corea I had to take it because
ing. As reflects in his music, A1is energetic, his was myfavorite group at the time.
straightforward, spontaneous, and accessible.
I am asked all over the world about Berklee,
He paused for a wistful look back and a giimpse and I always say it was an extremely positive
experience for me. Berklee helped lay the
at the present realities.
groundwork so I could handle the demands of
playing with Chick and Return to Forever.
Exactly how did that opportunity to work
with Chick come about?
I had seen RTF in Boston at the Orpheum
Theater. I expected to see Bill Connorsplaying
guitar, but Earl Klugh was playing instead. As
good a player as Earl is, he seemedout of place
in that group. They were playing these highenergy instrumentals and then each group member would get a solo spot. For his solo, Earl
played a standard like "Shadowof Your Smile."
It didn’t work. I mentioned to a friend that I
really wantedto play with that band. He took it
upon himself to find Chick and bug him until
he listened to a tape of a Barry Miles show I
Whatdo you think enables someoneas young played in ’72 or ’73. The timing was perfect,
as you were to develop amazingtechnical facilthey wanted to makea change. I got a call from
Chick asking me to come join the band.
ity at 19?
I packed mybags and left Boston and never
In recent years I have wondered why some
saw
my apartment on Burbank Street or my
people play for 30 years and don’t have the
technique of those who have played for 10 girlfriend again. I had about 10 difficult charts
years. It may be more than just practice that to learn. Then, after two days of rehearsal, we
develops technique. I did a guitar festival in played a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. RTF
Martinique and there were several classical gui- toured about 10 months a year for a few years.
tarists on the bill. I asked a few of themabout After three albums, I launched mysolo career.
this and they were convinced that bone and
muscle structure has a lot to do with technical
After making such an auspicious debut with
ability. Wenever talk about that in the jazz or R ZF, have you found audiences willing to follow
rock world.
the new musical directions you have pursued, or
did they want you to continue what they first
heard you doing?
Doyou think t,bat is true in your case?
Somefans have stayed, some who would like
It could be. The guitarists right hand seems
to hear the older stuff have gone. I have also
to be a more fascinating subject than the left
hand. I was taught: basic alternate picking from gained new fans from the music I have made
the beginning and I workedreally hard on it.
lately. There is no doubt about it, whenI pick
The choice of rhythms I makewithin the range up the solid body electric guitar, audiences go
of myimprovisations has a lot to do with my crazy. It blows my mind because I may have
sound and a Latin sensibility.
played some really interesting and intelligent
music before that, but it almost doesn’t matter
Can you share some highlights of your time as soon as I pick up the Les Paul.
at Berklee?
That is surprising--by now, nearly half of
I had wanted to leave high school to come
to Berklee instead of finishing mysenior year. your records are acoustic.
If I am doing an acoustic show, I don’t have
There was a way to do it, but I cameafter high
school instead. After myfirst year at Berklee, I to worry about it. But, manyshows will feature
left to play with Barry Miles for a year. ThenI both sides. WhenI bring out the electric, it is as
if the audience says, "thanks for playing that
came back. For me, everything was beneficial-arranging and the guitar classes. The other stuff, nowlet’s get downto business." It
courses were well 1aid out, and everything was maynot be where myhead is at, but it is a part
16 Berkiee
today
Spring1996
of mypersonality from a time in mylife.
On your records, you have explored a lot of
styles from fusion, to flamenco, Brazilian, world
music, to Latin. Do you have one favorite?
World Sinfonia is one I am most proud of.
In terms of esthetics and musical depth, I think
that group shows more of the range of my
musical personality. I have roots in that music-tango. The roots of the tango go back to
Napoli where my parents came from. Myown
renditions of Astor Piazzolla’s works reflect
myinner feelings. WhatI found to love about
his work was the jazz and classical harmonyas
well as the spirit and soulfulness of tango and
Neapolitan music. I did myown thing by adding percussion and putting the guitar at the
forefront. Guitar is always in the background
in tangos. There is a more rhythmic approach.
My own pieces on the two World Sinfonia
records are a little more contemporary, but
somehowreflect the same spirit.
had10 difficult charts to
to learn, two days of rehearsal,
and then we pl~~yed a sold-out
concert at CarnegieHall.
band. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t knowif I
wouldhave gotten over the fear of doing that.
He pushed me to do it. I am forever indebted
to him because it paved the way for me to play
solo spots in the shows with Paco DeLucia and
John McLaughlin.That was quite a challenge.
What do you think about the anti-virtuosity
feelings among alternative musicians? They
Will there be a third WorldSinfonia album? don’t want to hear great guitar solos.
I hear that music once in a while, and I
I wouldlike to do another. The Heart of the
know
the feeling is that it is hip to be sloppy. It
Immigrants album is a deep record. That one
is
difficult
for youngplayers to find role modtakes you places and connects with sentimental
els. In this country, we glorify musicians with
feelings. If I can fulfill myjazz sensibilities,
little talent whoget lots of exposure on MTV.
someclassical and ethnic ones, and feel sentimentality in the music, most of what I want to The role models should be those "whocan play,
deliver is there. Myearly fusion musichad less not those with lots of money. A couple of
years downthe line, those players will run out,
ethnic influence or sentimentality.
and be out of work. The musicians wlho play
Does the recognition received by winning very well are the ones whowill probably have
a career for the rest of their lives.
magazinepolls translate into a career boost?
If the poll is in a reputable magazinelike
Whatdo you see yourself doing in the next 20
Guitar Player, it does help. Promoters love to
years?
Will you continue the pace you’ve kept
have things like that in an artist’s press kit to
up
for
the
past 22?
help in advertising your shows. The only probI
get
tired
when I’m out on tour, so I wonlem with Guitar Player’s polls is that after you
win five times, they put you in the "Gallery of der about later on in life if it will be one tour
the Greats." It should be called "Gallery of the after the other. I just finished a five-month
Dead." What happens to an artist if they make tour. I sometimes tell myself I am going to
the best music of their career after that? Then come homeand take six months off, and for at
you have a situation like Charo winning in the least two or three months have nothing to do
flamenco category because all the best players with music. What usually happens within a day
were ineligible.
Whenyou see Nell Young, or two is that I am back into working on anwho is more of a singer, as a cowinner in the other project. It’s just natural, I can’t sit around.
Opportunities just keep openirlg up for qual"Best Acoustic Pickstyle Guitarist" category
with Tony Rice who is a good guitarist, you ity work, collaborations, concerts. So manyare
interesting and I want to do everything. That
can see that sometimesit just doesn’t work.
meansless time off. It is possible I could keep
Did being a poll winner and carrying the going as long as I want to. I don’t want it to be
just a business decision, I want to remainreally
title of reigning guitar hero add more pressure
interested. I amabout to get into a newproject
on you at your live shows?
with Paco DeLucia and John McLaughlin. That
No, it didn’t really seem to matter. What
will be challenging musically.
does matter is whenyou are playing out there
with high caliber players, or having to do a solo
The last project you did with them was a
guitar spot in the show as I did in Chick’s
Spring1996
Berklee today
17
milestone in your career.
I began playing with Paco in 1976 on my
Elegant Gypsy album. That ended up selling
two million copies. The cut we played together
became a hit single in some countries--Spain
was one of them. In 1980, when we added John
and toured, it was a megasuccess.
Wemade a live album which also sold about
two million copies. Wedid three tours from
1980-83, but haven’t played together since.
There has been a lot of talk of our getting back
together. Finally, we are all on the samelabel-PolyGram--andthey really want to see us back
together.
You have stated that an artist needs to take a
breather from touring and develop new ideas
before going back into the studio for the next
album. Howdo you recharge?
I try to find somethingmusical that fires me
to go and try to write. Myassociation with
Astor Piazzolla took me to that place a few
years ago. I’m looking for that again right now.
It is not easy, and I’m not going to rush it.
Sometimesyou have to research. I like things
in the world music area, I usually look there
for things that haven’t been heard before. For
myownrecords, it has to be special.
At the time I was going to Berklee, I was
very influenced by a record of Julian Bream’s
called 20th Century Guitar. That later influenced my album Cielo e Terra. That was a
magic record in some ways. I did some duets
with Airto Moreira. I am proud of that one.
The concept for the Rite of Strings recording
and tour was your idea. Howdid the idea of an
acoustic string trio with Stanley Clarke and
Jean-Luc Ponty come about?
It was myidea. I have played acoustically
with Stanley before. Thoughmost of what he’s
done is electric, I’ve always thought he was a
very strong acoustic bass player. Jean-Luc was
the key. I have never worked with violin before, and I wanted to put something together
for the European jazz festivals. Each summer
they look for something unique and different
featuring name players. I am pretty good at
putting things together that they like. I thought
Jean-Luc wouldbe interesting because he hasn’t
played the festivals or really collaborated with
anybody in this way. He always works with
his owngroups. He hasn’t played acoustically
since the ’60s. It took a lot of convincingto get
him out of his element. He finally called me
back after a year and a half of thinking it over.
There are elements of compromisein situations like that. Weare all at different places
musically. I would have liked to play some
18 Berklee
today
more complex music with this trio, maybeeven
someclassically derived pieces or a Return to
Forever-type medley. There were varying opinions about that. It is a shamewe didn’t makea
live album, because by the end of the tour it
would have been much different than the studio record.
Having launched your career as a trailblazer
in technically astonishing jazz~rock~fusion guitarplaying, what are your feelings regarding the
influence you have had on the direction of contemporary guitar?
I hope I have been an influence to some
players in someway. I get myfair share of fan
mail. WhenI read what effect myplaying and
music have had on people I am touched by it. I
amalways trying to grow, so if I achieve what I
want, I could be more of an influence.
Howdo you feel when you hear players that
have been influenced by you?
There are a lot that I like and some that I
don’t. I am not into the rock approach where
technique and speed is all that matters. In jazz
there are not manycontemporaries that are going in mydirection. Myway of playing is more
like that of a drummeror a percussionist playing guitar. I don’t hear a lot of people copying
it, so I amnot afraid of teaching it. Rhythmically, myplaying is very unorthodox.
Whatare your feelings on the lifestyle of the
recording and touring musician?
There are ups and downs. The downs are
physical exhaustion and difficulty maintaining
relationships. Whenyou are a busy music professional, you are all over the world. There are
obstacles that they don’t teach you about at
Berklee, but there are no schools for that. The
realities of the business and howto maintain a
balance in life should be taught.
The blissful part of the career is wheneveryone sees you onstage. I like traveling, sometimes it is very pleasurable. The people that you
meet around the world are extraordinary, especially the different musicians you comeacross.
Someof those you admire, you wouldn’t get to
meet if you weren’t a traveling musician. On a
flight back from London, Peter Gabriel was
sitting next to me and we talked the whole way.
The adulation and applause is amazing, and
it is a letdown when you come home from a
tour. SomethingI amvery sure of is, if you have
experienced an audience giving you that warmth,
that ovation, you must have it again. Applause
is as addictive as a drug. That is whya lot of
older jazz musicians don’t quit; you need it
later on... perhaps even more.
~
Spring1996
¯
¯
Somatic Educa, t~.on
or
USlClans
rs from long hours of practicing physically demanding technique, prolonged
s~i~ARNING:
Music can
bethe
a biomechanically
hazardous
occupation
daning or standing,
and
psychoemotional stress
of creating
and posing
performing,
p
by Richard
Ehrman "86
erhaps musical instruments should come
with warninglabels. Tendonitis, repetitive stress syndrome,carpal tunnel syndrome, sore backs, necks, shoulders, etc., are
all too commonamongmusicians. This article
gives an introduction to two somatic education
approaches to help avoid such conditions; the
Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais
Method®. The word somatic is derived from
the Greek somatikos or "living body," and refers in this article to the internalized perception of oneself---the body sensed from within.
These two systems are tile most effective for
enabling musicians to develop body awareness
in movementto prevent injuries and improve
performance. These issues are extremely relevant to musicians but are often neglected in the
acquisition of technical skills. Since all music
production involves movement,paying attention to the way we move to make music ultimately affects the music.
Playing an instrument demands a highly
complex use of the neuromuscular apparatus.
Whenthe movementis poorly organized, forces are created which generate unnecessary heat
in the joints causing shearing and other stresses
in the connective tissue and muscles. Overtime,
damage and injury can occur. Postural probRichard Ehrman’86plays non- Western percussion with Boston Village Gamelanand others,
and will complete training to becomea certified
Feldenkrais® practitioner in 1997.
Spring1996
lems from sitting or standing for long periods,
instrument-specific problems such as a painful
fretting hand, and simple tension leading to
unnecessary muscular contraction frequently
result from inefficient movementpatterns.
The first step in recognizing harmful habits
is to become aware of our movement. Many
somatic methods achieve this through gentleness and slowness of movement. Whenwe exert a lot of musculareffort, it is impossiblefor
our brain to rnake the sensory distinctions needed to improve our neuromuscular organization. Noting subtle distinctions becomeseasier
when we slow down our movement and avoid
excess effort and strain.
Mind,body,andenvi¢onment--a
functionalwhole
MovemenT:occurs through an information
feedback process between our senses, muscles,
and central nervous system. As we move, our
senses of touch, balance, sight, and sound send
our brain information about our position and
muscular acti[vity, and it responds by modifying the outgoing messages to our muscles. All
this occurs in response to the environment. We
play a note, hear the sound and make changes
or adjustments for the next attack, all while
considering the style of the music, other musicians, the room, the audience. These elements
exist as a fun.ctional whole--one never occurs
in the absence of the others.
Similarly, the source of a given problem is
often a combination of a physical limitation,
mental/emotionalattitude, and the special chalBerklee
today 19
lenges of the instrument itself. The pianist’s sore wrist may
be related to a shoulder that does not move
freely, a mental attitude that results in
practicing too long
without breaks, and/
or a bench height preventing comfortable
arm position. Treatments focusing on one
of these elements and
excluding the others
are often limited in effectiveness. Affecting
one area produces results in another.
A holistic approach recognizes
that difficulties are often part of a
general underlying dysfunctional
movementpattern. The manifestation
of the problem may be far from its
source and improving the general pattern often improves a specific complaint [see sidebar].
Just as different styles of music
call for different instrumentation, esthetic choices, and musicalvalues, somatic educators recognize that context and individuality
play a
significant role in determining appropriate action, and avoid generally prescribing a single "right" way to do
something. They develop the individual’s ability to sense, discover, and
decide what is best for them. They
promote trusting subjective, immediate perceptions of ourselves and
cultivating the ability to distinguish
between acting to conform to an external ideal and the spontaneous natural action born of knowingoneself.
ander saw that focusing on the end result
was obscuring the
means whereby his
movement
took
place. He refined a
technique of inhibiting all automatic impulses just at the moment of movement
and replacing them
with conscious constructive
control.
Upon overcoming his
bad habits, not only
his voice problem, but
nasal and respiratory
difficulties vanished.He spent his life
teaching his technique to others.
In a typical Alexander session today, the teacher uses gentle manual
guidance to increase the student’s
physical awareness in basic movements such as sitting to standing and
walking. Students are trained to inhibit habitual patterns and recognize
proper coordination of the head,
neck, and trunk.
Berklee vice president and vibraphonist Gary Burton credits an injury-free musical career to attention to
his own biomechanics and lessons
with an Alexander teacher early on.
"In myteens and early 20s," Burton states, "whenI practiced, I did a
lot of thinking about howI was moving and what was moving and noticing tension. Over the years, I made
changes as I became more aware of
what was involved physically."
After a year of studying the Alexander Technique, Burton developed
a sense of how to hold his neck and
head which felt correct. He developed a lasting body awareness and
new habits yielding benefits that go
beyond playing the vibraphone.
"I’ve always had the unprovable
assumption," he says, "that the reason I’ve never had any back problems, after years of lugging a vibraphone around, lifting it in and out of
car trunks, is because I’m quite aware
of how I move, when I pick something up where the pulls and strains
are, and howto lift it carefully."
oorly organized move-
rneni~ can cause shearing and
stresses in the joints, connective
tissue, and muscles. Over time,
damageand injury can occur.
Rootsof somaticeducation
Somatic education may be defined
as a physical education which does
not separate mind and body. The
roots of the somatic approach sprang
from the Gymnastik movement in
Northern Europe and the Eastern
U.S. at the end of the 19th century.
Proponents shared ideas about posture and movementwhich challenged
dominantmodels in classical ballet,
physical education, and biomedicine.
Gymnastikpioneers rejected the separation of mind and spirit from a
mechanistically conceived body, encouraged self-developed values over
20 Berklee
today
conformity to established ideals, and
approached physical education as a
unity of movement,body structure,
and psycho-spiritual health. Today,
thousands of educators practice
methods such as Sensory Awareness,
the Alexander Technique, Gerda Alexander’s Eutony, Ida Roll’s Structural Integration, MosheFeldenkrais’
Awareness Through Movement and
Functional Integration, Aston-Patterning, Body-MindCentering, Trager Work and others. The two used
most successfully with musicians are
the Alexander Technique and the
Feldenkrais Method.
TheAlexanderTechnique
F. Mathias Alexander (1869-1955)
was a Australian-born
actor who
found himself losing his voice during
recitations. After doctors failed to
prescribe effective treatment he began a thorough study of himself over
a ten year period. He discovered that
he pulled his head back when speaking which led to pressing the larynx,
increasing pressure on the vocal
chords, resulting in hoarseness. Tihis
position also madehim lift the chest,
narrow the back and grip the floor
with his feet. He realized his speech
organs were influenced by misusing
his whole self. Alexander refined
these insights for an efficient use
which he called "primary control"
involving keeping his head forward
and up in conjunction with lengthening and widening the back.
The major obstacle to implementing his new knowledge was overcom- TheFeldenkraisMethod
ing habits that continually reinstated
MosheFeldenkrais, a Russianborn
the old movement patterns. Alex- engineer, physicist, and athlete, be-
Spring1996
od, they are educationalin nature and
cameone of the first Europeansto sidebar below].
achieve results by coupling the powIn Feldenkrais
Awareness
earn a black belt in Judo (1936) and
®
er of the central nervoussystemwith
introduced Judo in the West. In the ThroughMovement group classes,
early 1940s,after suffering crippling a teacher verbally leads students our extraordinary ability to learn.
sports-related kneeinjuries, he was through movementswhich gradual- Theselearningprocessesare not goalgiven the odds that surgery might ly evolve in range and complexity. orientedbut exploratorylike the proeither repair his kneesor confinehim Basedon developmentalmovements, cesses for learning to sit, stand, and
walk--all accomplishedintuitively
to a wheelchair. He chose to forego ordinaryfunctionalactivities, or more
the surgery and begin studying neu- abstract explorations of joint, mus- withouta teacher.
Both Feldenkrais and Alexander
rology, anatomy, biomechanics,and cle, and posturai relationships, the
discovered
what they needed to do
humanmovementdevelopment. Af- emphasisis on learning whichmoveto
improve
the
use of their bodies.
ter two years of research and experi- ments workbetter and noticing the
Their
metlhods
showed
implicit trust
mentation, using his ownbodyas a changes in your body. As students
in
the
individual’s
ability
to find his
become
more
aware
of
their
habitual
laboratory, he taught himselfto walk
or
her
own
way
to
better
coordinaneuromuscular
patterns
and
rigidiagain. He continued studying and
tion,
rejecting
the
Western
cultural
ties,
they
develop
new
alternatives
testing his ideas on friends and colemphasis
on
one
correct
way
for evand
improved
flexibility
and
coordileagues with aches and pains, muscle
eryone
and
experts
to
show
us
that
result. Private Feldenkraislesand joint problems--even serious nation
®
way.
As
musicians
are
self-directed
,
called FunctionalIntegration
neurological conditions. Herefined sons,
his ideas into the system nowknown are tailored to eachstudent’sindivid- learners, this approachis effective.
Manyconditions require medical
ual learning needs. Thepractitioner,
as the Feldenkrais Method.
attention
andit is wise to consult a
through
gentle
touching
and
moveWhile Alexander focused on the
doctor
when
pain or discomfort sigment,
communicates
how
to
orgahead-neckrelationship, Feldenkrais,
nal
a
problem.
However,treating
nize
yourself
physically
and
the
stuwasespecially interested in howthe
symptoms
alone,
you
likely will not
dent
learns
how
to
reorganize
their
powerful muscles surrounding the
get
to
the
root
cause.
Anytreatment
pelvis and trunk properlydo the hard body and behavior in more expandprogram
:for
overuse
or
misuseinjuworkwhile the extremities fine-tune ed functional motorpatterns.
ries
can
be
greatly
aided
by somatic
our movement.When,due to rigidieducation.
Learning,
not
healing
ties in the trunkandpelvis, the smaller
To locate a Feldenkrais practiWhilethere are clearly therapeumusclesare forced to take over work
cioner in your area, call the Feldentic
benefits
to
both
the
Alexander
moreefficiently doneat our center,
andthe FeldenkraisMeth- krais Guild at 1-800-775-2118. ~
strain and injury often follow [see Technique
Spring
1996
Berkleetoday
Groove
Gymnastics
Haveyou exercised with your metronomeon 2 and 4 lately?
T
by
Yuki
Arimasa
he student population at
Berklee exceeds 2,600, and
one third of those are international students. ][ was amongthat
one third 12 years ago when I came
from Japan to study American music. To me, jazz meant a strong two
and four beat, improvisational concepts, and complex harmony. Listening to this kind of music from the
other side of the globe was exciting
and made me wonder what kind of
people played or listened to this mu"88 sic. I felt they mustbe very different
in their culture as well as music. Yes,
I found people to be different, and
musically their rhythmic feel was
completely different from what I had
been used to in myculture.
During my years of teaching at
Berklee, I met a number of foreign
students, especially fellow Asians. We
Asians don’t naturally swing; it is not
a part of our culture. WhenI first
came to Berklee, friends showed me
a little exercise to solve this problem.
It has helped me (and my students)
very much. Just turn on the metro-
homeand feel the click as beats two
and four while tapping your finger
on beats one and three. I suppose
everybody tries something like this
when their teacher first tells them
beats two and four in jazz are accented [see example1].
To take that exercise a step further, try shifting that feel a little bit
by feeling the click as the third note
YukiArimasa
"88: of an eighth note triplet and tapping
"It paysto think your finger on the first note of the
about the basic triplet [example 2]. You are almost
= in doing the same thing except that your
swinggroow.
yourteachingand finger tap falls earlier than the two
playing."
and four. Next, shift gears again to
Pianist Yuki Arimasa ’88 was a member of the Berklee faculty for seven
years, and is active as a composerand
performer leading his own jazz group,
the Yuki Arimasa Trio.
22 Berklee
today
Spring1996
A WORK
OUTAT THEGROOVE
SPA
In eachexample,the metronome
click is notated as the upperline,
the finger tap_ is the lower one. Workwith the secondand third
examplesuntil you can alternate betweenthemwithout stopping.
[
31731[
[
3 ]
31F
[
3 ql
3
3][
q
[
3 ir
31[
3 ql-
3
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3 ]i
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31~
3 q [
3
q
31
Joe Diorlo
°NRA
M
RMCD4505-ADO
R/IRE
BIRDS
Exercises4 and5 are to help developthe ability to feel twobars of
3/4 or 5/4 as one big 4/4 measure.
Mi~:k
Goodfickguitar
Joe
Diorio--guitar
RMCD4508
- ODD
TBE
BREEZE
AND
I
Ex. 5
feel the click as the secondnote of perience convincedme that I should
the eighthnote triplet andtap on one. focus on the basic groove--evenmore
Nowyou are tapping a little later than on technique. Wecan apply so
than two and four [example3]. Fi- manydifferent techniques in our
nally, switch between these three playingandgive our studentsa string
wayswithout stopping. This will de- of advanced concepts in the class
velop a strong one andthree feel with room, but howmuchclass time do
two and four accented by the metro- wereally spendhelping our students
nome.The good thing about this is developtheir grooveability?
Of course, swing is not the only
that you have to feel one and three
against an accented two and four be- rhythmicfeel weneed to master, but
cause you are not using an instru- it can be felt as the foundationof all
ment-youcannot rely on the phys- the metersplayedin jazz. Ajazz waltz
can fit a 4/4 feel if youthink of your
ical feel of the instrument.
This is just one small exercise metronometapping dotted quarters
whosevalue I didn’t appreciate fully --as if on twoand four over twobars
until recently. At Berklee weteach [see example4]. Learn to feel the
and learn a lot aboutscales andvoic- quarter note pulse as either quartering, arrangingand compositiontech- noteor half-notetriplets. If youtake
this concept even further, you can
niques. But manyof mystudents,
especially the ones whostarted play- play in 5/4 over the samemetronome
ing jazz after they cameto Berklee, click byfeelingit as the first beat and
did not soundgoodin spite of their the "and"of beat three. In this way,
instrumental ability. Mostof them you divide 5/4 in two, which prospent so muchtime on what notes to ducesa slow4/4 feel over twobars of
play and seldomfocused on how to 5/4, just as in the 3/4 exercise. [see
example5] Youcould also treat 7/4
play them.
After strugglingwith different ap- in similar way.
It pays to think about the basic
proaches, I rememberedthis simple
exercise. It helped mystudents very swing groove in your teaching and
much.Theydevelopeda strong swing your ownplaying. Strengthening
feel, and, regardless of their musical your 4/4 feel will not only help you
background, they swung. (Yes, swing, but can lead you to find dif:It
Asianscan learn to swing!) This ex- ferent rhythmicideas.
Spring1996
IraSullivan
- flute,
alto
flute,
soprano
sax,
alto
sax,
percussions
Joe
Oiorio
- guitar
RI~CD4514
- DOO
IVIORE
THAN
FRIENDS
Steve
LaSpina
- bass
Steve
Bagbydrums
Joe
Diorioguitar
Also
available:
RMCD4501
- AdD
WE
WILL
MEET
AGAIN
Joe
Diorio
- guitar
RMCD4502AAO
DOUBLE
TAKE
Riccardo
DelFra- bass
Joe
Diorioguitar
U.S.A.
distribution:
SPHERI-"
MARKETING
&DISTRIBUTION,
INC.,
Cargo
Building
80, Room
2A,
JFKInt’l Airport,Jamaica,
NY11430
Phone
718/656
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Worldwide
distribution
(except
U.S.A.):
iREC
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via SanG.B.DeLaSalle,4 - 20132
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- Italy
Phone
andFax39/2/259
2326
AVAILABLE
AT
Alum
Compiled
by
Pianist ErnieTrotman
’52
of Milton, MA,has enjoyed
a professional career for 50
years. Hie continues to play
in the Bostonarea.
Saxophonists GaryLewis
’66, ScottAdair’77, Wally
West’84,and guitarist Wiley
Porter "7’6 are membersof
the 20-piece U.S. Air Jazz
Orchestra, and have performed:in 120 cities in the
U.S., and in several European countries.
GaryLockheimer
’118 of
Maywood,NJ, has received
a doctor’ of education degree from Nova Southeastern University.
AndrewScott Wang"68
of Springfield, MO,is a pri-
rate music instructor at
MusicCity in Springfield.
Alex Ball "96
Jonathan
Snyder"70 is a
and Negui
ship master (captain) sailCapriles
"96
ing around the world for
the Merchant Marines on
tankers, firefighters, and
container ships.
Scott Appel’73 of Lincoln Park, N[J, has his albumNine of Swords reisSharonMoffie-Aaronson
"73
sued on the Schoolkids
record label. The CDreceived rave reviews in Rolling Stone and Billboard.
seven additional works.
KeithMethven
’73 of San
RobertaFabiano"75 of
Diego, CA, was voted gui- Stony Brook, NY, is retarist of the year by the San leasing a guitar album enDiego Chapter of the Cali- titled ll:ll on Catspaw
fornia Country Music As- Records. She also appeared
sociation.
in the movie Jade.
SharonMoffie-Aaronson RayRettig "75of Berne,
"73 of West Hills, CA, is
NY, had his Cotton Hill
project manager for the
Studio featured on the covMasterworksseries of claser of the August ’95 issue
sical piano books at Alfred of Mix magazine.
Publishing, and has penned
Vocalist CathySegalseveral volumesof her own Garcia "75 has released a
piano arrangements.
second CDtitled Point of
TimPrice "73 of Read- View, with backing from
ing, PA, is a clinician and saxophonist Loren Pickendorser for the Keilwerth ford, drummers Greg Bisstraight alto saxophone.He sonette and TomBrechtlihas published three books en, bassist John Heard, and
of saxophone transcrippianist Russell Ferrante.
tions for Hal Leonard Publishing, and is shoppingfor
a label to release a recording of his project with guitarist Pat Martino.
Guitarist MarkSmall ’73
released his third CD,
Works by the European
Masters, with the Mark
Small"Robert Torres Duo.
It features Small’s two-guitar edition of Edvard GrTimPrice’73 with the Keilworth
straightalto saxophone leg’s Holberg Suite, and MarkSmall’73
24 Berklee today
Spring1996
CLASSCONNECTIONS
Alumni Chapter
Presidents:
New York
Steve Ward’87
MuMusic Int’l.
(212) 929-1161
Orlando
Stan Kubit ’71
Orlando Music
Teachers Inc.
(407) 352-9702
Chicago
Damon
Booth ’91
ASCAP
(312) 472-1157
Nashville
Betsy
Jackson ’84
(615) 832-6061
Mark
Corradetti ’87
(615) 889-9219
Boston
Jeannie Deva ’75
The Voice Studio
(617) 536-4553
San Francisco
Gary Boggs ’82
Guitar Studio
(415) 731-6455
Los Angeles
Leanne
Suminers ’88
Vocal Studio
(818) 769-7260
Puerto Rico
Ralina
Cardona ’91
Crescendo
(809) 725-3690
England
Lawrence
Jones ’80
Brighton,
E. Sussex, G.B.
44-1273-707621
Athens
Samy
Elgazzar ’93
301-9451-457
Tokyo
Alumni
Coordinator:
Michiko
Yoshino ’90
042-241-4347
Spring1996
This past year ended as it began-lively! On October 7, New York
alumni chapter president Steve Ward
’81, hosted a "mega" gathering of
alumni, faculty, students, and guests
at NewYork’s Renaissance Hotel.
The event, held in conjunction with
the Audio Engineering Society Convention (AES), was also the occasion
for alumni award presentations to
composer Eve Nelson "86 and engineer Angela
Piva’86.
In San Francisco, on October 27,
prior to San Francisco’s salute to
Berklee, alumni chapter president
GaryBoggs
"82, hosted an alumni reception at the Fairmont Hotel where
alumni Steve Smith’76 and Michael
Manring"79 were presented with 50th
anniversary medallions.
On December 7, Boston alumni
chapter president deannie Deva ’75
along with area WBOS-FM
disc jockey Holly Harris"73 hosted a first-time
alumni benefit concert at Aerosmith’s
Lansdowne Street nightclub, Mama
Kin. The alumni groups performing
included the Movers, the Susan Tedeschi Band, and the Jon Finn Group.
Proceeds went to the Berklee City
Music scholarship fund. This was a
great effort by all.
On December 9, alumni of national and international reputation
returned to Boston to pay tribute to
Phil Wilsonin a special International
Dues Band Reunion concert/scholarship fundraiser.
Here are a few dates to remember:
March 3-4, Womenin Music reception and concert in Boston, and
March 18-19, alumni concert and
Bluebird Cafe reception in Nashville.
I wish you all happiness and good
health in the new year ahead. Please
watch your mail for information
about upcomingevents in your area.
Stay tuned!
In the columnto the right, we are
presenting a little photo montage--a
backwards glance at some of the
alumni events that took place during
the latter part of 1995, Berklee’s 50th
anniversary year.
--Sarah Bodge,Assistant Director of
Developmentfor AlumniRelations
Susan
Berk,PresidentLeeEliot Berk,and
Dmitri Matheny
’89, director of developmentfor the SanFrancisco
JazzFestival,
with the proclamation
declaringOctober
27, 1995,Berklee[lay in SanFrancisco.
Michael
Manring’79
(left:) andSteveSmith
’76 received50th anniversary
medallions
at the October
SanFrancisco
reception.
AngelaPiva’86 (left) andEveNelson
"86
receivedalumnirecognitionawardsin
NewYork,October
7, 1995.
Samy
Elgazzar’93 (wearingglasses)with
alumniatthefirst Athens
Chapter
meeting.
Berklee
today 25
Brockton, MA, has completed a children’s Christmas album entitled A Kid’s
Kringle, with LouisVillani
’79, LisaMiller’79,andFrank
Withey"96.
MarcFinkelstein ’79 of
Tom’s River, NJ, completed his doctorate in creative
arts education and is teaching music in the Tom’sRiver Regional School System.
Mike Plumleigh’79 of
Mountain View, CA, and C61iaVaz’82
fellow trumpeter Jeff Bunnell published a book of
transcriptions, BobbyShew
DrummerBill Spoke’80
Jazz Trumpet Solos.
of Hollywood has been
Douglas Wray ’79 of touring the West Coast and
Stamford, CT, can be heard freelancing in L.A. He has
playing bass on the record- been performing all styles
Chicago-based
pianistDaveGordon
"78penned
six of the 11 ing Singing for the Land- of music and done some
cutsonhis recentjazz releaseTurnfor the Southport
label. lord by Greg Greenway.
film scoring jobs.
Bassist TimPowell"80of
JohnSchumacher
’80 of
Sherman Oaks, CA, is
Boston is managing direcMisha Segal ’75 of Los
Phil IBondi’78 of Cape freelancing in the L.A. area tor for Centastage, an orAngeles has signed a three Coral, FL, is the musicdi- and recently performed
ganization that brings new
record deal with JVC rector for LaRezza’s Cab- with the Pacific Sympho- theatrical worksto the stagRecords. His score to the aret and Restaurant in Fort ny Orchestra.
es of the Boston Center for
TV movie of the week Myers. He is also music diPianist MatthewQuinn the Arts.
Have Your Seen My Son? rector for Southwest Flor- ’80 of Newport, RI, has
BarryHarvey
"81of Brisaired January 8, on ABC. ida’s only live weekly ra- been playing with artists
bane, Australia, has writGuitarist
and singer
dio broadcast stageshow, ranging from Blood, Sweat, ten a text bookfor a fiveC61iaVaz"75 of Rio de Jan- "LaRezza Live."
and Tears to Branford
phase course in drums,
eiro has released the CD
TodCooper’78 of Sher- Marsalis and continues to sight reading, and phrasing.
Brasileiras with vocalist
man Oaks, CA, is the diteach and compose.
William dames [a.k.a.
WandaS~i and a host of top rector of music for Walt
Brazilian instrumentalists.
Disney Feature Animation
Jerry Velona"75 of Bos- and has supervised music
ton has recently released an production on Pocahontas
eponymous CDon Fraterwith .Alan Menkenand Toy
nity Records. He also leads Story with Randy NewJV & the Varsity Band with man.
KevinBelz "89on guitar, doe
DavidGordon
’78 of ChiCasano’74 on trumpet,
cago ha.,; releasedthe CD
MikeBudka’76 on bass, and Turn with his band The
Steve Tully on tenor sax.
Dave GordonQuintet. The
Hummie
Mann"76 of Los disc also features saxoAngeles scored the new phonist Brian Gephart’77
Mel Brooks film Dracula: andbassistBrianDerek’74.
Dead and Loving It. His
TimothyRies ’78 of New
work was also heard in an Yorkis playing with Prism,
episode of the "Picture
a sax quartet supportedby
Window" series on the
a grant from ChamberMuShowtime cable network.
sic America.Prismis perDaniel Arsenault’78 of forming around PhiladelGloucester, MA, has been phia on traditional
appointed senior technical saxophonesand electronic
writer at Varian Ion Im- wind instruments.
plant Systems.
LeesDunnYunits’78 of LeesDunn
Yunits"78releaseda children’sChristmas
album.
26 Berldee
today
Spring1996
L.A. NEWSBRIEFS
Best wishes to one and all for
an excellent 1996.Several events
are currentlyin the planningstages for L.A.-areaalumni,including
two seminars. Thefirst will deal
with the subject of musicsupervision and will be focused toward
songwritersandthose in the field
of film andtelevision. Essentially,
it will examinethe processof getting songs into soundtracks. The
secondwill be a follow-upto last
year’s successful seminar on music editing softwareandwill again
be hosted by Apple.
Discussions with the National
Academy
of Songwritersfor a joint
showcaseare underway.There will
also be several social events during the year, the first of whichwas
the January21, annualbrunchheld
at the Hyatt on Sunset.
Manythanks to Gary Burton,
MakotoOzone, Jeff Lorber, Alan
Broadbent, Ernie Watts, and Joe
Williamsfor providingan evening
of outstanding entertainment at
the Houseof Blues last November 8 [see the "NARAS
Toasts
Berklee"article on page4]. In an
enthusiastic review, the HollywoodReporter credited GaryBurton with "a scorchingset," characterized Joe Williams’ musicas
"crowdpleasing" and "brilliantly
blue," and describedthe event it-
self as "a highlyintelligent evening
¯.. by no meansmerely academic." Thankyou also to the many
alumni who supported this
event--the turnout wasgreat.
As for alumni in the news...
songwriterReed
Vertelney
"80has
written several tracks for the next
Luther Vandross album and cowrotethe title track for Luther’s
recent albumThis Is Christmas.
Healso pennedthe end-title tune
for the upcoming
Bette Midlerfilm
The First Wives Club. Woodwind
specialist JustoAlmario
’71 has just
released a newsolo albumentitled
Count Me In, featuring Russell
Ferrante, Will Kennedy,DaveValentin, and Abraham
Laboriel
’72.
In the worldof film music:Alan
Silvestri ’70 addedFatherof the
Bride, Part H and GrumpierOld
Mento the long list of hit movies
he has scored. Severalalumnihave
also been busy scoring made-fortelevision movies.MishaSegal"75
scored Have You Seen My Son?
for ABC,Lawrence
Shragge
"77 did
Blue River foi; Hallmarkon Fox,
and Ed Alton "76 composedthe
soundtrack for A Perfect Life
which aired on UPN.
That’sit for now.Stay in touch.
Peter Gordon’78, Directorof the
Berklee Centerin Los Angeles
Among
thosewhoturnedoutfor the NARAS/MusiCares
tributeto Berklee
in
November
were(fromthe left) Sheldon
Sondheim
"80, AIf Clausen
’66,
Leanne
Summers
’88, Terri LyneCarrington
’83, andJohn
Robinson
"75.
Spring1996
RECORDS
Subjects:Richie Sambora,AI Di Meola- Roundbacks:1992 Collectors’
Series, Custom
Legend- Location: 2nd andBoardwalk,AsburyPark, NJ
Photo:Jeff Sacks
For moreinfo: OvationGuitars, P.O. Box507, Bloomfield,CT06002
Visit OvationOnline at: http://www.KamanMusic.com
Ant-Bee] "81 of Carolina
Beach, NC, released his
third CD, Lunar Muzik,
which features the exmembersof the Mothers of
Invention, the original Alice Cooper Group, Daevid
Allen of Gong and Soft
Machine, and Harvey Bainbridge of Hawkwind.
Mark Maxson ’81 of
Ogden, UT, recently arranged and played guitar in
the Frightmares Musical
Revue at Lagoon, the largest amusement park between Denver and the West
Coast.
Songwriter Kevin McCluskey ’81 released This
Distant Light backed by
guitarist Duke Levine, and
such artists as Vance Gilbert, Ellis Paul, KevinConnolly, and Catie Curtis.
KenSelcer ’81 of Cambridge has released a CD
with the band Somebody’s
28
Berklee
t o day
°Ovation
Sister. &;annie
Deva’75 producedthe vocals and faculty memberLarry Finn "86
played drums with Larry
3acks0n "86 on bass. The
band also features vocalist
Jill Stein..
t.ynne Vadala "81 of
Dorchester, MA, and her
quintet, which includes
drummer Bob Moses, bassist BruceGertz’76, guitarist
Jim B0ran’78, and pianist
Bob Baughman
’78, performed for Boston Summer
Stage ’95.
JohnZoltek"81 of Seattle, WA, conducted the
Philadelphia tier orchestra
at the Tennessee Southern
honors Orchestra Festival
for Young Musicians, and
was the conductor for the
Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra Recording Project.
TomLove’82 has recently been appointed national
...becausethe worldisn’t flat.
marketing manager for
electronics by the Kawai
America Corporation.
Tomwill be responsible
for marketing and promotion of Kawai’sdigital pianos, synthesizers, and
MIDIperipherals.
Faculty members Lauren Passarellii"82 of Boston andLesItarris, Jr. ’83
of Hampton, NH, are
working with the band
Get Back performing a
tribute to the Beatles.
Violinist
Benjamin
Smeall ’82 of Green Bay,
WI, is playing in a duo
with a classical guitarist
and with the Wanderer’s
String Quartet.
MikeWood
’82 of Clinton, NY, had his original
compositions played at the
Jazz Kick-Off Concert
given by the Hamilton
College Department of
Music.
Lenni Moore’83 of Los
Angeles, CA, just returned
from Moscow where he
was recording music he
composed for the documentary film Trinity and
Beyond with the Moscow
Symphony.
MarceloBragaSaralegui
"83 of BuenosAires, established a program in music
production at the high
school level at Escuela Ort
in Buenos Aires. The students learn MIDIapplications, digital recording, and
music synthesis.
JamesCarpenter’84 of
Mt. Airy, NC, is playing
with the country-rock
band Smokin’ Oak, which
released a CDtitled A Fine
Mess.
StevenCorn’84 of Van
Nuys, CA, is music supervisor for the new Tim Curry/Jennifer
Grey movie
called Lover’s Knot.
Spring1996
LoveNotesFrom
’.The Bass
FEATURING
.....
Harvie
Swart~
BASS
Randy Klein
PIANO
"Lov~
NOTES
CLEARLY
FROM THE BASS
DEMONSTRATES
JUST
HOW STRONG A PIANO AND BASS
LindaLorence
’87, newSESAC
V.P.
AI Cardill0 "84 of Fresh Meadows,
NY,played bass with the Giora Fledman Trio on their recent European
tour.
Jeff Homey,’84 of Madison,WI, is
teaching at Madison Middle School
2000 as a computer resource teacher.
He also plays trombone with the
Glenwood Moravian Trombone
Choir.
StevenJohannessen
"84 of Irvine,
CA, was invited to the State of the
World Forumin San Francisco, sponsored by the Gorbachev Foundation.
Steven was the only multimedia artist invited to the forumand his digital art was part of the opening and
closing of the multimedia presentation. Attendees included George
Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Maragaret Thatcher.
CharlesCarlini "85 of NewYork,
held a jazz guitar workshop series
with guest guitarists Jack Wilkins, Pat
Martino, Ted Dunbar, and Tal FarlOW.
Sandy
PalmerGrassi’88
Spring1996
\ DUO PERFORMANCECAN BE."
(The Judge)
To
ord
e F
¯ local recordoutlets
call 1-800-871-5261
(majorcredit cardsaccepted)
senda checkor money
order for $15.00
(includesshipping&handling)
to:
P.O. Box 523
PlanetariumStation
New York, NY 10024-0523
Boston saxophonist HenryCook’85
has released a CDtitled Dimensional
Odyssey with the Henry Cook Band
for Accurate Records. The disc features drummerBobbyWard"62, pianist Jacques Chanier’78, trumpeter
Cecil Brooks, and bassist Brian McCree, and was recorded live at the
Willow Club in Somerville, MA.
dayReithel "85of Las Vegas,is currently on tour as the drummer for
the Broadway production of the
Who’s Tommy.
Daniel Canter ’86 of Watertown,
MA, and co-owner Mark Weltner of
Notable Productions received ASCAP’s 1995 Special Award for Composers, and produced the Virtual
Guitar, Aerosmith’s CD-ROM
game.
Scotty C. Brubaker’87 of Sioux
City, IA, is working as an educator
and musician and should have a CD
out shortly on the Corn Brew label.
Linda Lorence’87 of NewYork,
has been promoted by SESACto vice
president of writer/publisher relations.
JohnChristopherMcCaffrey
"87 of
Coconut Creek, FL, is drumming
with the powerrock outfit Fuel, and
working with his own band E103
whose CD.How was just released.
Gerald Nlorano’87 of NewYork,
has begun first-year studies at Dickinson School of Law.
Percussionist and composerStepbano Musitano"87 and his 20-piece
group Sunday Tea Ensemble have released Echo of a City on the Swedish
label Slask.
Arvin Scott ’87 of Athens, GA,
completed his doctorate in percussive arts from the UnionInstitute.
Keith Weterkamm
’87 is a NavyPetty Officer 2nd Class and will be returning shortly from a six-month deployment from the Middle East
aboard the’, guided missile frigate
U.S.S. Gallery.
DrummerBobbyBorg ’88 of Oakland, CA, has been touring with the
rock group Warrant, and will heard
on their upcoming album.
Recording engineer Sandy Palmer
Grassi "88 of Cliffside Park, NJ,
worked on the new Grease Broadway recordings
with Rosie
O’Donnell and Brooke Shields, and
Berklee
today 29
Kyle Esposito’89 of Madison, CT,
is the songwriterand bassist of Fourth
MELBAYPRESENTS
House, which has released their first
CDtitled The Flood.
Peter Grant’89 of Encino, CA, has
signed a publishing deal with Warner
Chapel Music and is pursuing a reRETROSPECTIVE
cording contract.
Transcribed by Dan Bowden
"COIviPO$tTJONS"
Flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny
’89 is director of developmentfor the
Emily Remlerwasa completejazz artist. Shemade
San Francisco Jazz Festival, and has
standardsher own,with interpretations that came
released the CDRed Reflections for
directly from her soul. Herflawless techniqueand
Monarch Records.
personalsoundmarkedher a masterof the guitar,
Emilywasalso a prodigiousimproviser,with a true
Nick Bomleny
"90 of Ft. Laudercommand
of the jazz language.Certainly not the
dale
is
president
of ARTAFAX/Egg
least of Emily’stalents washer artistry as a comRecordings, his own Art and Music
poser.OnMay4, 1990,the jazz world lost not only
a brilliant performing
artist, but also oneof its most
company, and has released his CD
promisingyoung
composers,
In Emily Remler’sbook,
titled Next In Line.
youwill find someof her best selectionsof music,
suchas, "Blues for Herb," "East to Wes," "The
MichaelCiano’90 of Freehold, NJ,
*Book MB95579--$10.98
Firefly," andmore.Songselectionsare presentedin
and RichardLupescu
"90 are publishCassette
MB95579C--$15.00
notationandtablature.Thismagnificentcollectionis
CD
MB95579CD--$15.98
ing
a
resource
guide
for musicians in
availablefromHelBayPublications.A definite choice
the
New
York-New
Jersey
area called
for all guitarists.
*plusshipping
andhandling.
the Nebula Music Magazine.
Bassist JaremirItenzak ’~0 of the
CzechRepublic, released his first CD
called Getting There Together which
featured piano player Ruba StankFax 1-314-257-5062
iewicz’90.
Order Toll Free 1-800-8-MELBAY(1-800-863-5229)
~--~
Vocalist and keyboard player PamMelBayPublications, Inc. ¯ #4 Industrial Dr. * Pacific, MO63069
ela-Sue Mann"90 of Astoria, NY, is
working at Australian Music InterMarilyn Home’sThe Menin MyLife.
pet, vocalist Sherma
Andrew
’94, He- national, and has been on tour with
MauricioMarques
’88 of Sao Pau- lio Alves-’90on piano, BradHaffield Arista Recording artists the Real Mclo, Brazil, has been playing keyboards "76 on synthesizer, FernandoHuergo Coy in the U.S. and Germany.
Muthspiel"90
with someof Brazil’s top pop artists
’92 on bass, GuillermoNoiechowicz Guitarist Wolfgang
such as Gal Costa and Leandro e "8~, on drums, and AmaroLaria on of NewYork has released Loaded,
Leonardo, he has supplied keyboard percussion. The group recently per- Like New for Verve Records. The
tracks to a numberof CDsand is also fomed with trumpeter Claudio Rediti disc features bassist Tony Scherr,
"70 at the Regattabar in Cambridge. drummer Kenny Wolleson, and percomposingjingles.
Saxophonist Donny
McCaslin
"88 of
MetroNarcisi ’88 of Warwick,RI, cussionist DonAlias.
Brooklynis in the band E1 Eco along is the bandand choral director at West
DrummerDave Cowan’91 of Atwith alumni MarkGreel "83 on trum- Warwick High School and is doing lanta, has been playing with the Dave
recording sessions for jingles and other projects.
lan Rich ’88 of Studio City, CA,
has been working with Trevor Horn
in L.A. and Londonand has started a
record label called SmogRecord,’;.
Vibist Toshiro Akamatsu
"89 of
Saitama, Japan, has formed a new
band with alums Kazuhiko
Michishita
’87 on guitar, ShinichiSat0"91 on bass,
and MarkDeR0se"85 on drums. He is
also teaching at the TokyoConservatoire Shobi.
TedArmstrong
"89 of Wellesley,
MA, is the keyboardist in a blues
band called Walk That Walk, which
released their self-titled debut CDon
DmitriMatheny
"89
Shiretown Records.
Wolfgang
Muthspiel’90
Emily Remler
Retrospective/
"’Compositions"
30
Berklee today
P,emIer
Spring1996
~
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media Incorporated.
Justin Petty "93of Boston, received his master’s
degree from Boston University and is a full-time
,Brass
.Sales
faculty member of Rox*Woodwind
.Repairs
bury CommunityCollege,
.Strings
.Rentals
.Percussion
where he designed communications courses.
Jurge, Schwab’93 of
Hanau, Germany, is a music journalist for the FrankYour Source
furter
Allgemeine Zeitung,
For the Finest Namesin
one
of
the country’s largProfessionaland
Brass & Woodwinds
personalservice by
est daily newspapers.
Keyboardist Timothy
EMILIO LYONS
Noel Qu6naultVine ’93 of
Servingprofessionalmusicians,students, musicschoolsanduniversities since 1939.
London has been working
with such artists as Malcolm McLaren, Bill Bruford, Kiri te Kanawa, and
263 HUNTINGTON AVE.,
BOSTON,
MA 02115
Art Farmer. His group
(NEXT
TO SYMPHONY
HALL)
617-266-4727
Brain is currently recording their debut CD.
Patterson Band, and toured for the YMKIlabel
bassist Kevin"Tut"Kennedy Guitarist MikeChlasciak
Germany and Taiwan with
DavidSteeBe
’91 of Nash- ’89, who recently retuned ’94 of Bayonne,NJ, has reAbsence of Color. He also ville is playing in songwrit- from a national tour with leased a CDGrind Texturprogrammed drum tracks
er John Prine’s band. CritHypnotic Clambake with
al Abstraction with the infor two cuts on Walter Bea- ics have described David’s alumni ManryRosenberg
"87 strumental
metal trio
sley’s Private Time CD.
work as "shimmering lead
andMarcChillemi’91.
Isolation Chamber.It feaThayerDeMay
"91 (a.k.a.
guitar."
Joyce Anderson"93 of tures Tomkazon bass with
Spaceman) of Boston, was
Bassist IvanBodley
’92 of Nyack, NY, is a fiddler
Ken Tondre on drums.
featured in Keyboard mag- NewYork, played the Bot- with Celtic-bluegrass band
RickKrainak"94 of Maazine’s "Discoveries" col- tom Line with the Uptown the McKrells, and recently ple Shade, NJ, is an account
umn in November 1995.
Horns Revue.
played at Carnegie Hall.
manager for Disc Makers,
He is releasing a CDon his
JaniceMarie ColaneriBryanBelier "93 of Hol- one of the nation’s largest
WayCool/Ratboy label.
Craine’92 of HoIly Spring, lywood is the bass player independent CDand casWoodwinds player An- MS, is releasing her debut for Dweezil and Ahmet sette manufacturers. Rick is
nie Hilsberg"91 of Berlin album entitled Dove, which Zappa’s band Z, and
also playing blues and jazz
and her group Yulara have consists of funk-gospel and worked with Fender on a guitar around the Philadelreleased as self-titled CD r&b gospel stylings.
newiine of basses.
phia and NewJersey areas.
for the Higher Octave laDan Fox ’92 of Boston
Tomomi
Hirano’93of ToPianist Cornelius
Claudio
bel.
and his Dixieland group kyo, is the president of A1- Kreusch’94 was amongthe
Bassist Michael Kar- Made in the Shade, which
wowski ’91 of Pittsburgh,
features alumni Pau~Dosier
PA, is touring the Mid-At- "90 on tuba, Crick Diefenlantic area with ESP.
dorf ’91 on banjo, John
Kathy Maskell ’91 of McLe~lan ’92 on drums,
Tewksbury, MA, was reNathanCook’95 on sax, and
cently appointed assistant
Barbara Larongu on trumorganist for the Fleet Cen- pet, releasedtheir self-titled
ter. She also owns Music- debut CD.
Guitarist SteveSpungin
WorksStudios in Billerica,
MA.
’92 of Boston,is in the band
Composer/pianist Yumi- Animal World with alumko Murakami
"91 and bassist
ni Colin O’Dwyer
’90, WinGustavoGregorio’91 have stonMaccow
"82, Pat Loomreleased Blue Light Osaka is "92, andPernellSaturnino Fromthe left, bassistAnthony
Cox,drummer
Marvin"Smitty"
with their
15-piece
"93. Spungin has formed Smith"81, pianist CorneliusKreush"94, andsaxophonist
Yumikonian’s Orchestra
Farther
Complex with
Kenny
Garret, featuredon Kreush’s
BlackMudSound
album.
]IMPROVE YOUR SAX LIFE
32
Berklee today
Spring1996
five finalists in the 1995Great
American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, FL. He
has also released the CDBlack
MudSound,whichfeatures saxophonist KennyGarrett, bassist Anthony Cox, and drummerMarvin
"Smitty"
Smith
"81.
Vincent
Lebrun
’94, RudiAppaid ’96, Thierry Lafayede
M’Cheaux’95,
JohnBurk’94, and
PaulDosier"90, are members
of
Dixie Machine.The group performedthroughout Switzerland
last summer.
Drummer
RobertMark’94 of
Zurich, is touring Switzerland
with the J.M. RhythmFoes, and
presenting workshopsfor Sabian cymbals.
Nathaniel Morton’94 of
Dorchester, MA,is currently
touring with Grammy
winners,
All 4 One.
ComposerEddiePhoon’94
composed a piece on a commission from the Chesapeake
ChamberPlayers. The piece,
"Springtime,"wasgivenits premiere at CarnegieHall on January 13.
Takeshi
Asai’95 of Boston,
is in the band Kaleidoscope
with fellow alums Youngse0k
Min"95 on guitar, StefanHeld
"95onbass,andMartinBernet
"94 on drums. Their debut CD
is out now.
JonDowling
"95 of Springfield, MA,has becomeand endorserfor Latin Percussioninstruments.
Guitarist Mastaneh
Nazarian
"95of Rockville, MD,received
a grant to fund a one-yeartour
of Australia.
MUSICAL
RECONCILIATION
Montrealnative Nell Smolar"74
never gave muchforethought to becominga film composer.He majored
in arrangingandcompositionat Berklee mainlyto get a long viewof music, but his ultimate goal wasto becomea great jazz guitarist. Hegot
the best of both worlds; guitar lessons with Pat Metheny(who was on
the faculty then), and writing courses with Paul Schmeling,HerbPomeroy, Phil Wilson,and JohnBavicchi
Smolarwas swept up in the wave
of enthusiasmfor jazz in Bostonin
the early 1970s."It waslike Paris at
the turnof the century," he states.
"Comingfrom Canada, and being in
schoolwith students like MikeStern,
Jay Azzolina, A1DiMeola,and Claudio Roditi, I just thoughtall Americans were that good."
After graduating,he pursueda performing career. Onesummer,while
backin Canadafor somegigs, he got
an offer to score a documentary
film.
"It wasa lark that I got to do that
film," he recalls. "It is pitiful whatI
knewabout film composingthen."
That connection led Smolarto an
affiliation with the prestigious National Film Board of Canada. When
offers came in from the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation and private film companies,he relocated to
Canada.Heplayed jazz at night and
did film workduring the day.
"Asidefromgetting very tired, I
was torn about mydirection," he
says. "I enjoyedfilm scoring, but I
couldn’t maintain myguitar practicing routine. I felt I washeadingaway
frombeing a player."
As film offers got better, it was
apparent whichdirection he should
follow. Doorsopenedwider in 1993
after he scored the miniseries The
Boysof St. Vincent.Thefilm received
the Prix de Romeand was named
best film at the Cannesfestival.
Dieppe, his next big film project,
earned Smolar a Geminiaward--the
Canadianequivalent of the Oscar.
Smolarhas reinvested heavily in
his career to attract high quality
projects. "Budgetsin Canadaare notlarge enoughto competewith those
of Americanfeatures," he says. "U1-
Nell Smelar’74
with’95Gemini
Award
timately, I wantto do majorfeatures.
For Dieppe, I spent the musicbudget
and $30,000 of my own money to
hire the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra, the best studio, andbest engineer
in Toronto. WhenI met with people
in L.A., I hada great portfolio."
One of the top agencies in Los
Angeles, Film MusicAssociates, now
represents him. "Stan Milan&r,Jeff
Kaufman, and John Tempereau at
Film Music Associates have become
friends," says Smolar."Theygave me
the opportunity to work with producer Dorothea Petrie on Captive
Heart---TheJamesMinkStory, which
will air this winter on CBS."This
introduction to the Petrie family-royalty in Hollywood’sfilm industry--bodes well for Smolar’sfuture
in Americanfilms.
He has also reconciled formerly
competingdesires: playing jazz versus film composing."On Dieppe, I
crossed the Rubicon," he says. "I
wouldn’tlet myselfwrite froma technical approach. I’ve learned where
the best places to start andenda cue
are, and the shapeeachshouldhave.
madesure that I wrote everythingin
reaction to the film. I amwriting to
picture, but I feel I can nowexpress
myself in a way I might have been
able to do on guitar by this point.
"Whenyou get beyond the mechanics and write from your heart,
there is no greater chargethan hearing the musicyouwrotein yourbasement sounding phenomenal."
EddiePhoon
’94
Spring
1996
Berklee today 33
THINKABOUT
THEBARIPROGRAM
Berklee AlumniRepresentatives (BAR)visit dozens of high schools, conferences, and college fairs
each year, talking about their Berklee experiences
and answering questions about the college from
talented young musicians.
If you are interested in sharing your time and
talent to help us reach the next generation of music
industry leaders, call us at (800) 421-0084,or mark
the BARinfo box in the alum notes form on page
30. We will send you more information on the
BARprogram along with an application. Join us.
FINAL CADENCE
JackSparko’74 of Easthampton, MA, died on October 2, 1995of a heart attack. He was a percussion
player and had recently
been writing songs, performing, and rehearsing
with bands in the East-
hampton area. He leaves a
son Steven 11, a daughter
Andrea 13, and his wife
Janice.
Saxophonist, educator,
and composer Larry Waldr0n ’75 of Anchorage, AL,
died July 1, 1995. He and
his mother, Marcie Trent,
a nationally noted mara-
thon runner, were killed by ophonists Seamus Blake
a bear while training on a and Antonio Hart, and
McHughCreek trail near drummer Leon Parker. She
Anchorage. Larry was a leaves her parents Mario
noted jazz and pop perand Josefina Rossy, and
former in Alaska.
two brothers.
Pianist I~iles McKensie ShaneHolland "95 of
"91 of Los Angelesdied ac- Westfield, MA, died Nocidentally
on November vember 28, 1995, after be18. He was 26. Before reloing hit by a train. Shanewas
cating to L.A., Niles was in a jazz pianist. Heleaves his
several
noted Boston
parents, Robert and Barbands. His band Apology bara Holland, three brothplaced second in WBCN’s ers, and three sisters.
Rock and Roll Rumble in
Word has also reached
’91. Niles leaves his parents us that WilliamPatterson
’74
Francis and Norma McK- of Kendall Park, NJ, Simanensie of Weymouth, MA. galisoTutani’81 of Harare,
Pianist Mercedes
Rossy Zimbabwe, and Clarence
’92 of Brooklyn, NYdied Baine "49 of Hot Springs
November23, 1995, of in- National Park, AZ, have
testinal cancer in her native also passed away.
Barcelona, Spain. She had
Professional race car
been an active jazz perdriver MarkThornton
’80 of
former in NewYork playSan Diego, CA, died Noing with such artists as sax- vember 23, 1993.
ALUMNOTESINFORMATION
FORM
Full Name
Address
City
State
ZIP
Country_
~1 This is a new address.
Your Internet address:
Last year you attended Berklee
Did you receive a
Phone
Q
Degree
~ Diploma?
Please give details of newsworthyperformances, recordings, music projects, awards, recognitions, or other
events you wouldlike us to knowabout (please print or type, use a separate sheet if necessary):
Q
~
Send me more information on the Berklee Alumni Representative program.
Send me more information on becoming a Berklee Career Network advisor.
Pleasesendthis form,alongwithanypublicity,clippings,photos,CDs,or itemsof interest to:
Berkleetoday,BerkleeCollegeof Music,1 i40 BoylstonStreet, Boston,MA
02215-3693.
Internet address:[email protected]
34 Berklee
today
Spring1996
~deo and Audio
Berktee
will
is now available
have about
application
for
majors,
student
Berklee
picture,
grow over
time,
via the World Wide Web. The initial
the college,
admission.
life,
and allow
Included
in the site
and performance
through
interviews
as resources
them to
expand,
the
is
intended
Admissions
is background information
opportunities.
and short
query
site
to answer questions
Department
for
sound clips
to make room for
of college-produced
a variety
of other
interest
potential
students
more information,
on the collecje’s
There are also video and audio files
that
mission,
that
recordings.
areas.
and/or
faculty,
help to {ill
The site
an
facilities,
in the whole
is
expected
Check us out at...
to
CODA
Connectzv,,ty
Timothy Edwards ’8’7
years ago, I didn’t knowwhat the WorldWide leases and tour informationof established acts. WhenI
B wo
Web(W.W.W.)
was, nor did the cryptic inscription realized that manyof the people that I wasdiscussing
http://www.iuma.com/IUMA/bands/23_Futurists/mean this music with ran commercialand college radio staanything to me. I was, as Brian Eno once described tions, I put a requestout to the list askingfor airplay for
himself, technologically naive. But that wastwo years mymusic. Within two days I received 20 replies. As a
ago. Now,through the internet, I am connected with result, mymusic is being played in America,England,
people around the world. Someone
in Italy, Japan, En- Australia, Japan and Moscow
(Moscow,Idaho that is).
gland, or elsewhere can listen to and read about my Throughthis request, I havealso receivedinquiries from
musicalcollective, 23 Futurists, without leaving home. various other musiciansand video artists interested in
The W.W.W.has opened new avenues in the music collaborating. ThomasDolby even sent me e-mail reindustry. It is possibleto be discoveredon the internet. questing a tape. Thepowerand potential of the internet
Those whosign talent at a label can and do browse reveals itself "whenyou consider that it took only five
IUMA
(the Internet UndergroundMusic Archive) where minutes to composeand send mye-mail request.
there is a virtual menuof unsignedbandsandartists. Yes,
All of this has developedeven though I have played
DavidGeffenis surfing the net.
live as 23 Futurists only once. Thatwasat the Electronic
Theinternet is cost efficient as wellas effective. Imag- CafeInternational or E.C.I. (http://www.metawire.
corn/
ine being able to simplye-mail your URL(webaddress) ecafe/) in Santa Monica. I had heard about them and
to a label instead of mailingthemcostly cassettes, DATs, called to learn what they were about. WhenSherrie
or CDsthat you maynever see again. Labels can audition Rabinowitzof E.C.I. asked mehowI had heard of them,
your music and "bookmark"your URL(saving it)
I told her that I wasa musicianandthat I had heardabout
share their newfind at the next A&R
staff meeting.
E.C.I. throughan ambientmusiclistserv. She invited me
There is also a wonderfulimmediacy
to the internet. to E.C.I. so she could hear mymusic. She asked if I
Within two minutes of calling ToddWilliams at IUMA wouldlike to do a set there. SinceI wasstill putting my
(800-850-4862)
I wason-line! Toddfeels that a webpage project together, I hesitated--until she told methey would
is becoming
a critical part of an artist’s overall promo- be broadcasting mymusic to Tokyoand Toronto.
tional strategy. Toadvertise the release
Five dayslater, I playedto a live
of your album, call IUMA
and they will
audienceat E.C.I. in Santa Monica,
provide you with camera-ready art
while beamingmyset to sites in Towhich might say, "Be sure to see 23
kyo and Toronto simultaneously.
Futurists on IUMAat: [your URL]."
Not only could I see myaudiences,I
Whyis that important? Someone
in Iowa
was conversing with them. "Konbacan see your ad, pull up your band’s
wa," someone said from Japan.
page on their Netscape web-browser,
"Goodevening to you," I replied.
read it, and mostimportantly, listen to
Twodays later I wascontacted by a
your music.It is try it then buy it--the
promoterin Liverpool, England,reoldest marketingtool in the book.
questing myparticipation in a teleE-mail(or electronic mail) connects
collaborative ambientmusicshowon
you with the rest of the world. Bysubthe internet. Hehad read the e-mail
scribing to a listserv (an electronic subI sent to the ambientlist announcing
scription whichis topic specific), I was
myE.C.I. gig to membersin Japan
able to discuss and learn about newreand Canada.
The internet is a very powerful
ComposerTimothy Edwards’87 can be
Timothy
Edwards
"87: "Those
who tool. The W.W.W.connects pages
reached at http://www.iuma.com/
signtalentat a labeldobrowse
RIMA. and people. Lookat the connectivity
IUMA/bands/23_Futurists/
Yes,David
Geffen
is surfing
thenet." you could have. See you on-line. ~
36 Berklee
t o da y
Spring1996
Here’sfive ho!plugs
& JamMan
To~hasbeen
extending
theguitar’s
sonic
boundaries
formany
years.
Inthei994
Readers’
Poll
inGuitar
Player
~/agazine,
hewas
voted
"Best
Experimental
Guitarist".
Lexicon
processors
have
alvays
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~a~ becomeOneo~ my very be~t ~riend~, and Vortex i~
a ,benignlyP~Ychoticvisitor ~romanotherP,lanet. "
1~c~1l~g shockedthe bass world in ~994
with
hisdaring
release,
Thohk,
This
record
heled
p h~m
win
theA"Bassi
of the Year"
~.~oaa~
,~ r~ayer
o .......
ho.......
~agazme3
Readers’
Poll,
lon~im~
fanofLexicon
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~anring
hasrecently
begun
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with
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and
Vortex,
taking
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Anew
album
is duein~995,
"Vonex ana Jam~an o~er an immense
rangeo~ exeitin~ newcreative Po~ibilitiea..,
plugo~le
in yoursellf,,
It’s no secret that Le:~c~ra~lS~g~t~IIeffect~
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effects processors are also affordable,
and they’re also used by the world’s
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~ why not check ’era out for
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-
~aOica,
Grammy
Award-winning
comp0ser/trumpeter/keyb0ardist
~[~_~ ,~ ~ musical effects
processor on
1N~aa’k
ll~h~a~
hasusedLexicon
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]amiqan
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~dm
scores,
~ncluding
a
a set of A~)pa~e~a,~l~aa
Ho,e~or visit yore: autho[orthcoming
soundtrag
album
~orthe[~lm
"Wate~orld. rized dealer now.
"Impre~gve.:~eatty impressive, vv~ex
and JamManreatty Stve ~pace and
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Le~a~
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asoneof thefinest
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today.
Her
pristneguitar
sound
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been
called
"remarkable"
and"fluid"
byMusician
~laaz
g ne
Anewsoloalbum.
Words"
is dueinmid.~995,
’Tam.an ha~ become an e~ential
aaaition $or live pe~v~anee~ ~ ann
composingtv~l. a$ well a~ a welcome
I~ geeing ~Ome8rear new ~Oun~
~romVomex,"