1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

Summer1996
Bcrklec
to
y
A Forumfor Conte~mpor~zry
Musicand Musicians
14
19
AIf Clausen
’1~;6: Theinsidestory on
scoringthe hil: series "TheSimpsons"
Windsof Cha.ge:A CDprice increase
up ahead?
SUMMER ¯
1996
VOLUME ¯ VIII
NUMBER ¯
1
Contents
LEADSHEETby David Mash.
BERKLEEBEAT
Honorary degrees for Pat Methenyand Patti LaBelle, new trustees,
Bill Bresnahanprofile, faculty notes, visiting artists, and more
ON THE COVER:Composer
Alf Clausen ’66 speaks about
scoring "The Simpsons." Story begins on page 14. Cover
photo by Jim Hagopian.
AGAINSTALL ODDSbyJulie Pampinella
Record numbers of internatonal students come to Berklee each year;
some have sacrificed much for the opportunity .
12
PRIMETIME
TUNES
by Mark L. Small ’73
Composer Alf Clausen ’66: An inside view from one of Hollywood’s
top TV composers
14
WINDSOF CHANGE
by Peter Alhadeff
Recent U.S. music consumption and pricing patterns indicate
an industry-wide reorientation maybe on the horizon.
19
OTHERDOMINANTS
by Jeff Friedman 79
Alternate approaches to dominant chord substitutions
22
ALUM NOTES
News, quotes,
and
recordings
CODA:by Anna Tonsinskaya
Music and Freedom
of
note
........
24
’87
36
LEAD SHEET
Berklce t o d ay
A Publication
of the Officeof Institutional
Advancement
Editor
MarkL Small’73
Copy
Editor
Stephen
Melisi
EditorialBoard
A New
Challenge
David
Mash "76
RobHayes
Director
of Public
Information
JudithLucas
Director
of Publications
Lawrence
McClellan
Jr.
Dean,
Professional
Education
Division
LarryMonroe
’70
Associate
VicePresident
for International
Programs
I:)onaldPuluse
Dean,
MusicTechnology
Division
Joseph
Smith
’75
Dean,
Professional
Writing
Division
Officeof Institutional Advancement
John
Collins
VicePresident
for Institutional
Advancement
MarjorieO’Malley
Director
of Development
Beverly
Tryon
’82
Director
of Corporate
Relations
PeterGordon
’78
Director
of theBerklee
Center
inLosAngeles
SarahBodge
Assistant
Directorof Development
for Alumni
Relations
ChickaOkamoto
Assistant
to theVicePresident
for Institutional
Advancement
As the alumni-oriented music magazine of Berklee
College of Music, Berklee today is dedicated to informing, enriching, and serving the extended Berklee community. By sharing information of benefit to alumni about
college matters, music industry issues and events, alumni activities and accomplishments, and musical topics of
interest, Berklee today serves as both a valuable forum
for our family throughout the world and an important
source of commentary on contemporary music.
Berklee today (ISSN1052-3839)is publishedthree times a year
by the BerkleeCollegeof MusicOffice of Institutional Advancement.All contents ©1996by Berklee College of Music.
Sendall addresschanges,pressreleases, letters to the editor,and
advertising inquiries to Berklee today, Box333, BerkleeCollege of Music,1140Boylston Street, Boston, MA02215-3693,
(617) 266-1400,extension 325. Alumniare invited to mail in
details of activities suitable for feature coverage.Unsolicited
submissionsaccepted.
2
Berkleetoday
~’~ ome
of you reading this may knowme from when
wewere ..students (1973-76--I was a composition
major and guitarist), or from whenI was a teacher
(1975-83--harmony, arranging, ensembles, and ear
training),
or from my days as Music Synthesis
Departmentchair (1984-89), or from morerecent days
as assistant dean of curriculumfor academictechnology.
AsI write this article, I havea newrole as vice president
for informationtechnology.
Embarkingon this newchallenge, I looked around to
see howmuchtechnologyhas changedour lives over the
past 15 years--as musiciansand as citizens in society.
Innovationssuch as the compactdisc, desktopmultitrack
digital recorders, MIDI,digital samplers,affordablekeyboard workstations,MIDIwind,string, guitar, bass, and
percussion controllers, and personal computers have
changedhowwecreate, perform, produce, and distribute
our music.Faxmachines,cellular phones,personalpagers,
personal computers,the internet andworld wideweb, and
electronic mail have changedhowweaccess information
andcommunicate
with one another.
In 1945LawrenceBerk set out to create a newtype of
school to focus on contemporarymusic and prepare studentsto face the challengesof the fast-pacedmusicprofession. Hewantedto build a school whichwouldnot only
be different, but better. Hehas beenquotedas sayingthat
"each September,wenot only start a newyear--westart a
newschool!" I keepthis in mindalways.
AsI begin mynewrole, I look to waystechnologycan
serve us as wec, ontinueeachyearto create a newBerklee,
a differentandbetter Berklee.Weseek to enablestudents,
faculty, andstaff to better communicate
with one another,
andto providegreater access to educationalresourcesfor
supporting students through their journey to Berklee,
their studentyears, their professionallife, andas members
of the Berklee alumni community.
For those whoare online, I invite youto visit our world
wide website at http://www.berklee.edu/ and to send
email to meat [email protected].
Let’s participate in
continueddialog, and discuss howwecan better take
advantageof technologyto serve our goals of building a
connected,online Berkleecommunity
of active musicians,
life-longlearners, friends, andcolleagues.
Theseare excitingtimesto be alive, andI feel fortunate
to have the opportunity to contribute to the continued
growthand successof the college.
Summer
1996
Berklee b e a t
METHENYAND
"Release Yourself," "Lady
and "When
LABELLE
HONOREDMarmalade,"
You’veBeen Blessed." The
on Hollywood’s "Walk of
Fame," a Grammyaward,
and the Congressional
This year’s academic
cal- song choices celebrating Black Caucus medal. He
endar cameto a close on a Pat Metheny’s work also praised her untiring
high note for Berklee’s includedearly tunes suchas efforts for a widerange of
Class of 1996with a com- "Phase Dance," and later charitable organizations:
N~’cg.us of not8
mencementweekend hon- entries like "John McKee" Nine-time-Grammy
oring vocalist Patti LaBelle and "Minuano." A high winner Pat Metheny was
from about
and guitarist/composerPat point was a string quartet introduced by President
Metheny. Their achieve- rendition of Metheny’s Berk as one who has
town and
ments were celebrated at song "Jaco." It featured "reshapedthe voice of jazz
the May11 commencement brilliant passageworkand’ guitar," andadded"vibrant,
around the
concert and again on soloing by violinists Evan imaginative, and enduring
Sunday,May12, whenthey Price and Felipe de Souza, contributions to the jazz
world
each received honorary andviolist ValentinGregor, repertoire."
doctor of musicdegrees.
and energetic walkingbass
Among the personal
For
the
concert, lines from cellist Ina reflections Methenyshared
Berklee’s
Yo Team Kemmerzehl.
with graduates as the comProductions staff and 31
After the concert, Pat mencementspeaker, was
student singers andinstru- Methenysaid, "It is an this insight, that "perhaps
mentalists (all but seven incredible honor to be the most important comwere graduating seniors) invited to return in this mitmentyou can makeis to
presented a tribute to the capacity.It is a little over- the music fan that lives
music of LaBelle and whelmingbecause it does- inside of you. Find out just
Metheny.Selections from n’t seem that long ago-- whatit is about musicthat
Patti LaBelle’sspectacular although it has been 22 knocksyouout. In that dis35-year career included years now--sinceI taught covery,you’ll find mostof
at Berklee. Whateverthe what you need to knowto
vibeit is that is the Berklee take you wherever you
thing has traveled well over needto go."
the decades. It is hard to
Summingup the weekknowwhatto say about: the end’s events afterwards,
musicaltribute. It is so rare Patti LaBellestated: "I’ve
to hear mymusicplayed by beeninvolved in manyceranybodyelse. Thosetunes emonies, but never anyare sucha part of me,it was thing like this--I have
an unbelievable experience neverreceived a doctorate.
just to sit there and hear That is something most
everybodyplaying them." people will never experiAt the commencement ence. It is very special. My
ceremony, President Berk family members flew up
chronicled Patti LaBelle’s from Georgia and other
successful career and the parts of the country to be
Honorees
Patti LaBelleandPat Metheny
withPresident many awards she has here today. This is an honor
Berk.Metheny
wasthe 1996commencement
speaker.
received--including a star I won’ttake for granted."
Summer
1996
Berklee today
3
A 13ERKLEE
SAILUTETOTHEARTISTRYOF MILT HINTON
Jazz bassist Milt Hinton,
who has taken nearly
40,000 photographs of fellow musicians since the
mid-1930s, brought some
of his best pictures to
Boston in February for an
exhibit
sponsored
by
Berklee. The exhibit was
part of Berklee’s Black
Music Celebration during
this 50th anniversary year.
Thirty-six photographs
hung in the Oliver Roomat
the
Massachusetts
Historical Society until the
exhibit closed on March1.
On February 13, the 85year-old Hinton traveled to
Boston from his NewYork
City hometo give a slide
presentation of his photographs and to receive an
honorary doctor of music
degree from Berklee. The
evening ended with a
gallery reception and viewing with Hinton.
Nearly 100 people
attended the evening’s
events at the Massachusetts
Historical Society, including Berklee students, alnmhi, faculty, staff, trustees,
directors of the Historical
Society, media representatives, and jazz fans fi~om
around the city. Also in
attendance were Hinton’s
wife Mona, and David
Berger and Holly Maxson,
whohave collaborated with
Hinton in organizing his
photograph collection and
in publishing his two books
of photographs.
"Milt Hinton continues
to be an inspiration as a
musician, educator, and
photographer," President
Lee Eliot Berk said in his
remarks before conferring
the degree upon Hinton.
Amongthe photographs
Hinton discussed during
his slide presentation were
images of a forlorn Billie
Holiday during her final
recording session, a picture
of Branford and Wynton
Marsalis as teenagers, and a
group shot of Hinton’s
favorite bass players.
The
octogenarian
Hinton began working as a
freelance musician in the
late 1920s, and has performed with a long list of
jazz greats, including Art
Tatum, Cab Calloway,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Ben
Webster, Billie Holiday,
Coleman Hawkins, Duke
Ellington, John Coltrane,
and Count Basle, to namea installed at the Historical
few. He has also performed Society building, and overwith contemporary artists
saw the organization of the
such as Paul McCarmey, event.
Branford
Marsalis, and
vocalists
Barbara
St>
eisand
and
Bette Midler.
Trustee Rod
Nordell suggested the idea
of bringing the
Milt Hinton
photographic
collection to
Berklee as a
50th anniverevent.
sary
Susan
Mrs.
Berk made all
arrangements
to have the
Milt Hintondiscusses
his photoswith
fellow bassistFabianBausch
’96.
photo exhibit
Yo~ur Source for the
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The "Hubof Musicin Boston"
263 Huntington Avenue
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FAX (617) 266-1517
Next to Symphony
Hail
Bassistandphotograpl~er
Milt Hinton(right) withLeeEliot
Berkafter HintonreceivedBerklee’shonorary
doctorate.
4
Berklee today
Contact: Lee WalkowichClass of ’81
Summer
1996
ZILDJIANANDCOFFEY
JOIN BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
Craigie
Zildjian
William M. Davis, chair of
Berklee’s board of trustees
announcedin March,the appointment of Craigie Zildjian, North
Americangeneral managerof the
AvedisZildjian Company,
and Jack
Coffey, president of CoffeyMusic
Company,
to the boardof trustees.
In welcoming
the newtrustees,
Berklee President Lee Eliot Berk
stated, "Weare pleasedthat these
two individuals whohave demonstrated such long-standingdedication to the future of musiceducation haveagreed to join our Board
of Trustees. As welook towardthe
next50 yearsof the life of our college, weare thrilled to add such
accomplishedmembersto our governance body."
Vice Chair of the Board at
Zildjian, Craigie was also named
North Americangeneral manager
of the companyin 1995. She has
demonstrated a lengthy commitmentto musiceducationby initiating various musicscholarship programs,includinga scholarshipfund
at Berklee in the memoryof her
grandfather, company founder
AvedisZildjian. Additionally, she
has workedwith Bostonmusiceducators to help launch Zildjian’s
Inner City Program,offering percussionclinics to Boston-areahigh
schooland middleschoolstudents.
Zildjianearneda master’sin education from BostonUniversity, an
M.S. in personnel and human
resource
management from
Summer
1996
JackCoffey
AmericanUniversity, and has studied guitar andpiano.
Jack Coffey,president of Coffey
Music Company in Norwood,
MA,has a long history of supporting music education. A former
president
of the National
Association of Music Merchants
(NAMM),
he currently serves
the boardof directors for both the
AmericanMusic Conference, and
the NationalAssociationof School
MusicDealers. Coffeyis a trustee
of the Foundation for the
Advancement of Education in
Music, and an active memberof
organizanons
such as the
MassachusettsCoalition for Music
Education, the International
Associationof Jazz Educators,the
National Band Association, and
the Music Educators National
Conference.Coffey is a trombonist and a graduate of Boston
University’s
School
of
Management.
Board chair Davis also
announcedthat long-time Berklee
trustees Arif Mardinand Armand
Zildjian will now join Quincy
Jones ’51 and industrialist Genko
Uchidaon the college’s Boardof
Overseers. Mardin,vice president
of Atlantic RecordingStudios, has
served on Berklee’s board of
trustees since 1984. Armand
Zildjian, father of Craig[e, and
chair of the Avedis Zildjian
Company,
has served on the board
since 1984.
MOORHEAD
TO CHAIR
SYNI"H DEPARTMENT
After an extensive search for a
newchair for the MusicSynthesis
Department, Jan Moorhead has
been namedthe department’s new
head. Hebrings to the post a diverse
experiencefromhis workas a musician, composer,educator, and as a
director of creative services in the
multimediaindustry.
Moorhead grew up in the
Detroit area and earned his undergraduate degree in music from
Michigan State University. He
movedto Los Angelesin 1977. He
worked,extensivelyas a jazz bass[st
there, performingwith artists such
as Eddie Harris, PonchoSanchez,
Nat Adderley, ShermanFerguson,
and others. Healso operatedPulse
Music--a music production company wherehe created soundtracks
for video, CD-ROM,
multiscreen
slide shows,andother projects.
Hereceived his master’s degree
in ethnomusicology
fromCalifornia
State Universityat LongBeach,and
pursued[further post-graduatestudies in electronics andprogramming.
He served as a faculty memberat
California State University at
Dominguez Hills and at Long
Beach City College, where his
duties included teaching jazz
improvisation, bass and guitar,
MIDI,musicbusiness, and directing
ensembles.
Moorhead has frequently
pennedtechnology-relatedarticles
for Db,ElectronicMusician,Start,
and other magazines.Beforecoming
to Berklee,he servedas director of
creativeservicesat Dynamix,
a division of Sierra On-Line,the largest
producerof entertainmentsoftware
for the PC.
Hestates, "I’mdelightedto come
to Berkleeat a time whendramatic
changes are taking place. The
department
is particularlyinterested
in helping implementthe college’s
goal of effectiveandappropriateuse
of technologyin education.Berklee
is a change from the corporate
world of multimediadevelopment.
Theopen and creative atmospherehereis a real pleasure."
Berklee
t o day
5
Video and Audio Clips
Berklee is
will
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 query
expand,
is
information
There are also
sound clips
to make room for
intended
the Admissions
is background
opportunities.
and short
site
to answer questions
Department
on the college’s
video and audio files
of college-produced
a variety
for
of other
interest
that
potential
more information,
mission,
that
recordings.
areas.
faculty,
help to fill
The site
students
and/or
an
facilities,
in the whole
is
expected
Check us out at...
to
THEGUITARS
OFSUMMER
For this year’s Berklee Summer
Guitar Sessions, guitar faculty will
offer two weeksof intensive guitar
instruction on both the East and
West coasts. The L.A. session will
July 21-27. Sessions will be held
on the campus of ClaremontMcKennaCollege, in Claremont,
California. The Boston sessions
will begin August 18 and wrap-up
Saturday, August 23.
Each day will be filled with
instruction on a range of topics.
Fretboard harmony classes cover
scales, modes, and chord
~,
voicings. Style work- .
shops will explore~
blues,
jazz,
rock, ~
metal and fusion ~.2
guitar
styles.
~
Ensemble
work~
shops will pair gui- ~
tarists with top area
~
bassists and drummersto
rehearse for a concert
performance at the end
of the week. Clinics and
concerts by faculty as
well as guest artists are
scheduled throughout
the week. Past guest
artists have included
Abercrombie,
John
Michael
Fath, Ben
and Carl
Monder,
Fender’s1995scholar.~hip
winnerswith Fender
Verheyen.
representative
George
Blodgett
(center).
Tuitionis $425 ($375
Fender
is
a
major
sponsor
of
the
1996
sessions.
for alumni). Roomand
-boardcost is $200.
The registration deadline for
Additional housing information
will be sent ut~on receipt of a the L.A. sessions is June 28, for
completed registration torm.
the Boston sessions, the deadline
The Berklee Summer Guitar
is July 31. For further information
Sessions are directed toward electric
call (617) 266-1400extension 619,
guitarists of all ages. Participants
511, or 2.94. The fax number is
must be at least 15 years old.
(617) 375.-9228.
give perspective.
VALUEOF ENDOWMENT
The size of the endowment of a
college is often seen as a measureof
the quality of the institution because
of the flexibility it provides to meet
college needs---crises or opportunities. In a way, an endowmentis an
insurancepolicy for a college’s future.
Berklee’s endowmentwas created
by gifts and funds generated within
the college and the reinvestment of
income earned by our funds since
1945. A Boston Globe article noted
Berklee’s endowment had the best
growth amongNewEngland colleges.
Berklee’s conservative policy of
spending from endowment, established by our trustees, allows for
spending up to three percent of market value each year. This is belowthe
four to five percent spending average
of manycolleges. It is required to provide for real endowment growth
beyond inflation in these relatively
early years of our college’s life until
external giving sources can provide
that neededincrease.
Manythink that because our $70
million endowment
is relatively large
and well managed, we do not need
contributions.
The following may
Summer
1996
In 1995, Harvard’s improvefinancial aid amidfederal cutper-student
endowment
was backs, meet newstaffing needs to sup$393,514, Berklee’s was $28,478.
port academic technology, and cover
Berldee’s ranked 172nd in a national maintenancecosts of newfacilities.
survey of the endowmentsof 308 priBerklee has remained strong in a
vately funded colleges. Our endow- period of demographic declines in
ment is about the average amountfor potential students. Because of our
a collegeBerklee’ssize.
attractive contemporary music proBecause the endowment has so
grams, we are well positioned to
manydemands upon it, Berklee must increase enrollment as demographic
seek alumni, parent, corporate, and and economic conditions improve.
foundation support. Overall donor Our investments are solid. Thoughwe
support at Berkleeis far belowthat at have used endowmentreturns to meet
most colleges (less than twopercent of operating budgets, those amountshave
total revenues). As a young school been modest. Increasing the endowwith many international alumni, we ment through institutional advancedo not have a long tradition of exter- mentefforts will enable us to increase
nal giving. Therefore, we must contin- endowmentspending on scholarships
ue to allow for a portion of the return and. capital improvements.
from the endowmentto be reinvested
Thanks to Berklee’s strong endowto provide for Berklee’s future needs.
ment, we are not asking our donors to
Presently, we are making many giw.~ to charity, but rather to invest in
improvements to the college which music education. This will keep the
have been paid for by borrowing.
college strong and enable us continue
Total outstanding debt is approxito prepare talented, innovative stumately$21 million, and is projected to dents for successful careers in music.
reach $45 million in comingyears as This will :further increase the value of
we complete facility upgrades, wiring a Berklee education for past and
campusnetworks, and keep pace with future generations.
contemporary music and educational
technology. The debt is repaid from --DaveHornfischer, Vice President for
operating funds while we try to:
Administration
and Financeand Treasurer
Berklee today
7
THEMASTER’S
PROGRAM TWOYEARS
LATER
Berklee’sfirst foray into graduate
education, the cooperativemaster of
musicdegreein jazz studies, started
twoyears ago andthe first graduates
of the programhave received their
degrees. Berklee entered into this
agreement with the Boston
Conservatory during the 1993-94
schoolyear andthe first twostudents
entered jazz performancecourses in
the fall of 1994.Bythe fall of 1995,
offerings expandedto include two
other options--jazz compositionand
jazz pedagogy--andenrollment grew
to 10 students.
AlthoughBerkleeplays an assisting role in this program(under the
current charter, the college cannot
grant graduatedegrees),there are distinct benefits derived from this
arrangement.Half of the 32 required
credits are taught byBerkleefaculty.
The conservatory awards credit,
maintainsstudent records, andissues
the degreeitself, androundsout the
curriculum by offering courses in
their areaof specialization.
Graduatetraining has alwaysbeen
a doorwayto teaching in post-secondary institutions.
While most
Americanuniversities require the
doctoral degree for full-time employment, manycommunitycolleges hire
full-time instructors with a master’s
degree. Aswell, recent specifications
by the Massachusetts Departmentof
Education state that K-12 teachers
should have a master’s degree for
standardcertification.
In the cooperativeBerklee-Boston
Conservatorygraduate program, the
composition emphasis expands the
student’sstrengthsin jazz writingar~d
related topics of formand orchestration. Throughinstruction in traditional andjazz composition,the sindents refine their skills to develop,
evaluate, edit, and orchestrate their
musical ideas. The pedagogyemphasis providesthe studentwiththe skills
necessaryto teachin a variety of areas
withina schoolor collegejazz studies
program.There is special focus on
developing strengths in arranging,
performance, improvisation, al~d
teaching methods. The performance
emphasisincreases students’ performanceskills throughprivate lessons,
improvisation, and ensembleexperiences. Thecurriculumprepares graduates for professionalperformance
;as
well as teachingpositions related to
jazz performance.
Applicationfor admissionis made
first to the Boston Conservatory.
Berkleeadmissionspanels consisting
of faculty and administrators then
reviewa candidate’s materials. Some
financial assistanceis available from
both institutions. For informationon
application requirementsand financial assistance, call either Officeof
Admission. The phone number for
the Boston Conservatory is (617)
536-6340,extension116; for Berklee,
(800) 421-0084.
--Bob Myers, Associate VP for
AcademicAffairs~Curriculum
PianistTony
DeBIois,
a blind,autistic,musical
savant,
received
his performance
diploma
in May.CBS-TV
is planning
a movie
about
his life’s story.
8
Berklee
t oda y
KAOINFOSYSTEMS
FUNDSSCHOLARSHIP
Kao Infosystems Company
of Plymouth, MA,a leading
manufacturerof CDs,recently
established a $10,000endowed
scholarship at Berklee. The
Kaoscholarship will. benefit
students pursuing multimedia
course work within the Music
TechnologyDivision.
In conjunction, Berklee is
workingwith Kaoto produce a
CDCROM
project showcasing
various careers in multimedia
titled "Virtual Vocations."The
project, whichis scheduledfor
completion this summer,combines the musicaltalents of students enrolled in Berklee’s
interactive multimedia class
with the multimediaauthoring
skills of Berklee’sdigital media
developmentemployees.
Kao’s Director of Human
Resources,Bill Grovetant,has
found the collaboration to have
manybenefits. "Kao’spartnership with Berklee has allowed
us to create a quality product
by tappinginto the creative talent and multimedia acumen
which you don’t find at many
colleges," he said. "Weare very
excited about working with
Berklee, and we are pleased
that the Kaoscholarship will
support continued student
involvementwith multmedia."
Doug Roerden, media
development specialist at
Berklee,expressedsimiliar sentiments:
"The CD-ROM
offers our students a tool for
practical training in multimedia, and will provide an excellent introduction to new
careers in newmediafor high
schoolandcollege students."
Berklee’s partnership with
Kao Infosystems began in the
fall of 1995whenthe company
madea gift to the college of
5,000 CDsto be packagedwith
the college’s history, Berklee:
TheFirst Fifty Years.
Summer
1996
GOIN"UPCOUNTRY
Bres was looking for more
structure in his guitar studies
whenhe ran into Bill Leavitt and
was impressed watchinghim read
throughparts at a bandrehearsal.
Lawrence Berk later brought
Leavitt onto the Berkleefaculty.
In his years of study with
Leavitt, not only did Bresfind the
structure he wasseeking, but he
wasalso introducedto the Boston
music scene. Hewent to all the
clubs whereLeavitt playedto listen andlearn. Leavitt got Breshis
first club gig backingup singers.
WhenLeavitt becamethe chairman of Berklee’s
Guitar
Department,Bres was one of the
first instructorshe hired.
Bres can look back on a long
and rich teaching and performing
career. His musical path has led
him to becomeacquainted with
someof the finest players in the
business. He and the late Wes
Montgomery became good
friends. Oneof his fondest memories is of a dayin a local clubwhen
WesMontgomery
said to him, "I
wantyou to go up and play a couple of tunes for mybirthday."Bres
went up and sat in with
Montgomery’srhythm section,
including the great WyntonKelly.
Lookingback on his years at
Berklee,Bresstates, "It seemslike
it went by very fast--until the
final weeks.Thenit was kind of
like the week before Christmas
whenyou are a kid." Bres looks
forwardto life at his newhomein
NewHampshire where he plans
to pursuehis manyother interests
like running,hiking,target shooting (he saysit’s great for developing focus), expanding
his laser disc
collection, and learning more
aboutanimalrights.
Berklee has been fortunate to
have a teacher like Bres for the
past quarter of a century, passing
on the rich heritage of jazz guitar
to newgenerationsof guitar stu~
dents.
--Steve
Carter
’80
Bill Bresnahan:
ABill LeavittproAssociateProfesso~Guitar
tege,retiringafter25years.
WhenBill Bresnahan reaches
over to pick up the guitar, you
knowyou’re going to hear what
he calls "a little pieceof business,"
a finely polishedjazz gem,played
with subtlety and swing. His goal
as a teacher has always been to
pass on these gemsand tips he
pickedup fromthe masters. After
25 years of teachingfor Berklee’s
Guitar Department,Bres (as he is
fondly knownby his peers and
students)retired in May.
Bres attended the original
Schillinger Housein the 1950son
the G.I. Bill. Theentire student
body at the time numberedabout
forty, and he was one of only two
guitar studentsat the schoolstudying with TedSimonelli. There was
only one big band at the school
then, but there wasalso a "combo
ensemble." Bres remembersthat
the teacher, Pete Cutler--who
could play in 7/8 time while talking-would sit at the piano surroundedby students. Eachstudent
wouldtake a turn soloing.
Bres remembersthat as he took
his turn, he thought he wasdoing
okay,but after hearinga tape of the
session, his perspective changed.
"God protects us from knowing
how badly we play," he says.
"WhenI heard the tape I was
shocked!" Cutler’s encouraging
assessment was simply, "So you
just haveto practice."
Summer
1996
Jerry Bergonzi
I I11,11~11
I~’~1
;ilDi’Il,l:t I [~1~|1:1;I
I :!,1
VOL, 2 "PENTATONICS’
(124 page book w/CD) $ 29.95
Manyof the great modern players have
pentatonics at their command
and melodic
disposal. The book orovides a practical yet
creative approachto assimilating pentatonics
into your melodic musical reservoir. Theauthor
has taught this methodover manyyears and it
has proven ~o be very successful.
Chordchanges are included for C Concert, B~
and E~, instruments.
The accompanyingrecording has been design.ed
for use in conjunction with the text. Thereare
18 tunes for you to play along with, featuring
Renato Chicco on piano, Dave Santoro on bass
and AdamNussbaumon drums, plus eight
demonstration tracks performed by the author
on tenor sax.
also
available
VOL.
IL "MELODIC
STRUCTURES"
A step by step methodfor learning to play
over chord changes.
(96 page book w/CD) $ 29.95
-fhe system presented in this volumeprovides
a tangible pathwayto inside the creative
imagination by getting inside harmony,inside
the changes. There are nine tunes to play
along with, each played at a slow and then
mediumtempo, plus 12 demonstration tracks
performed by the author on piano and/or tenor
saxophone. Chord changes and examples are
transposed for all instruments.
"MELODIC
STRUCTURES"
(VHS-Video) $ 49.95
11 lessons with master teacher/saxophonist
Jerry Bergonzi, based on his above method.
Published by ADVANCE
MUSIC
Available from your favorite music supplier or
directly from the publisher:
ADVANCEMUSIC
Maierackerstr. 18. 72108 Rottenburg N.
Germany
Phone: 07472 - 1832 ¯ Fax: 07472 - 24621
GALACELEBRATION...
On Saturday evening, October 19,
Berklee will celebrate the second
annual Encore Gala at the Harvard
Club of Boston.
Twenty top faculty and student
ensembles will present performances
in a range of contemporary musical
styles--jazz, gospel, blues, rock, big
band, reggae, bluegrass, and more-in eight nightclub settings. A silent
auction featuring treasures ranging
from autographed guitars to one-ofa-kind works of art will go on
throughout the evening.
Last year’s gala raised over
$100,000, with proceeds benefiting
the Berklee City Music (BCM)program, a programwhich assists at-risk
Boston youth. BCMreinforces the
college potential of talented Boston
high school students through the
summer performance program and
year-round mentoring.
For sponsorship opportunities,
call Director of Corporate Relations
Beverly Tryon, at (617) 366-1400,
extension 660.
INCREASEINCOMEAND
REDUCE
TAXES
The Berklee Plan can help you
reduce income taxes, capital gains
taxes, gift and estate taxes. Howdoes
it work? You transfer assets to
Berklee for free professional management. You will then receive
incomefor life, and the college owns
the assets. Youreduce tax on capital
gains and can claim a 1996 charitable
deduction.
For information on the plan, call
Vice President of Institutional
AdvancementJohn Collins at (617)
266-1400, extension 450.
10 Berklee
today
FACULTY
NOTES
Percussionist Victor Mendoz.a Lewis Nash on drums.
participated in the opening of the
Trombonist TomPlsek, and
International Percussion Weekin bassist JohnVoigt performed in
Mexico, and conducted several
"Cage for Trombone," a concert
clinics.
presented by the Mobius Artist
SaxophonistBill Pierce’s latest
Group featuring music by comCDEpistrophy is on the Evidence poser John Cage.
label. The disc includes one Pierce
Berklee’s Vice President of
original, and tunes by Thelonious Administration DaveHornfischer
Monk,Sonny Rollins, and pianist
and his wife Elsa cowrote Mother
Donald Brown.
KnewBest: Wit and Wisdom from
Composer Thomas McGah the Mornsof Celebrities for the
received a commission from the Penguin/Plume publishing comMassachusetts Cultural Council to pany. Featured are words from the
write a composition for the
mothers of Sting, Duke Ellington,
Concord Band. "Reflections of George Gershwin, Van Cliburn,
Emerson," based on the writings
Dolly Parton, and 96 other rooms.
of Ralph Waldo Emerson and
Guitarist Leo Quintet0released
scored for concert band with nar- the CDNothing Serious, featuring
rator was premiered in March.
five of his pieces. Bassist Oscar
Guitarist DanB0wdenhas tranStagnar0is also on the disc.
scribed the work of blues great
DrummerSkip Haddenreceived
Fred McDowell for a book pub- a service to music education award
lished by Mel Bay Publications
from the Polish National Ministry
entitled Fred McDowelhThe Voice of Culture for his efforts over the
of Mississippi Delta Blues Guitar.
past 10 years in affiliation with
DeannaKidd received an award Poland’s Jazz Society.
marking 20 years of service in
Trombonist Hal Crook headmusic education at the March 4 lined a March 11 concert backed
Womenin Music Event.
by guitarist Mick Goodrick ’69
RobinCoxe-Yeldham
received an and drummer Paul Motian to a
award recognizing her 20-year
packed Berklee Performance
career and her contributions as a Center. The event was sponsored
womanin audio at the 99th Audio by the National Endowment for
Engineering Society (AES) interthe Arts, and launched their
national convention in NewYork. month-long tour of Europe.
Vocalist IV~ili Bermej0
released
NYCRecords has released saxher fifth album, Identidad, for the ophonist GeorgeGarz0ne’s latest
Xenophile/GreenLinnet label.
album Zoning In. The disc also
Accentuate the Positive is a CD features saxophonist Joe Lovano
celebrating the music of Harold ’72, keyboardist Joey Calderazzo,
Arlen, performed by trombonist
bassist John Lockwood’77, and
Phil Wi~s0n and pianist P~ul drummerBill Stewart.
Schmeling.
DonPuluseengineered
Pianist DeanEarl, saxophonist
and coproduced the recording.
Bill Thompson,
bassist RonMahdi,
Guitarist MikeIhde and song-- and drummer(Berklee trustee) Rod
writer Pat Pattis0n were awardeci Rerdell performed at a Fulbright
the 1995 Country Songwriter of Award ceremony at Harvard’s
the Year award
by the
Fogg Museumin May.
Massachusetts
Country Music
Bassist BruceGertz released a
AwardsAssociation for their song new CDtitled Discovery Zone fea"Love Her or Leave Her to Me."
turing John Abercrombie ’67,
Pianist TimRayreleased Ideas Jerry
Bergonzi
’69, Joey
andOpinions, his first recording as Calderazzo, and Adam Nussbaum
a leader on the GMlabel. The CD playing a selection of Bruce’sorigfeatures Rufus Reid on bass and[ inal compositions.
Summer
1996
SPRING
VISITINGARTISTS
For the spring semester,
the Visiting Artist program
brought some of the top
performers, songwriters,
composers, and music business professionals to the
college for a closer look at
what has madetheir careers
so special.
The MP&E Division
brought sound designer,
keyboardist, and producer
mancesand guest clinicians
Pat Martino, John Scofield,
and Mike Keneally.
Larrydacobson,
director
of recording administration
for MCARecords, gave a
seminar on the workings of
major label A&Rdepartmentpractices.
Saxophonist Joe L0van0
held a question and answer
session, played standards
JimmyJam
Joe Lovanoworkswith faculty drummer
JameyHaddad.
Jeff Bova and engineer
John Jansen to present a
number of master classes
and studio demonstrations
during their five weekstay.
Bassist Jeff Andrews,
sideman
to
Michael
Brecker, Wayne Shorter,
Mike Stern, and a host
other jazz artists, gave a
bass master class in March.
Poll winning guitarist
MikeStern presented a discussion and mini concert to
a packed Performance
Center audience on March
28. That evening, guitarist
Lent Stern (Mike’s wife)
joined guitar faculty Robin
Stone, Lauren Passarelli,
and Abigail Aronson in a
concert celebrating women
in music.
This year’s Guitar Week,
April 16-20, featured a
record i3 faculty perforSummer
1996
with a piano trio, and then
Attorney LaurenDavis
free improvisation witlh the discussed how entertainAfrican drum ensemble.
ment lawyers shop a deal
AnneBraithwaite and for musicalartists.
Brian Colemanof Boston
Cuba’s premier Afromusicpublic relations firm Cuban drummer Ignacio
Braithwaite
and Katz,
Berr0a, fielded questions
shared tips on how new about his work with Dizzy
artists can get the media Gillespie, Jaco Pastorius,
exposure they need for a Wynton Marsalis, McCoy
career boost.
Tyner, and others.
Jazz pianist and rausic
Top Latin jazz pianist
therapist Dr. Louise
Montello DamiloP~rez’88 returned
conducted a discussion and to campusto participate in
demonstration of techPiano Weekactivities.
He
niques for achieving a also performedin a concert
stress-free performance.
celebrating
women in
music with vocalist Lalah
Hathaway’90 and drummer
TerriLyneCarrington
’83.
Award-winning recording artists and producers
Terry Lewisand JimmyJam
presented a clinic on the
business of production.
Saxophonist MarkVinci,
spoke about his sideman
work and his new album
Grand Slam.
Above:LenieSternandfaculty member Lauren
Passarelliat the BPC.
Right: Vocalist/guitarist
Jonathan Butler gave a
clinic anda concert
as part
of the February Black
MusicCelebration
1996.
Berklee today
11
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Against
by Julie
B
the Odds
Pampinella
n a recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher
Education, experts voiced concern over dwindling
enrollments of foreign students at American colleges
and universities, placing the national average at three
percent. In stark contrast to that trend, Berklee’s Office
of the Registrar reported that for the spring semester
international students accounted for a whopping40 percent of the student body.
"Berklee has always had a high profile with international students," says Larry Monroe,associate vice president for international programs at Berklee. "From the
start, Lawrence Berk was devoted to making Berklee an
international place of learning. Even back then, the Voice
Fulbright scholar Ignace Ntirushwamaboko,
his wife
Marianne,
andsonsChristopher
(left) andChristian(right)
12
Berklee today
of America would broadcast jazz by Berklee players in
Europe, building Berklee’s reputation over the airwaves as
the place to study popular music." Since then, Berklee has
developed a reputation as a place where players from
around the world could communicatein the international
language of music.
UnlikeAmericanstudents, getting accepted to the college
is onlyhalf of a foreignstudent’sbattle. In additionto financial issues and a paper chase with the U.S. Immigrationand
Naturalization Service, hundredsof foreign students makea
calculated risk pulling up roots and comingto Boston to
pursue their musical dream. Not surprisingly, somestudents
havelived epic tales in their journeyto Boston.
"I walked 100 kilometers in these shoes," says
singer/songwriter
and keyboard player Ignace
Ntirushwamaboko,
pointing to a pair of once-white leather
sneakers, tattered along the perilous path that stretched
betweenwar-torn Rwandaand the refugee camps in Zaire.
Enroute, Ignace and his family witnessed the unbelievable
brutality of the 11994conflict betweenthe Tutsis and Hums.
A radio journalist, Ignace was forced to flee Rwanda
when the capital fell. The ill-equipped Rwandanarmy
urgedthe populationto flee, and led a massexodusto Zaire.
"There were a million people in the street," Ignace recalls,
still amazedtwoyears later.
During the dangerous trek with his then-pregnant wife
Marianneand their youngson Christian, the family somehow eluded the gunfire which killed manyaround them.
Even as he steppedover bodies, Ignace’s faith in Godgave
him the hopethat his family wouldsurvive.
Ignace had the same conviction that they would somehow makeit to Boston, and Berklee. He had been acceptSummer
1996
ed almost a year before his escape. At a
refugee camp set up on a runway in
Goma,Zaire, he managedto get the
attention of Voiceof Americajournalist Larry James, on assignment in the
region. Throughthe efforts of James,
the U.S. Information Agency,Berklee,
and the Fulbright program, Ignace
receiveda Fulbright scholarship, a student visa, and the chance for a new
beginning for himself and his family.
Nowa second-year student, Ignace is
writing songs inspired by his experience.
Sometimes, although the student
mayhavefilled all necessaryqualifications for entry into Berklee, political
red tape can keep him or her from
entering the United States.
"Despite mucheffort on the part of
the student and the college," says Luca
Benedetti, international advisor in the
Office of Admissions, "in some countries the consulate will choose not to
give the student a visa. Undeterred,
manyof these students will keep trying."
This begs the question whyforeign
students flock here in such numbers,
despite a morass of complicated forms
and financial and political obstacles.
According to Ignace, Berklee was the
logical choice of the manyschools he
considered for someof the most obvious reasons. "Berkleewasthe first college to respond to myinquiries, and
had the best choices of majors and
classes in the catalog. I sawthe list of
musicians that studied at Berklee and
they were people I listened to in
Rwanda."Jorge Farall, a student from
Argentina, echoes, "If you’re into
music, you read everything you can
about your favorite musicians," he
says. "I found that myfavorites--Al
DiMeola, Steve Vai, and Joe
Zawinul went to Berklee."
Another reason Berklee is so popular abroad, according to Monroe, is
that Berldee gains manystudents who
have exhausted opportunities in their
own countries,
or who lack the
resources to study music in their
homelands. If the musicians can’t
makeit to Berklee, Berklee will eventually makeit to them. The international outreach programsare a big factor in Berklee’s appeal abroad. Since
1985, Monroehas directed Berklee’s
"On the Road" programs which bring
Summer
1996
faculty membersto
Germany, Italy,
Japan, Argentina,
and elsewhere for
clinics and scholarship auditions.
Thirty-six-yearold Argentinean
Farall wona partial
tuition scholarship
at an "On the
Road" audition
tour. A pianist and
MIDI enthusiast,
he had exhausted
the music education NeguiCapriles"96:"Many
takea risk now.If their econresources available omygetsworse,they’ mightnot havethe chance
later. "
to him in Buenos
Aires. The scholarship afforded him the chance to come Venezuela, "Myfamily wanted me to
to Berkleeand Bostonwith his wife. In stay with myfather’s band," she says,
his switch to music, he left behindthe "but I knew what I wanted to do. I
promiseof a career as a pediatrician. "I applied to Berkleesecretly, and visited
don’t think I had the nerve to handle the college during myvacation."
being a pediatrician and seeing people
Negui also hopes one day to raise a
suffer," he says.
family--something which is nearly
Despite Farall’s strong desire to impossible on the road. "Becoming
study music, the decision to turn his an arranger would allow me to have a
back on a medicalcareer wasdifficult.
homelife," she says. It wasdifficult to
Like manyin Argentinean society, his leave financial independence behind
parents--both physicians~don’t view and becomea student, relying on my
musicas a career. This madehim seriparents again."
ously ponder his choice. Lookingback
]Economicrecession in Venezuela
on it he laughs, "Whenpeople back has made her budget even more tight
homeask what you do for a living, and than when she enrolled at Berklee
you say you’re a musician, they say three years ago. "Last year, inflation
’yes, but what do you work at?’"
in Venezuelawas up 300 percent. This
Whenhe receives his degree a year year, it rose another 100 percent. It
from now,Jorge plans to workas a pri- costs me maybe 15 times as muchto
vate teacher, and composeand arrange study now."
for musicaltheater.
While Berklee’s international numLike Farall, Negui Capriles also bers are healthy, it is a continualeffort
gave up a career to study further.
to keep attracting international stuThoughshe was first trombonist and dents. Inflation and currency devaluacodirector of Los Melodicos, one of tions leave students who formerly
Venezuela’s hottest big bands, which could afford to enroll for four years
her father leads, Negui had grown scraping to pay for two. Nevertheless,
tired of living on a tour bus and play- they continue to come despite the
ing until 4:00 a.m. Her ambition is to financial hardship. Capriles says,
composeand lead a less hectic life.
"There are no schools like Berklee in
"I was at the top of the ladder in Venezuela. People are taking the risk
what I was doing, and really couldn’t now, because if their homeeconomy
get much further with the band,"
gets worse, they might not have the
Caprilles states. "I wantedto create chance later. I know manywho come
and have the opportunity not to play, to Berklee with whatever they have,
but to arrange and compose for Los apply for’ scholarships, and gig as
Melodicos and other bands. I needed muchas possible. Studying here is an
the tools to be a more complete musi- investment. Going back to Venezuela
cian." Like Jorge Farall, Neguiexperi- with a degree from Berklee, you can
enced familial pressure to remain in do very well."
~
Berklee
today 13
Primetime
Tunes
ComposerAlf Clausen’66 is riding
high underscoring "The Simpsons"
by
~yf
Mark
L.
inding through Coldwater
Canyon in Beverly, Hills
~/~’ with Alf Clausen 66 on
the way to a "Simpsons" spotting
session, the conversation is wide
ranging. By nature Alf is good humored, erudite, and unpretentious
to a point belying his stature as one
of Hollywood’s top TV composers.
Traffic lights illustrated the subtext
of our discussion of his bio: Alf’s
arrival as composer was also not
without inconvenient pauses. He
recalls when the celebrated series
"Moonlighting" ended in 1989 after
a four-year run and six Emmynominations for Alf. He says it’s part of
the business--riding high one day
and then, boom, unemployed for
seven months. However, when one
door closes, it seems a better one
always opens for Alf.
His 18 years of persistent dues
paying while seeking his break as a
composeris a lesson in forbearance.
Whenhe came to Hollywoodin 1967,
he freelanced as a teacher, a bassist,
music copyist, ghost composer, arranger-whatever put food on the
14
Berklee today
Small
"73
table and held the promise of a toehold in the business. It took nine
years before he got his first solid
break as an arranger. That ultimate.ly
led to his becoming music director
and conductor for the "Danny and
Marie" variety show. It wasn’t until
1985 when he began "Moonlighting"
that he was recognized as a composer.
Growing up in Jamestown, North
Dakota, Alf studied French horn and
piano. He sang in choirs and played in
the concert band. After high school, he
enrolled at North Dakota State University as a mechanical engineering
major.Awarethat insights to the entertainment industry are rarely uncovered on the Dakotaprairie, All spent a
summerin NewYork City with ihis
cousin--a professional pianist there.
The impact of Broadwayshows, concerts in Central Park, and lessons with
a NewYork French hornist convinced
All to switch his major to music as
soon as he got back to campus.
Correspondence courses acquainted him with Berklee, and ultimately
led to full-time Berklee studies after
graduation from the university. He
PHOTO
BYJIMHAGOPIAN,
BAHT
SIMPSON
iLLUSTR~,TION
COURTESY
OFMATT
GROENING.
SPECIAL
THANKS
TO
GROUNO
CONTROL
STUDIOS
IN BURBANK,
CA
The "Simpsons"
creator
Matt
Groening(left)
calls AIf "oneof
the show’sunacknowledged
treasures."
earned his Berklee diploma, taught at the
school for a year, and then headed for L.A.
To date, Alf has been composer and/or orchestrator, and/or conductor for 28 films, 24
TV series, and 24 movies of the week, and
arranger/music director for several popular
variety shows. He has received seven ASCAP
awards for composition, 13 Emmynominations, and numerousother recognitions.
The 150th episode of the "The Simpsons"
recently aired in 70 countries. The showairs six
nights in the U.S. A new CDof "Simpsons" music provides confirmation that Alf’s contribution
to Americanpopular culture is no joke.
over a bunch of things. I becamefrustrated.
quit the university and cameto Berklee.
I
What were your impressions when you first
arriw3d?
At that time, there were a lot of professional
musicians who would come off the road for
more schooling. The level of the musicianship
was amazing. It was so inspiring to be caught up
in that intensity. There had never been a French
horn player at Berklee, so the minute they
found I played it, I was put into every ensemble
I could possibly play in to add newcolors. Herb
Pomeroyput me in his recording band and I am
on sonae Jazz in the Classroomrecords. I played
all the time.
Whowere your most influential teachers?
There were a lot of magnificent teachers-Bill Maloof, Dick Bobbitt, John Bavicchi, Bob
Share---each had his own strong suit. Herb
Pomeroyhad something that cannot be defined.
It was a way of getting to the heart and soul of
the m~sicvery quickly. I was fascinated by that.
I rememberhim rehearsing somevery difficult
pieces with the recording band. It seemedlike
the music would never come together. Then
we’d begin playing the piece and something
would[ start happening in the room. Youcould
feel this spirit start to rise up out of the music.I
looked at the guy next to meand he was feeling
it too. Wegot into it deeper and deeper, and the
whole band was playing as one unit, going
somewhere we hadn’t been before. It was
spooky, but moving. Whenwe got done, everyone just looked around wondering what just
happened. Herb had this smile on his face that
said, "yeah, that’s whatit is all about."
When did you know you would become a
composer?
It was such a gradual growth, that I can’t
remember one conscious decision to go into
that profession. As a student at North Dakota
State University, I found it difficult to get answers to questions I had about the entertainment industry there. I remembergetting a copy
of HenryMancini’s Sounds and Scores, a popuWhatwas the first door that opened up for
lar book in the early 1960sabout arranging and you in L.A. ?
howit applied to film. I found the bookto be a
WhenI first got to town in 1967, I was doing
revelation about movie music from the compos- a nun~Lberof things--playing casuals, teaching,
er/arranger’s standpoint. Myinstructors didn’t
doing music copying. It took a long time to get
have a complete handle on what this was about.
hired as a writer. I did a lot of piecemealghost
writing. I would write a numberfor a Vegasact
Howdid you connect with Berklee?
here, a jingle there, perhaps an arrangementfor
While I was earning myB.A. in music theoa record. All these things together kept me
ry, I was taking the Berklee correspondence
going. The first real break I got was as an
course to learn about jazz and howto write big arranger with the "Donny and Marie" show in
band music. One of myinstructors took a new 1976.
position at the University of Wisconsin, and
I got a panic call from myfriend, pianist
suggested I come down there to work on my Tommy
Wolf, whowas a special material writer
master’s degree. Their French horn instructor
for the Osmondsshow. He said the music direcwas John Barrows who had been a New York tor TommyOliver needed a last-minute chart
studio player who played on the Miles
by the next day. I stayed up all night and
Davis/Gil Evans records and others. I ended up cranke, d it out. The next day around 11:00 a.m.
hating it there. Theattitude there very anti-jazz.
I got a call from Tommy
Oliver saying I did a
The jazz band wasn’t even allowed to rehearse
great job. He asked me to be an arranger on the
on campus. Barrows and I also knocked heads show. Every week he gave me more and more to
16
Berkleet o d a y
Summer
1996
write. By the end of the season I was arranging
the show’s finales, which were about 400 bars
long. It was one of those jobs with a one day or
a day and a half turnaround. I’d be up all night
and the copyists were picking mychart up at
four in the morning.
The next season, Oliver decided not to come
back, and I was asked to be the music director
for the show’sthird season.
A variety show must have been a great
training ground for the various styles you are
called upon to write in for "The Simpsons."
After the "Donnyand Marie" show," I did a
year of the "MaryTyler MooreVariety Series"
on CBS, and had ghosted for other shows. Not
onlywasit a great training for various styles, but
it was the best place to !jearn to makechangeson
the stand. Youmight fi-hd out that the choreographer and rehearsal pianist want changes in
your chart. Youand all the musicians are in the
studio with the clock ticking and you have to
chop up the chart and still makemusicout of it.
So you learn to think on your feet and communicate with an orchestra. Youare recomposing on the stand, and learning to work under
pressure.
You had a hiatus after "Moonlighting" ended in 1989 before your hiring for "The
Simpsons" in 1990. Howdid the new connection happen?
I was talking to a friend of mine lamenting
my state. He gave me a tip about "The Simpsons." I had been so busy with "Moonlighting"
for years. The series was considered a classic
piece of television, you comeoff of that feeling
pretty good, and then the phone stops ringing.
It is a part of the business everyonehas to deal
with whether you are a cameraman, actor, or
composer. You can get into the depths of self
doubt when it happens.
You must have seen a lot of changesin postproduction technology over the course of your
years in the business.
I don’t think I could have done either
"Moonlighting" or "The Simpsons" without
Auricle [time calculation and synchronization
software]. It is great when changes need to be
made. Before, if a last minute change happened,
you would have to wait while the music editor
physically put new streamers and punches on
the film. Now,after a few keystrokes, they are
in the right place and on you go.
Otherwise, I still work in the old-fashioned
way. I write at an acoustic piano with a drafting
board on the front, and pencils, erasers, and a
straightedge. I have a monitor and a VCRthat
will play picture and time code hookedup to the
Summer
1996
ometimeslate at night, I
amthinking of what to do on a
cue and somebody’sscore I copied 20yearsago will flash in
front of me....
Boorn,myin-
spirationis there,,
Auriclesetup. That’s all I use.
Whatis your weekly schedu~’e like?
Mondaythrough Thursday from 8:30 a.m to
11:30 p.m. I amwriting. Friday morni~.g, before
I go to the spotting session, there is a brief
recovery time, but sometimesI maystill have
cues to write if I didn’t finish on Thursday.On
Friday, the spotting session is at 2:00 p.m., and
the recording session goes from 7:00 to 11:00
p.m. I try to keep Saturday and Sundayoff.
When you begin to write, what comes
first--a melody, a texture, or a chord sound?
Eachcue is different, so I can’t say if I think
of a melodyor a harmonicstructure first. Many
times if there are determinedcues--like if Homer is angry and marching over to someone’s
house--I will center the cue on the pace of his
footsteps, and figure out the tempo and the
groove. Next, I might approach it from a harmonicstandpoint and think of "what will illustrate his anger in that tempo. Manytimes the
melodymaycomelast. It is the moodof the cue
that exists first, but sometimesa melodywill
comefirst, each cue is different.
Some of the cues on the show are simply a
whole-note chord. Are these fairly easy to
come up with?
I have a large repertoire of single-chord emotions that I have workedout--happy, depressed,
angry, hurt, sad--but they are never quite the
same.The character might be a little less sad, or
whimsical and sad at the same time. There are
times whenI have spent two or three hours working on three bars of music. As I play the piano I
mightbe thinkingthis is sad, but too muchso, this
is angrybut it’s too nasty. It is a weirdprocessof
elimination in trying to find the right combination
of notes to conveythe emotion.
Berklee today
17
Whenyou do research to write in a certain
style of music--one episode called for a
klezmer cue--howmuchtime can you give it?
About20 minutes. Part of the charmof this
job has beenlearningto distill the essenceof a
musical style in a very short period of time.
Someoneon the production team says they’d
like a cue to be like a klezmerpiece, but they
mightnot knowwhat that consists of. Production assistants get meclips or CDsandI will listen to a few tracks and figure out what makes
klezmerhavethat sound. ThenI makea spur of
the momentdecision about what makesit seem
like klezmerto these people.
It is a very interesting study becausewhat
klezmer meansto you or me maynot be the
sarfie as what it meansto someonewithout a
musical background.Havingto composesomething that is harmonically,melodically,andorchestrationallycorrect knowing
that I still have
25 or 30 cuesleft to write makesmedistill pretty quickly.
not somethingthat is tremendouslychallenging
creatively,but I find sometimes
late at night as I
am thinking about what to do on a cue, somebody’sscorethat I copied20 yearsagowill flash
in front of me. I start remembering
what Lalo
Schiffi:in did with the high strings and soprano
sax doublingthe lead violin wayabovethe staff,
and howit gave a real intense angst. Boom,my
inspirationis there. It is weirdhowthat happens.
Given the incredible pressure on a TV
series composer,whatis it that makesyou love
this very hard workso much?
On~a televisionjob, the instant gratification
part is; amazing.
I canwrite this relatively large
amountof musicthen record it and hear it the
sameweek.I can take a piece of film with a certain emotion,andthen I havethe powerto make
that emotion go any numberof ways through
the music.If I amastute enoughto pull out the
correct emotion,and if mycraft is goodenough
to enhancethat emotion,the musiccan makeit
10 timesdeeperthanit is onthe film alone.
Whatare some of the more unusual things
WhenI take the music to the studio with
you’ve been called uponto write?
the right players whoare getting the right feel
Thewholemusicalpalette exists on this se- in the studio, it can put goose bumpson your
ries. Mybackgroundas a legitimately trained arm.It goes on tape like that andis preserved.
Frenchhorn player familiar with concert band Tenyears later, I can listen to that cue andthe
goose bumpswill happenin exactly the same
and symphonic
literature, loving rock androll
and r&bin high school, becominga jazz bass- place. I have contributed somethingmeaningist, workingweddings,bar mitzvahs,and back- ful andI can preserveit.
I amvery blessed, howmanyother jobs can
ing singers in shows, knowingthousands of
tunes fromplayingtrio gigs--givesmea lot to you say that about?It makesall those years of
drawon. It all comesback. In the spotting ses- playing casuals and copying music until 3:00
sion today they askedfor a cue soundinglike a a.m. worthit.
society bandplaying at a country club. I knew
instantly whatI’d do for that.
Wt~atis next for you?
As a copyist, I worked on projects for
Whoknows?The funny part about this busimanygreat composers.Generally copying is nessis: that a phonecall canchangeyourlife. ~1
18 Berkleet o d a y
Summer
1996
Winds of Cha~nl~e
Newdemographics,retail outlets, and pricing
signal a reorientation for the record biz
assettes are out, CDsare in. Baby
boomersare up, teenagers are down,
and womenseem to be buying more
recorded music than ever before. These are
someof the emergingtrends whichwill affect
the styles of musicon the airwavesand in the
stores, andthe strategies of those in the record
business trying to connect with music consumersas weheadinto the 21st century.
A recent survey indicates that during the
decadebetween1985-95,the time people spent
listening to recordedmusicgrewat a faster rate
than time spent enjoying any other entertainmentmediaexcept homevideo. Moreover,per
capita spendingon recordedmusicis still relatively low, whichsuggests roomfor further
growth.[See Veronis, Suhler, & Associates, in
Music&Copyright,Dec. 20, 1995,p. 5; also The
Economist,Dec.21, 1993,page4.]
This consumptionboomfor recorded music
products has beenunderwritten by significant
shifts in the music marketplace. Older age
groupsare buyingmoremusic, there is a gender
reorienation of the markettowardswomen,and
purchasesof musicare happeningless andless at
the traditional record store. Theseshifts are
detailedon table I on the next page.
It is becoming
apparentthat teenagersare no
C
by Peter
Alhadeff "92
Summer
1996
longerthe backbone
of the business,as they were
in the 1960sand 1970s.Today,babyboomersvirtually dominatethe U.S. populationpyramid.As
their ages rangebetween32 and50, they guarantee a moreeven spread in the consumptionof
music.Therehas beena relative decline in the
marketshare of teenagemusicformssince 1990.
Theseforms include rock, pop/easy listening,
urban contemporary,and rap.
Countrymusic has been growing in importance in the marketplace. Its increasedpopularity with consumers--mostin their 20s and
30s--presents further evidenceof the broader
demographictrends that are playing upon the
musicmarket.In turn, the proportionalrise of
women
in total consumptionis probablya contributing factor in the declineof the traditional
record store, as is suggestedby the increased
marketshare in total musicpurchasesat other
outlets such as departmentand discountstores.
Thegoldenyears
Seen from the perspective of the record
labels, the years between1990-95wereindeed
golden. Sales performancewas so impressive
that the slowdownof 1995 was to an extent:
inevitable(see table II). Asthe formatof choice
for consuraersbecamethe CD(see table III),.
operating profits for record labels increased.
considerably on account of the lower producPeter Alhadeff is member of the Music tion costs andhigherselling prices of CDsrela-Business~Management
Departmentfaculty and rive to cassettes. Todate, for instance,reported[
associate editor of MusicaPro, a newbimonthly operating profits for five of the top six music
magazinefocusing on the Latin music market. companieshave shownan increase from 17.5%
Berklee today 19
/
TABLE
I ~J.S. COI~SUMER
PROFILI-"
1990-95
Age group by percentage of market share
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
10-14
7.6
8.2
8.6
8.6
7.9
8.0
15-19
18.3
18.1
18.2
16.7
16.8
17.1
20-24
16.5
17.9
16.1
15.1
15.4
15.3
25-29
14.6
14.5
13.8
13.2
12.6
12.3
30-34
13.2
12.5
12.2
11.9
11.8
12.1
35-39
10.2
9.8
10.9
11.1
11.5
10.8
40-44
7.8
6.7
7.4
8.5
7.9
7.5
45+
11.8
12.5
12.9
14.8
16.1
16.9
Genre by percentage of market share
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Rock
C’ntry Pop
36.1
34.8
31.6
30.2
35.1
33.5
9.6
12.8
17.4
18.7
16.3
16.7
13.7
12.1
11.5
11.9
10.3
10.1
Marketshare per gender
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Male
54.4
54.1
52.6
50.7
52.7
53.0
Female
45.6
45.9
47.4
49.3
47.3
47.0
in 1993to 18.3%in 1994.
This sounds good, yet there are
some worrisome trends, and these
become apparent when one studies
recorded musicprices closely. A closer look at recorded music prices is
madedifficult due to the the fact that
labels do not wish to make price
information public. The Recording
Industry Association of America
(RIAA),for example, mantains that
TABLE
II
7.541
7.834
9.024
10.047
12.068
12.322
Rap
Class.
Jazz
Gospel
8.5
10.0
8.6
9.2
7.9
6.7
3.1
3.2
3.7
3.3
3.7
2.9
4.8
4.0
3.8
3.1
3.0
3.0
2.5
3.8
2.8
3.2
3.3
3.1
[+4%]
[+15%
[+11%]
[+20%]
[+2%]
Record store
Record club
Mail order
Other
1990
69.8
8.9
2.5
18.5
1991
62.1
11.1
3.0
23.4
Berkleet 0 d a y
Other
1993
56.2
12.9
3.8
26.1
1995
52.0
14.3
4.0
28.1
7.5
6.5
7.4
6.6
7.1
8.7
1992
60.0
11.4
3.2
24.9
1994
53.3
15.1
3.4
26.7
Source: RIAA,AnnualReports, 1990-95
is bound by confidentiality agreements with the labels, and cannot
divulge unit wholesale prices..
Soundscan (the computer system at
the record store cash register which
monitors purchase data) has the capability to track retail prices nationwide,
but has not been utilized for that purpose yet.
Nevertheless, it is possible to construct a price series of recordedmusic
Format Market Share
1990 1995
CDs
46%
76%
Cassettes
46%
19%
Cassettesingles 3%
2%
Music videos
2%
2%
CDsingles
0%
1%
Vinyl singles
1%
0%
LPs/EPs
1%
0%
Source: RIAAAnnualReports. 1990-1994.RIAAdata for 1995is fromBillboard, March2, 1996,
p. 70.Bracketed
figuresin table II indicatepercentage
changefromyearto year.
20
Sound Childtrack
rens
0.8
0.5
0.7
0.3
0.7
0.5
0.7
0.4
1.0
0.4
0.9
0.5
Retail outlet percentage of dollar value
TABLE
III
RecordSales (in $ billions)
At suggested retail price
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Urban
cont.
11.6
9.9
9.8
10.6
9.6
11.3
products
from the RIAA’s own
wholesale and shipment data. For
example, CD sales in 1993 were
worth $6.511 billion and 495 million
units were shipped in that year; in
1994, sales were $8.465 billion with
shipments of 662 million units.
Calculating unit prices by dividing
sales figure by the number of CDs
sold, we find that CDssold for an
average of $13.10 in 1993 and $12.80
in 1994. In table IV, I have computed
a price table for all recorded music
products between 1990-95.
Fallingprices
It is readily apparentthat prices are
falling overall. And the downward
trend is dramatic whenprices are corrected for the rate of inflation. TableV
summarizes these results with my
owncalculations of a nominal and a
real price index of recorded music
products--to myknowledge, the first
of its kind.
The use of index numbers, of
Summer
1996
course, is common
in economics. A sellingrecordscheapin a bid to attract
for electronicor other gear.
nominalprice index measuresobserv- customers
able price change.Areal price index Last year witnessed,for example,the
measurestrue price change--figuring so-called "largest bankruptcyof the
in the inflationrate. In bothcases,the music industry," the demise of
chain in Torrance, CA.
methodused to calculate these price Wherehouse
indices is the same.Anannualaverage
possibilities
is computedfor all recorded music Future
As retailers buy product from the
prices with each format being
weighed by its market share. CD labels, they will require moreconsidprices, for example,receive heavier eration from them to recoup their
weightsthan cassette prices because diminishingprofit margins,and conthey are moreimportant to the mar- flict betweenthe two will increase.
ket. Theaverageof 1990is then refer- Retailers maydemandeasier handling
enced to the number100 for conve- by the labels on returned merchannience so percentage price changes dise, and labels maybe unwilling to
can be read at a glancefromoneyear comply.Continuinglower prices may
be good for the consumernow, but
to the next.
The prices of recorded music they mightalso bring about variable
productsare not keepingup with the pricing policies embracedby both
cost of living. It can also be shown labels andretailers in the future. Such
that they are not keeping up with policies wouldseek to maximizetakother entertainmentindustries. This ings by raising the price of megastar
tendency is aggravated by an releases and loweringthemon catalog
unprecedented price war among products. The overall effect would
retailers, that has wreakedhavoc.for probablybe detrimental to the conthe past two years: Best Buy,Circuit sumer makingthe U.S. becomemore
City, and other department stores like the Europeanmarketfor recordhave been cutting fiercely into the ed music. In Europethere is more
profit marginsof musicretailers by price differentiation, but recordsare
TABLE
IV
U.S. prices of recorded music products 1990-95
Unit nominalprices
1995
1990 1991
1992 1993
1994
$12.90
CDs
$12.00 $13.00 $13.10 $13.10 $12.80
8.50
8.50
8.60
8.60
7.90
8.40
Cassettes
3.50
3.40
3.30
3.30
3.50
Cass. singles
3.00
6.00
5.20
5.90
5.50
6.20
6.20
CDsingles
Music videos 18.70 19.40 20.70 19.40 20.60 17.50
4.00
4.60
3.40
3.40
3.40
2.90
Vinylsingles
11.40
8.80
9.40
6.10
5.90
LPs/EPs
7.40
Unitreal prices’:"
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
CDs
$12.00 $12.60 $12.30 $12.10 $11.40 $11.30
7.90
7.70
7.40
8.10
8.00
Cassettes
7.90
2.90
3.30
3.20
3.00
3.00
3.20
Cass. singles
4.50
5.40
5.40
6.00
5.80
CDsingles
5.50
15.20
17.80
18.40
Musicvideos 18.70 18.80 19.50
3.60
4.00
3.20
3.10
3.40
2.80
Vinylsingles
9.90
8.10
8.40
5.90
5.50
LPs/EPs
7.40
*Realprices were obtainedby dividing unit prices by the Consumer
Price Index, whichwasas follows: 1990=100;1991=103.0;I992=106.1;1993=109.0;
1994=112.0;and 1995=114.8.TheEconomist.
Summer
1996
TABLEV
Price index
of recorded musicproducts
Nominal Real
prices
prices
97.1
104.0
1989
100.0
1990 100.0
103.8
1991 107.1
102.2
1992 108.3
109.4
100.4
1993
96.9
1994 108.6
94.6
1995 108.3
generally moreexpensive.
Against the backdropof falling
prices in 1993,RussBach, president
of CEMA
Distribution, and an early
championof such methods,is quoted
in the August 15, 1993, issue of
Billboard, advocating a true value
pricingof recordsfor the first timein
the business.
Finally,in their desire to correct a
movementaway from disequilibrium,labels mightengagein price setting collusive practices, openingthe
business to intervention by the
Federal Trade Commission.Four of
the majorlabels havealready threatenedto cut accountsor curtail advertising incometo retailers whodo not
respect Minimum
Advertised Price
(MAP)policies.
It is safeto say that musicpricesin
the U.S. neednot fall muchfurther.
Despite last year’s slowdown,
demand
is generallyfirm and there is
more room to tap consumer spending on music.Theindustry is relying
increasingly on affluent age groups,
nevertheless following loss-leader
price strategies and underpricing
itself relative to the consumer
price
index. The U.S. may be the most
affordable music market in the
world.
It is time to reappraisecosts. More
attention needsto be paid to the pricing of recordedmusicby everyonein
the industry. There is no evidence
that rock bottom prices last year
boosted demand.A corrective backlash though hard on consumersand
disruptiveto markets,is necessary.It
wouldbenefit artists, whoseroyalties
are calculated on suggested retail
prices, andthe industry as a whole.N
Berklee today
21
Other
Dominants
Alternate approachesto dominantchord substitutions
ost jazz musiciansare familiar with
the technique of making dominant
tritone substitutions. This practice
has its roots in bebopand has becomea mainstay of our harmonicvocabulary.Aless familiar form of dominant substitution by minor
thirds is sometimesavailable to players and
writers. The symmetric diminished dominant
scale, and its attendant harmoniesand voicby
ings, makesthis substitution possible.
Symmetricdiminished harmoniesand voicJeff
ings havelong held the interest of writers and
Friedman "79 performers. The musician most commonly
associated with this soundis DukeEllington.
Duke’suse of these techniques can be traced
back to the late 1920s. Themusic of Charles
Mingus, Thelonious Monk,Thad Jones, and
Gil Evans, amongothers, also demonstratesthe
use of symmetric diminished harmonies and
voicings.
M
Themechanics
Diminishedseventh chords contain two tritones(see example1). Usingthe principleof tritonesubstitution, eachtritone can be interpreted as two dominantseventh chords (see example
2). Example3 shows that whenthe original
diminishedseventh chord (the recombinedtritones) is analyzedin terms of the roots of the
GuitaristJeff Friedman
’79 is anassociateprofessot in the Jazz CompositionDepartment
and has
written arrangementsfor Carla Bley, Steve
Lacy, KarlBerger,andothers.
22 Berkleet o d a y
dominantseventh chords, the result is four
completedominantseventhflat 9 voicings.
Example3 also showsthat the dominantseventh roots outline a diminishedseventh chord.
Becausea diminishedseventh chord is a symmetricalstructure, all of its adjacentnotesbeing
a minor third apart, the dominant seventh
chordsderived froma diminishedseventh chord
will havea similar symmetricalrelationship. By
inverting a diminishedseventh chord, wesee
that anyof its chordtones can be interpreted as
the chord’sroot; thus allowingfor the substitution of diminished seventh chords by minor
thirds (see example4). Bymovingthe dominant
roots by minor thirds under the diminished
structure, wefind that minorthird substitution
of dominantsymmetricdiminishedstructures is
also possible(again, see example
3).
Thescales
There are two symmetricdiminishedscales
derived by joining the two diminishedseventh
chords that comprisethe diminishedroots and
the dominantroots (see example5a and example
5b). Thesescales are sometimescalled "combination diminished" or "double diminished".
Example5a, whichbegins on a dominantroot
andfollowsa half-step/whole-stepinterval configuration, is usedfor dominant
seventhchords.
Example5b, whichbegins on a diminishedroot
andfollowsa whole-step/half-stepinterval configuration, is used for diminished seventh
chords. Note that fromany scale memberthere
exists anotherscale member
a minorthird away.
Thus, wecan movea root by minorthirds under
Summer
1996
(Caution:enharmenics
ahead!)
MUSICAL
EXAMPLES
G~7
C7
Ex. 6
Ex. 2
A7(~9)
G~7(~
9)
E~7(~9)
C7(~,9)
Ex.
Ex. 3
C~ 7
E7
G7
Ex. 4
B~7
::’incomplete voicings
Ex.8
F7
Symetric DiminishedBlues
by Jeff Friedman
A7
¢1C7I
chord. These incomplete voicings, half-steps,theyare especiallywellsuited
sometimescalled hybrids, have an to mixedinterval voicingtechniques.
ambiguouscharacter that in certain
situations can be very effective. In Theblues
Example8 shows four-part sympractice, there are someinterval combinations that workbetter than oth- metric diminished upper structure
ers, andsomethat shouldbe avoided. triad wficings,withsubstitutions,in a
In all situations, stylistic contextand basic blues context. Each voicing
your musical sense of right and contains a scale dissonance expressed
as a majorseventh.
wrongshouldbe the final arbiter.
Note that the symmetric diminThings to consider when conished
scale for the 17 chordis a halfstructing these voicings include the
rangeof the lead note, the size of the step higher than the symmetric
voicing, and perhaps most important diminishedscale for the IV7chord,
of all, the interval contentof the voic- and a half-step lower than the syming. Approachesto interval content metric diminishedscale for the V7
Thevoicings
Symmetricdiminishedvoicings are might include conveyingthe charac- chord. Therefore, moving any I7
voicingsderivedthroughthe vertical ter of a specificinterval type, suchas symmetricdiminished voicing down
a half-step will result in a IV7voiccombination of notes from symmet- voicingsin 4ths or 2nds(clusters),
ric diminishedscales. Aswith other the use of a mixtureof intervals from ing. Movinga I7 voicing up a halfinterval basedchordscale approaches the scale. Mixedinterval voicings step will yield a V7voicing.
I hope this article gives your
to voicing,in principle, anycombina- enablea writer or playerto exert conapproach
to dominant seventh
trol
over
the
relative
"richness"
of
tion of availablenotes fromthe scale
chord.,;
some
extra miles. Onceyou
voicings.
By
observing
the
location
of
will result in a usablevoicing,i.e., a
ihave
digested
these techniques,how
dissonance
in
a
scale
(the
half-steps),
voicingthat expressesthe functional
character of the harmonicsituation. one can create rich voicings by about trying someaugmentedsev-.
This technique mightyield voicings including the dissonance, or conso- enth substitutions by wholesteps:,
that do not explicitly express the nant voicings by avoidingthe disso- majorthirds, andtritones using the:
chord sound, since they maynot con- nance. Since each of the two symmet- whole tone scale? That’s another
~1
tain the third or the seventh of the ric diminished scales contain four story for another time.
Berkleet o d a y 23
Summer
1996
a dominant symmetric diminished
voicing (see example6), or wecan
movea dominant symmetric diminished voicing by minorthirds over a
dominantroot (example7) becauseall
of the transpositions
stay in the scale.
The resulting voicings might
reflect an incompleteversion of the
basic chord, but will contain only
notes that are in the symmetric
diminished scale, thus forming a usable
voicing of the chord. The following
discussion of voicing techniques
shouldfurther clarify this point.
Alum n o t e s
Compiled
by
GordonBrisker ’58 of
Sydney, Australia, has been
appointed artistic director
Negui Capriles "96
of jazz studies at the
University of Sydney.
BobCary"61 of Ontario,
Canada, is playing aboard
Meridian Cruise ships in
the Caribbean.
Michael Gibbs ’63 of
London, released the CD
Europeanafeaturing pianist
Joachim Kuhn and symphony orchestra. He also
RobMounsey
"75 finished performed a concert with
arrangingand conducting the NDR Big Band in
for Natalie Cole’s latest Hamburg
with
Gary
albumand for a Vanessa Burtonas the soloist
Williamssingle. Hescored
RogerAldridge "68 of
five episodesof the CBS Sandy Spring, MD, comseries"CentralParkWest," pleted Volume 20 of his
whichwill air this summer. original jazz and traditionAlex Ball
24
"97 and
Berkleet o d a y
al-style fiddle tunes. His
original compositions were
featured in a Chesapeake
Bay Foundation Benefit
concert
held
in
Washington, D.C.
Jay Patten ’69 (a.k.a.
Joseph Pellechia)
of
Nashville
released
Standard Blue, an album
featuring his vocals, piano,
CharlesChapman’72
and saxophone work for
the Flamingo label. The
disc features 13 standards
Frank Potenza ’72 of
and two Patten originals-Lakewood,
CA, was
including a vocal duet with recently named assistant
Crystal Gayle.
professor of studio/jazz
Joseph
Levy"70 of Givat guitar at the University of
Shmuel, Israel, won third
Southern California.
prize in the Composition
Drummer ChuckZeuren
competition at the 1995 ’72 of Valhalla, NY,recentRed Sea Jazz Fest.
ly released a CD titled
Guitarist/singer Michael Zeuren and featuring four
Haydn’71 of Edgartown,
of his original composiMA, played at the House tions produced by alumof Blues in Hollywood in nus JohnConardfor the
March.
Monadlabel.
RandyKlein ’71 of New
JohnHarrisonIII "73of
York, composed the score New Bedford,
MA,
for the award-winningdoc- released his first CDas a
umentary Black Boy which leader entitled
Going
won the Hugo Award at
Places, on TCBRecords in
the 1995 Chicago Film
Switzerland. Harrison has
Festival.
also been a faculty member
JayLeslie Lip~an’71 of for four years at the
Studio City, CA, formerly
of Sha-Na-Na, has now
reunited with the Tokens
("The
Lion
Sleeps
Tonight") and he is recording the first ever doo-wop
Latin album.
Guitar player Charles
Chapman
’72 released his
first album In Black &
White, featuring bassist
RichAppleman
’72 and guitarist MarkSmall"73.
MichaelGibbs"63
Summer
1996
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
Doug
Murphy ’90
The Star Store
(708) 343-1750
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
Dmitri
Matheny ’89
Monarch Records
(415) 434-4400
Los Angeles
Leanne
Summers’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
Summer
1996
It was another memorablespring.
The March 4 Women in Music at
Berklee event produced performances
by Joanne Brackeen and Bill Pierce
’7a; the Berklee Women’sChorus; and
pianists StephanyTiernan’74, Marty
Epstein, and Rosey Lee ’94. An
evening concert with Terri Lyne
Carrington’83, Lalah Hathaway
’90,
FrankWilkins ’78, and special guest
Wannetta
Jackson
’76 topped it off.
The March 15 alumni music educators reception in Danvers, MA,
was, as usual, a big draw. On March
18, there was an alumni reception and
showcaseat Nashville’s Mer~Bulles.
The bands of Rich Adams’82 and
MikeMorris’Sa performed. March19,
alumni and students gathered at the
Bluebird Care to hear Gillian Welch
’92, DavidRawlings
"92, andKamiLyle
’92, as well as clinicians MikeReid,
Gary Burr, Gary Nichols,
and
Geraldine Peters perform.
Christian recording artists Scott
and Christine Oente(both ’87) and
RCArecording artist WarrenHill ’87
received distinguished alumni awards.
Many thanks to Pat Pattison and
alumnicordinators MarkCorradetti"87
and Betsy Jackson’84 for makingthe
events so successful.
On March 20, Orlando Chapter
President StanKubit’71 and his wife
Anita organized a benefit for rock ’n’
roll pioneer Jesse Stone’s Berklee
scholarship fund. The robust 94 yearold Jesse and wife Evelyn performed,
as did alumni Stan Kubit, Skip
Harding’61, Drury Betts "91, Doug
Sinning
"90, andRoger
KingJr. "95.
Net surfers: "The Berklee Chat
Room,"is now a regular on America
On Line. Wednesdays from 11:30
p.m. to 1:00 a.m. (E.S.T.) alumni
across the country can makecontact.
Those with access to America Online
should: 1. Go to keyword"chat," 2.
Click the icon "list room,"3. Click on
"private
rooms," and 4. Type
"Berklee," and then chat away.
European alumni: I’ll see you at
the July 19 reception in Perugia, Italy!
--Sarah Bodge, Assistant Director of
Development for Alumni Relations
SparrowRecordsduo Out of the Grey,
ChristineandScottDlent~,receiveddistinguished alumni awardsfrom Sarah
Bodge
(right) at the Nashvillereception.
SaxophonistandRCArecordingartist
WarrenHill also received the distinguishedalumniawardin Nashville.
PopmusicpioneerJesseStoneholdshis
50th anniversary
medialreceivedat the
MarchOrlandoscholarship
fundraiser.
Korean composerKwangMin Kim "89
receivedthe distinguished
alumniaward
fromBerkleeV.IP. JohnCollinsin Seoul.
Berklee today
25
which airs worldwide. He
also released an album of
"Highlander" soundtrack
music
on
Bellchant
Recordslabel.
DavidKowal’75 of L.A.
had. composed a soundtrack for an exhibition of
paintings by artist David
Brady at a gallery in Santa
Monica.
CathySegaI-Garcia
"75 of
Toluca Lake, CA, is teaching voice and singing vocal
JerryTachoir"76
tracks for commercials,
movies, and CDs, and has
University of Massachusetts contributed compositions
for movies and recording
at Dartmouth.
Composer Nell Smolar projects.
Composer/keyboardist
"74 of Montreal, released a
CDof his music from three Misha Segal ’75 of L.A.
of his best film scores.
released his JVCRecords
Albert Weisman
’74 of debut titled Connected to
the Unexpected.
Spring Valley, NY,has
Bassist JosephMacaro
toured as a HammondB3
organist with Ashford and ’76 of Milltown,NJ, recentSimpson, Chubby Checker, ly accompaniedsinger/actor
Freddie Jackson, and others. Ben Vereen at the Plaza in
He also received a vocal NewYork City. Joseph also
teaches bass to over 30 stucredit on Joe Jackson’s
dents in his area.
Night and Day CD.
Wayne Naus ’76 of
RogerBellon"75 of Los
Boston,
a Berklee faculty
Angeles, is in his fourth
member,
led
his band Heart
year of scoring
"The
& Fire in a performance
Highlander" TV series,
MitchSeidman
’77
26 Berklee t 0 d 0 y
Saxophonist/composer
Edgar Duvivier ’83 of Rio de
Janeiro,regeased
his third solo CDSopruDoNorte.
with famed Latin-jazz
players Jesus "Chucho"
Valdes, Carlos Emilio
Morales, Mark Walker, and
faculty
bassist
Oscar
Stagnaro.
Grammy nominee and
mallet artist Jerry Tachoir
"76 of Hendersonville, TN,
released his fifth CD
Beyond Stereotype this
spring on Avita Records
with his group. All of the
compositions are
by
Marlene
Tachoir
’77.
Jim Gerrnann ’77 of
Pittsburgh, PA, has relocated from L.A. to Pittsburgh
and performed with the
Pittsburgh Pops; Orchestra
under the direction
of
Marvin Hamlisch.
The
orchestra taped two specials for PBS which are
being aired in the Spring.
Anthony
MichaelGraziosi
’77 of Levittown, NY,is a
professional music educator at a LongIsland school
and is known as DJ Tony
G, spinning records at local
events.
Singer/songwriter Hunter
Moore ’77 of Nashville
released Delta Moonfeatur-
ing 12 original songs. The
album appeared on the
Gavincharts in April.
Guitarist Mitch Seidman
’77 of Newtonville, MA,
released an acoustic CD
Ants in a Trance for
Brownstone Recordings.
Backing him are bassist
Harvie Swartz’70, saxophonist
Leonard
Hochman,and violist Ella
Lou Weiler.
ComposerKenField ’79
of Cambridge presented a
workshop on his work on
soundtracks for the popular PBS TV program
"Sesame Street" at the
Carolina Film and Video
Festival.
EdwardDzubak ’79 of
West Redding, CT, won a
1994-95 Emmy award in
for "Best Composition in a
Daytime Series" for NBC’s
"Another World." He is
up for the award again this
year for two different
shows: "Another World"
and "Guiding Light."
Julia Rogers
Fraser"79of
Eden Prairie,
MR, was
appointed vice president of
Coda Music Technology’s
Summer
1996
L.A. NEWSBRIEFS
Several monthsago, I wasfor- Grossman
"79, V.P of Television
tunate to attend a tribute event to Musicfor ViacomEntertainment/
Quincy
Jones
’51, at whichhe was ParamountPictures.
In the category of interesting
honored
as the NARAS
MusiCares Person of the Year. combinations.., keyboardist Jeff
"71 led the back-upbandand
Quincy gave a warmacceptance L0rber
provided
arrangements for Herb
speech, in whichhe madeseveral
at the
references to his association with Alpert’s recent performance
Berklee, and then introduced the Houseof Blues, while ex-Carsguitarist Elli0tt East0n’73 recreated
concert portion of the evening.
John Fogerty’s "swamp"guitar
An amazingroster of artists,
including Stevie Wonder, Milt parts in a CreedenceClearwater
Jackson, James Moody, Nancy Revisited concert at the Greek
Wilson, Take6, Coolio, and Brian Theatre.As for other alumniin the
McKnight,performedtracks from news . . . amongthe winners of
1996 film and televsion
Quincy’s latest album Q’s Jook ASCAP’s
Joint. They were supported by an awards were composers Howard
all-star band featuring John Shore"68 (Seven), EdAlton"76
Robinson
’75 on drums and Nell ("The Single Guy"), and AIf
Stubenhaus
"75 on bass. There was Clausen’66 ("The Simpsons").The
also a large contingentof alumniin 43rd Annual Motion Picture
the audience--ArifMardin
’61, AIf SoundEditors Awardswere also
Clausen
’66, AbeLaboriel’72, Abe announced recently. Winners
Flamberg
’75 (Toy
Laboriel
Jr. "93,LindaLorence
’87, included James
Brooks
’80 (Mr.
Roger
Bellon
’75, ShelSondheim
"80, Story), Christopher
LeanneSummers
"88--to namea Holland’s Opus), and Marty
few. It wasquite an event.
Wereski
’74 (Childrenof the Dust).
As I write this column,the May Congratulations to all! Roger
Bell0n’75, whohas just completed
30 alumni seminar is fast
approaching. Entitled "Music his fourth season scoring the TV
Supervision FromAll Angles," it series "Highlander," also scored
will be cohosted by Berklee and the CBSmovie Unforgiveable.
Harris’83, currentlyon tour
the National
Academy of Sharon
Songwriters.Theformat will be a playing keyboardswith R&Blegpanel discussion and the modera- end Barry White, also composed
tor will be BarbaraJordan,a song- the music for the Warners CD
writer, musicsupervisor,publisher, LooneyTunesLoveableLullabies.
and current Berklee faculty mem- That’sit for now.Stayin touch.
ber. Includedamongthe panelists,
whoare all prominentin the field Peter Gordon’78, Director,
of film and TVmusic, is David Berklee Centerin Los Angeles
WE’VE
ALLSAIDIT BEFORE...
"I wishI’d known
this whenI wasstarting out!" Thereis no substitute
for the exchange
of ideas that can take place betweena student anda professional. Anopportunityawaitsall Berkleealumniwishingto share hardwonmusiccareer experience with current students. TheBerkleeCareer
Networkbrings students andalumnitogetherfor learningand sharing.
To get involved, checkthe box on the Alumnotesform (page 34) and
informationwill be sent to you. Pleasespecifyyourareas of expertiseand
howoften youwishto be c6ntactedby students. Yourright to privacywill
alwaysbe respected. Welook forwardto hearingfromyou.
--Peter Spellman,CareerDevelopment
Coordinator(617) 266-1400,extension 246.
Summer
1996
VivaceRepertoire developmentprogram.Julia formerlyservedas a vice
president at Alfred MusicPublishing
in L.A.
GarySchreiner’79 of NewYork,
recently completedscoring the feature film Runfor Cover. His music
can be heard on national TV commercials for Club Med, Prodigy,
Citibank, and others. He has also
played keyboards backing Joan
Osborne.
Ricardo
Simoes
"79of Sao Paulo,
Brazil, released a piano solo album
titled PotStella Almeida.
Guitarist Bruce
Arnold’80 of New
York, released Blue Eleven for the
MMC
label. The disc features 13 of
his original compositions.
AllenMezquida
"80 of NewYork,
released a CDcalled A GoodThing
on Koch.International whichfeatures
Bill Mays, Sean Smith, Brad
Mehldau,and LeonParker.
Ed
Roseman ’80
of
Kennebunkport,ME,has published
a bookentitled Edly’s MusicTheory
for PracticalPeople.
Anders
Bergcrantz
’81, trumpeter
fromMamoe,
Sweden,released his latest CD]n This Togetherwith backing
by pianist RichieBeirach,bassist Ron
McClure, and drummer Adam
Nussbaum.The disc received the
Golden Record award for Best
SwedishJazz Recording.
Thomas
Brigandi
’81 of Syracuse,
NY, has been touring with Chuck
Mangione
for three years and played
acoustic andelectric bass on composer/keyboardist John Serry’s latest
release,.Enchantress.
KeyboardistDavidRosenthal
’81 of
Iselin, NJ, has finished touring with
Billy Joel andis writingsongsfor the
next RedDawnrecord. Hedid synth
programmingfor DreamTheater’s
"A Change of Seasons" EP, and
played on a forthcoming Yngwie
Malmsteenalbum.
David
Reynolds’82
of
Germantown,MD,recently received
his master’sdegreein guitar performance from Towson State
University, and he plays steadily at
the MayflowerHotel in Washington
D.C.
Benjamin
Smeall’82 of GreenBay,
WI,contributed an article on playing jazz on bowedstring instruBerkleet o d a y 27
WardThrasher "84 of
Quincy, MA, is a private
practice attorney in the
areas of intellectual property, copyright, contract and
entertainment law. He also
produces "Legal Insight,"
a radio program on WJDA
in Quincy.
Pianist Cyrus
Hhestnut
"85
released Earth Stories for
Atlantic Jazz. Chestnut is
joined on one cut by saxophonist Antonio
Hart’91.
DavidGeist ’85 of New
York, has been playing
keyboards
with
the
Broadway pit orchestras
for Cats, Les Miserables,
and Miss Saigon, among
others. He has also worked
with composers Stephen
Sondheim and Andrew
Vocalist MihikoTokoro’85 of North Hollywood,
CA,has sungon the TVshow"Boston Lloyd Webber.
Common,"
in the film MyFellowAmericans
with JackLemmon,
andfor bilingual jingles
Christopher
Guardino
"85
(Japanese
andEnglish)whichair in Japan.
of Sherman Oaks, CA, is
orchestrating for TV and
film productions, and commerits to the fall issue of solo CDentitled Brazilian Party."
posed the score for the
American
String Ballads on the Leblon
TrombonistTed Kraemer Showtimefeature film Cafe
Instruments.
Recordslabel. Gancis also ’84 of Los Angeles, is fea- Society.
Drummer Kathy Burkly a recording musician on tured in the new 20th
Trumpeter Scott Aruda
’83 of Brockton,
MA, Gtobo Network TV, and Century Fox Movie That ’86 of Somerville, MA,was
recently
completed backed Stevie Wonder at
Thing You Do, clirected by a~varded a full scholarship
a tour of Singapore backing jazz festivals in Rio and Sao and starring TomHanks.
to the New England
popular local country
Paulo.
Laura Rlein ’84 of Conservatory. He is feasingers
John Lincoln
ScottMartinGershin’84 Berkeley, CA,is a certified
tured in the N.E.C. big
Wright and Angela West.
of Santa Clarita, CA, is a teacher of the Alexander band, under the direction
Guitarist
Richard partner
at Soundeiux
Technique working in the of George Russell.
Schumacher "83
of Studios won the Oscar and San Francisco Bay area.
Guitarist RudyLinka"8G
Hamburg, Germany, has
Golden Reel awards for
’ released Cool Shoes featur- creating sound effects on
ing drummer Terri Lyne the film Braveheart. His
Carrington
’83, bassist Kai other film credits include
Eckhardtde Camargo
’83,
True Lies, Pocahontas,
keyboardist Patrice Rushen, Hunchback
of Notre
saxmen Bill Evans and Bob Dame, and others.
Malach, and percussionist
Film composer J0el
MunyungoJackson.
Goodman
’84 of NewYork
Chris DeRosa
"84 of New scored an upcoming TV
York, finished recording an movie titled What About
album with the Japanese
Me? produced by Good
rock group E Trance on Machine/NY.
Shimmy Disc Records. He
Mike Hickey ’84 of
is also in the band Glow Athol, MA, has released
with Spin Doctors bassist
Venom with the band
Marc White.
Cronos. He also had an
Woodwinds
player
article published in the
David Ganc’84 of Rio de January 1996 Guitar Player
Brigandi’81
Janeiro, released his first
titled "Pentatonic Picking BassistThomas
28 Berklee t o d a y
Summer
1996
LEARN
TI) EARNI.
DavidGanc’84
of NewYork, issued his second Enja
CDcalled Czech It Out, with George
Mraz’69 on bassand Marvin"Smitty"
Smith’81 on drums.
Cliff Brodsky"87 of Hollywood,
CA, signed a record deal with
Cleopatra Records. He released two
CDs this spring, a techno/trance
album, with some help from the
drummer of Nine Inch Nails, and a
children’s album.
Christine Carer Harding’87 of
Fargo, ND,has been appointed as the
new executive director of the Fargo
Moorhead Civic Opera.
MarkCorradetti
"87 of Nashville,and
his company MACEnterprises have
introduced a line of play-along
instruction tapes for electric guitar and
bass students. AlanPowell’89 played
guitar and Corradetti played bass.
Dennis Mitcheltree ’87 of New
York, has a new CD out entitled
Quartet~Trio, and his trio performed
at the Cupping Room in Broome,
NY,in February.
RudyLinka"86
Summer
1996
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CatherineCarlesimo
Metzinger’87
of Arlington, VA, married 1]mothy
Metzinger"88on September9, 1995.
David Radin ’87 of NYCwas mastering engineer on Eddie Palmieri’s
Grammy-nominated
Arete, and
Bruce Springsteen’s upcomingBefore
the Fame CD.
Rob Steiner ’87 of Hollywood
Hills, CA, plays worldwide with
Kouros and the Persians. He has also
had small parts in many TV shows
and films, such as, "Seinfeld,"
"Coach," Executive Decision, and
Murderin the First.
0wen Y0st "87 of NewYork City,
has been playing bass and singing
background vocals with Leslie Gore.
They played at a fundraiser for
President Clinton in February.
ShigeyoshiKawagoe
"88 of Tokyo
is composing for Japanese pop
recording artist Shoko Aida. The CD,
produced by Sergio Mendes, Ben
Wittman, and Sushi Kosugi, was
released in Mayon Polystar Records.
RussSpiegel "88 of Frankfurt,
Germany,is presently teaching guitar
and bass at the Future Music School
in Aschaffenberg, Germany.
SuzyNutkuSetel ’89 of Beecroft,
Australia, is studying at the Music
Therapy Center near Sydney.
Glen~l Allen "89 of Natick, MA,has
a piano and background vocal credit
on Bellevue Cadillac’s latest on Ardeo
Records. He also played piano and
sang lead on Darkfeathers’ last CD.
GuillermoGalindo’89 of Oakland,
CA, has completed an orchestral
composition titled "Ome Acatl,"
with a grant from the Fondo
Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes
in Mexico City. He also released a
CDof electro-acoustic music for the
dance
work
contemporary
"Kiyohime."
Colin Mandel"89 of Encino, CA,
has a new solo CDout called Strange
and Savage Tales, with bassists Jimmy
Johnson, Anders Swanson, Clark
Sourer, and Dean Schmidt, and drummer Chris Wabich.
YumikoMatsuoka’89 of Newton,
MA, and the a cappella group Vox
One, with TomBaskett "91, Jodi
Berkleet o d a y
29
PeteEmerson
"95.
TroyRichardson
"90of Boston, won
the Summer Boston Phoenix Demo
Derby. His band Troy, featuring guitarist MarkSander’95 and drummer
Peter Abdou,released a single on LP
Records.
KenMirrione ’91 of Edison, NJ,
promoted and produced a showcase
exclusively for Madonna’s Maverick
Analbumof 13 classic old
Records. He owns and operates the
tunes plus 2 newoneswith
booking agency K.M. Promotions.
RickReese ’93 of Dover, NH,plays
Jay on vocals, saxophone,
bass and synth with the New
andguitar.
Hampshire-based
group Sonic
Special guests BuddySpicher Joyride. Theyreleased their self-titled
debut CD on Anomaly Records.
on violin, Jeff Steinbergon
Geila Zilkha ’91 of Tokyo, Japan,
piano, and Tommy
Wells on
recorded a jazz albumwith guitarist
MickGoodrick
"69, George
Garzone
"72
Watchfor it this summer
in
drums.
on tenor sax, Noboru Kinukawa on
stores or send $15 for CD,
Plus a swingingduet with
baritone sax, and HiroHonshuku
’90 on
$12 for cassette(incl. shipflute. In November
1995, she released
ping and handling) to:
Crystal Gayle.
a soul record titled Colors of Magic
with the vocal trio Waterz.
Flamingo Records - JMPProductions
MarkZlatich ’91 of Vienna, VA,is
P.O. Box 120215
currently
the guitarist for Ringling
Nashville, TN 37212
Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus’
Blue Unit Band.
"ThatOldFeeling.... It CouldHappen
To You.... SerenadeIn Blue" and more
Bassist Ivan B0dley ’92 of New
York, and his band J’unk, have garJenkins
"93, PaulStiller "89, andPaul
RebeccaAlvin "90 of Rego Park, nered media attention on radio, telePampinella’90 took Album of the NY,just finished writing, directing,
vision, and in Playboy, Jazziz, and
Year honors at the 5th Annual and editing a 16ramshort film entitled Billboard magazines. As a sideman,
Contemporary A Cappella Awards Voices. The sound designer/editor
Ivan has performed with Gloria
for their Out There CD.
was MarkH. VanBork"93.
Gaynor, the Uptown Horns, the
AvaMichelleTracht"89 of Davie,
After three years as vice president Shirelles, Peter Wolf, and manyother
FL, teaches voice in the South Florida of A&Rat November Records in
acts.
area and has performed with Jon NYC,R0h H01t’90 enrolled in an MBA Bassist Greg Delacore ’92 and
Secada. She is currently at the Miami programat Harvard Business School.
pianist MarcDelacore"93 released a
Beach Music Studios and recently
Christopher
Leible’90 of Bayport, CD titled East & West with their
received the key to the city of Miami. NY,is a memberof a classical guitar group Expeditions and will be perduo that performs in his area.
Christopher is currently studying
guitar with BenjaminVerdery.
DrummerRichard L~tourneau’90
of Grasse, France, played with
George Duke at the 1996 MIDEM
festival in Cannes.
Bassist Chris Matheos"90 of
Greensboro, NC, published the book
Percussive Slap Bass with Mel Bay
Publications. He is workingwith jazz
vocalist Carolina Windsand record-ing artist Janis Price.
Colin 0’Dwyer "90 of Boston:,
recently released his debut CDSome
Kind of Attraction with alumni Chris
Ryan’92, WinstonMaccow
’82, Pat
Guillermo
Galindo’89
Loomis
’92, PernellSaturnino
’93, and AvaMichelleTracht’89
Standard Blue
Jay Patten
&
TheNewSwingQuintet
30 Berklee t o d a y
Summer
1996
Moving?.
Relocating??..
Let "Boston
Logistics"
ship
Returning
your personal
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Economical
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forming around the U.S.
this summer.
Kami Lyle "92 of
Nashville, was interviewed
in
the
NovemberDecember 1995 edition of
Performing Songwriter.
Josephine
Packard
"92 of
Jamaica Plain, MA,is the
singer/guitarist for Chelsea
on Fire, whoreleased a selftitled CDin January. They
were nominated for Best
New Artist
in the
Phoenix/WFNX Best of
Boston Music Poll.
James Sale ’92 of
Sherman Oaks, CA, has
worked as a librarian on
such feature films as
Barman Forever, Seven,
and Higher Learning. He
has also worked as an
orchestrator
on several
episodes of "VRS."
Rob Simring ’92 of
Somerville, MA,and guitarist CoreRedonnett
"93of
Boston, former membersof
XIXXO,are frequent alternate players for the Blue
Man Group theater production.
Drummer Michael Voss
’92 of Uster, Switzerland,
published the Swiss Real
Book, which contains 620
pieces by Swissjazz artists.
Singer/s ongwriter/fiddler Benjamin
Wilborn
’92 of
Reno, NV, and his band
Lazy Eights released a new
CD. He is also recording a
CD tribute
to Django
Reinhardt with Willie
Nelson and
Freddy
Powers.
Flutist Sergiio Alvares
’93, of Miami, IFL, was a
featured
performer at
Miami’s Lincoln Theater
concert by the NewWorld
Symphony Orchestra in a
program of works by
Heitor Villa Lobos. Alvares
is pursuing his Ph.D. at the
University of Miami.
Recording engineer file×
Case"ga of Boston,is working at both RoomWith A
View and Blue Jay recording studios.
Jaime Fatas "93 of
Cambridge,
MA, composed and produced the
soundtrack for Lucia, an
award-winning short video
directed
by
Pedro
Ballesteros. It wonat the
Chicago Film Festival and
took First Prize at the
Brooklyn Council for the
Fromthe left, saxophonist
MichaelHamilton
’94, Berldee’s Arts Film Festiw~l and was
MP&E
Chair Bill Scheniman,
andproducerJ. Dibbs.
shown at the Cannes Film
32 Berklee t o d a y
Festival.
Kevin Giles "93 of
Corbin, TN, played tenor
saxophone with Dolly
Patton
at the Music
Mansion Theater in Pigeon
Forge, TN, in April.
Dong-SungKim "93 of
Kwachum-si, Korea, has
composed and arranged
music for the cartoon film
Hong Gil Dong with the
Buchun City symphony
orchestra. He is also an
instructor at the Seoul Arts
Institute
and Sangm~ung
University
Graduate
School.
Christian Moder’93 of
Los Angeles, contributed
music
for
Donald
Emmerich’s post-millenium adaption of William
Shakespeare’s Measure for
Measure.
GregBecker’95
Michael Hamilton ’94
played saxophone on the
Winans’ latest CD Heart
and Soul He also played
on the CTI acid jazz compilation
Thus Spoke Z,
Evolution.
Vanessa
William’s producer J. Dibbs
is producing
Michael’s
debut album.
CorneliusKreusch
’94 of
NYC, performed a concert
for German radio with
James Genus, Terri Lyne
Carrington ’83, and Zaf
Zapha. He is working on a
project with drummerWill
Calhoun
"86.
AdamKummins’94 of
Summer
1996
FULLCIRCLE
Thomas
Feurer’95
Los Angeles, is working as a
staff composerand recording
engineerat Elias Associatesin
Santa Monica. He has written
music for TVcommercialsfor
Nike, Plymouth,and others.
DrummerDanny
Mack’94 of
Medford,/VIA,is touring with
recordingartist Bill Morrisey.
Eric Welsh’94 of Boston,
MA,got a productioncredit on
Laura Branigan’s new single
"DimAll the Lights." He also
produced a club remix with
producerEhabE1 Saadi.
MatthiasZimmermann
’94 of
Bregan, Austria, received the
Henry Mancini Fellowship at
the Cinemusic International
Music and Film Festival in
Switzerland.
GregBecker
’95 of Nashville
was promoted to director of
music publishing for the
writer’s group at Copperfield
Music Group.
Jonathan
Dowling
’95 of West
Springfield, MA, endorses
YamahaDrumsand Humesand
Berg Cases. He plays on Rich
Neville’s newalbum.
ThomasFeurer "95 of
Effretikon, Switzerland,played
with Dutchrecordingartist and
BMG/RCA
recording artist
CandyDuller and her band at a
sold out concert in Zurich. He
also performedwith Swisspopfunk band Contrast Family for
the premiereof the tour Colors
of Life.
Summer
1996
For Gene
Joly’73, seeingthe Beatles has been interwovenin mylife over
on the "EdSullivanShow"in the early the past 24 years," Joly says. "I am
1960s madean impact that set the very excited with what the college
coursefor his career. Likemanyof the hasdonein. recent years--especially
babyboomergeneration, the appealof the wayit has embracedtechnology.
the four Liverpudliansinfluencedhim There’.is a real senseof pride among
to buyhis first guitar. Nowadays
his the students today. Thesekids are
workinvolves being on the other end real pros. Their self imageis very
of such transactions. Aspresidentand professional[andthey regardthe colchief operatingofficer of Boston’ssuc- lege highly. Thatis not by accident;
cessful E.U. Wurlitzer Music and there hasbeena lot of wise adminisSoundchain, Joly has completedthe trative planning. ASa trustee I see
circle. Anationallyrespectedfigure in what is being workedon, and I see
the musicproducts and retail indus- very exciting timesahead."
As a trustee, Joly has helped to
tries, he is also a member
of Berldee’s
board of trustees and the board of facilitate equipmentloans and gifts
directors for the NationalAssociation from key manufacturers."Theyrealize they are getting involvedwith an
of MusicMerchants.
Joly had played in garage bands institution "whichis in the processof
before entering Berklee in 1972. inventinga type of universitythat has
"Musichad becomean all-consuming never existed before," he says. "This
passion," he remembers."Thecollege type of loan arrangementis not the
haschangedquite a bit since I attend- type of thing companiescan do with
ed though.Backthen it wasvery jazz a lot of institutions, but Berkleeis
oriented--I was always a rocker. I really the only onethat matters. With
walkedin with mysolid bodyguitar 40 percent of the student population
and everybody else had these big being international, companiesreach
bodiedjazzguitars.Atfirst I felt a lit- users all over the world by getting
tle out of place, but endedup learning involvedwith Berklee.
"Ourculture has never been more
morein myfirst year thanI hadin the
musically
oriented," he says. "It is a
previouseight. I wasn’table to finish
great
time
to be in the musicindustry.
Berkleebecauseof family problems.
Myparents were both sick and I had Topmanufacturersare outdoingeach
other desit;ning new products and
to helptake care of the family.
"I hadbeenwilling to starve to be reinventinghowthings are done.
"][~houg[h
myplayingtime is limita musician,but by the late 1970sI had
a wife and three kids. I assessed my ed, I stiI1 havea free-formimprovismarketableskills andmusicretailing tional bandwith a few of myfriends,
seemedto be the wayI could support and:myguitar playingis the best it’s
~1
themand stay in the industry." Over ever been."
21 years ago Joly beganin the warehouseat Wurlitzer’sstore at the corner of Newbury
St. and Mass.Ave.
"When
I started, I workedin sales
for five years andthen started doing
someof the buying and advertising
work," Joly says. "I kept trying to
find waysto improvethe business.I
wrote a training manualfor employees, andtook somebusinesscourses."
Joly ultimately earned his degree in
marketing from Bentley College. He
becamepart of Wurlitzer’s managementstaff in the early 1980sand was
namedcompanypresident in 1985.
Joly"73, president
of Boston’s
In 1994 Joly was appointed to Gene
andSound.
Berklee’sboardof trustees. "Berklee E.U.WurlitzerMusic
Berkleet o d a y 33
Martina Freytag "95 of
Schloeben,
Germany,
received a scholarship from
the Department of Science
and Culture of Thuringia,
Germany, to work on her
second jazz voice book. It
will be published by KurtMaas-Musikverlag
of
Munich.
Cheryl Hagan ’95 of
Boston has started C.A.
MartinaFreytag’95
HaganArtist Associates, a
company providing administrative services for the
music community. A vocalist as well, she is recording
her debut CD.
Saxophonist
Jason
Jones ’95 of Auckland,
NewZealand, pianist Mark
de Clive-Lowe
"94, and their
quartet Jazz in the Present
Tense have becomea popular act in the NewZealand
jazz scene.
Guitarist
Stefan
Machalitzky "95 and his
group Chewy Soulfunk
featuring vocalist den
Chapin"95, bassist Why
Not
Jansveld ’96, drummer
JamieMoore’94, and keyboardist Christian Lohr’95,
played nine dates in
Munich in March.
~m Mayer"95 has been
named Boston correspon-
THINK ABOUTTHE BARPROGRAM
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 youare 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.
Wewill send[ you more information on the BAR
programalong with an application. Join us.
dent for the nightly jazz
program "Boulevard de
Jazz," hosted by Javier
Dominguez.
Panos Panay "95 of
Boston has been. promoted
to a full booking agent at
Ted Kurland Associates.
He will
be booking
Kurland’stop jazz clients in
Europe, the Middle East,
and
former
Soviet
Republics.
Andre Spang "95 of
Landstuhl,
Germany,
released a CDwith his band
Triple Energy, and played at
the Intenationale
Musik
Messe in Frankfurt with
Sheila E. and Joe Porcaro.
ALUMNOTESiNFORMATION
FORM
Full Name
Address
City
State
ZIP
Country.
Phone
Q This is a new address.
Your Internet address:
Last year you attended Berklee
Did you receive a
~
Degree
Q 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):
gi
Send me more information on the Berklee Alumni Representative program.
Q Send me more information on becoming a Berklee Career Network advisor.
Please send this form, along with any publicity, clippings, photos, CDs,or items of interest to:
Berklee today, Berklee College of Music, 1140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA02215-3693. Internet address: [email protected]
34 Berklee t o d a y
Summer
1996
FINALCADENCE
Distinguished
drummer and
educator
Alan Dawson died
February 23 of leukemia at 66. He
taught at Berklee from 1957-75
while also keeping a busy calendar
as a player. He had worked with
such artists as Lionel Hampton,
Sabby Lewis, Booker Ervin, Herb
Pomeroy, Dave Brubeck, and many
others. Amonghis top students
were Tony Williams, Clifford
Jarvis, Jake Hanna,Steve Smith ’78,
Harvie Mason, and Terri Lyne
Carrington ’83.
As a teacher, he stressed a
melodic approach to drumming
and helped to cultivate a strong
sense of rhythm and confidence in
his students. He leaves his wife
Florence, his daughter Deborah,
and three grand children.
Former host of the "Voice of
America Jazz Hour" Willis C0n0ver
H ’90, died May17 at 75 of cancer.
Conover is widely known in
Europe, Asia, and Latin America
for his V.O.A. broadcasts of jazz
which began 1954. He referred to
jazz as "the music of freedom," and
to those living without freedom, it
became a symbol of hope. At the
peak of the cold war, Conover had
an audience of close to 30 million
listeners.
Conover, a Berklee trustee, did
muchto help build Berklee’s international reputation through his
commentaryand broadcasts of the
musicof Berklee-trained artists. He
received Berklee’s honorary doctorate in 1990.
FrankC0nr0y’71, of Wilmington,
DE,died April 4 after a brief illness.
Originally from Gloucester, MA,
Conroy, a full-time musician, had
lived in the Wilmingtonarea for the
past few years.
Saxophonist JohnProgris ’71
died December 20, 1995, after a
brief illness.
He was owner of
Progris Music Store in Nashua,
NH.He leaves his wife Una, three
sons, and a daughter.
Eric Lamoureux
’92 died April 6
at his homein Stephentown, NY.A
trumpeter, he earned his degree
from Berklee with a dual major in
film scoring and MP&E.
Bret Willmott’s
Complete Book of Harmony,
Theory & Voicing
Bret Willmottis a highly acclaimedprofessor at
Berklee College of Musicand a noted educator
and performer worldwide. He has been a faculty memberof the college for more than 18
years and a performing guitarist for over 25
years. Mr. Willmott’s musical history would
include studies and performance with ]Pat
Metheny, Gary Burton, Mick Goodrick, Mike
Stern, Bill Frisell, Wolfgang
Muthspiel,Jeff E,erlin, and Steve Smith,as well a currently appearing on CDsthat include notables BobMosesand
MikeStern. Bret is also the creator and primary
teacher of twopopularcoursesoffered at Berklee
College dealing with harmonic and rhythmic
developmenton the guitar. (95112) Book$19.95.
Thistext is a combination
of harmony/theory/voicing
with emphasis
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and compose
newvoicings and sounds.
Thistext’s primaryfocuswill be that of presentingandexamining
four-notevoicings
onthe middle
four strings of the guitar. Students
will learnto recognize
eachnote’s
relation to the chordas well as eachnoteslinear motionto the nextchord.Thisbook:
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OrderToll Free1-800-8-MEL
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Berklee t o d a y 35
CODA
Music and Freedom
Anna Tonsinskaya
~
"95
he first weekend of March is one I will not soon
forget. On March 1, I received my American citizenship at a ceremonyin Faneuil Hall. The next night, I
heard the Boston premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich’s
SymphonyNo. 13 at Jordan Hall, just a few blocks from
Berklee. The events provided a look at myfuture and a
glance back at myheritage as a Russian Jewish emigre.
I had gotten a letter from President and Mrs. Clinton
wishing me joy and happiness in the freedom American
citizenship represents. It remindedmeof whenI received
myRussian passport, President Brezhnevdidn’t send mea
letter wishing mehappiness in freedom.Ten years later, in
1989, myfamily realized mygrandfather Mikail Kheif’s
long-held dream and we all came to America.
I was born in St. Petersburg and first experienced the
joy of listening music at Shostakovich SymphonyHall
when I was four. The auditorium was namedfor the legendary composer Dmitri Shostakovich who was also born
in St. Petersburg and spent his most creative years there.
In 1962, the Soviets were shocked by Shostakovich’s
Symphony
No.13. It hit like an explosion in St. Petersburg.
It is a powerfulsetting of the poetry "Babi Yar" written by
YevgenyYevtushenko. "Babi Yar" railed against Russian
anti-Semitism, stirring suppressed memoriesof the slaughter of manythousands of Jews in Kiev by the Nazis. The
Soviet governmentdidn’t like to discuss
howmanyJews the Nazis killed at Babi
Yar, nor howmanydied under Stalin.
That number includes mygreat grandmother Hannah for whomI am named.
The "Babi
Yar" poem and
Shostakovich’s symphony became the
first real memorialfor the victims. Since
the icy reception its premierereceivedin
Russia, SymphonyNo. 13 was rarely
programmed. Yevtushenko’s poetry
was one of the most virulent attacks on
anti-Semitism then published in Russia.
In Boston on March 2, many
Russian-Americans ignored a raging
snow storm to attend the performance
Anna Tonsinskaya is a composer and
producer. She earned her degree in
MP& E and Commercial Arranging.
36 Berklee t o d a y
by conductor
Benjamin Zander and the Boston
Philharmonic. In Boston for the performance, Yevtushenko
read his poemsbefore the symphonyas he did in 1962.
It took mybreath awayto watchthe musicianssit in rapt
silence as Yevmshenkoread to an audience needing no
translation. Zander raised his baton and the orchestra
played the symphony’sheavy opening notes--symbolic of
the forced marchto Babi Yar. The deep, dark timbre of the
men’s chorus conwByedthe work’s somber character.
Shostakovich had named each of the symphony’sfive
movementsafter Yevtushenko’s five poems: "Babi Yar,"
"Humor," "In a Store," "Fears," and "A Careen" For
contrast, Shotakovich placed the movement "Humor"
second. Humor--a strong element in the Jewish character-got the Russians through the war and the postStalin era. Shostakovich’s atmospheric orchestration in
"Fears" with a tremolo on a big drum evoked nervousness. "Weweren’t afraid of construction work in a blizzard or of going into battle under shell fire, but at times
we were mortally afraid of talking to ourselves," wrote
the poet. That was the Russia of mychildhood.
Back then, ma~ypeople spent hours standing in lines
at food stores. Poor people, poor stores. Shostakovich
took a political risk with the movement"In a Store."
Using the same adagio tempo and orchestration of the
first movement,he compares the line
to the store with the line to "Babi
Yar." Shostakovich struggled for and
loved Russia. It was a courageous
move to write a symphony on this
subject. The piece is a treasure.
Whenthe last note of the strings
faded, it was like a momentof silence in
front of the monument
in Babi Yar.
thought of my grandfather who had
o~ taught me hundreds of Jewish songs and
8 to be proud of our heritage. I turned in
my seat to thank my mother who gave
me myfirst musiclesson and first took
me to Shostakovich SymphonyHall in
St. Petersburg. NewAmericancitizens,
we left Jordan Hall in the snow, where
AnnaTonsinskaya
"95: "It waslike a wonderful American musicians playing
mement
of silencein frontof themon- Shostakovich SymphonyNo. 13, conument
in BabiYar."
nected our past and future.
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