October 2000

For more than 50 years, Berklee College of Music has helped those with a passion for contemporary music prepare themselves for a life in music that reflects their unique talents, interests, sensibilities, and career aspirations.

We teach our students new concepts and develop their talents and skills. In an industry that now changes at an unprecedented rate and increasingly rewards entrepreneurial skills, our approach fosters resourcefulness in our students and alumni as they face enduring and emerging career challenges.

We continue to see a strong need for what we do. We still see ways we can improve.

We will listen carefully and learn more from each other. We will provide more opportunity for individual growth, expand learning resources, seek additional scholarship support, and enhance interdisciplinary and real-world experiences. We will strengthen the relationship between alumni and the college. We will continue to value quality of life and take steps to improve it. We will build on the diversity that already exists in musical style, cultural background, and career interest, to name a few. We will create a more congenial and supportive environment for women and minorities within our richly diverse community, striving to be a model for the music industry.

There are also new directions we should pursue.

Now, more than ever, music professionals need educational support throughout their careers. New "virtual" methods are emerging for the delivery of education, which increasingly occurs outside of a formal curriculum. We will expand music education opportunities beyond the scope of the campus experience, using existing and new methods, media, and technologies. From here forward, we are committed to helping those with a passion for making contemporary music to do so throughout their lives.

As a leading advocate for contemporary music, we will help society develop a keener appreciation for its quality, social value, and cultural relevance. In so doing, we believe we can help deepen and broaden respect for both contemporary music and the mission of our college. Berklee College of Music will continue to strive for excellence, accessibility, and inclusiveness in contemporary music education.