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Berklee History |
Lawrence Berk at the blackboard with students.
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| 1945 |
Founded by Lawrence Berk, Schillinger House is the first U.S. school to teach the popular music of the time, jazz. |
| 1954 |
Changes its name to Berklee School of Music. |
| 1960s |
Recognizes guitar as a principal instrument, and rock music hits campus. |
| 1966 |
Graduates its first fully accredited baccalaureate degree class. |
| 1970 |
Changes name to Berklee College of Music. |
Duke Ellington plays at a commencement reception.
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| 1971 |
Duke Ellington receives the college's first honorary doctorate. |
John Williams (pointing at TV) discusses his score for Jaws.
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| 1979 |
Lee Eliot Berk becomes the college's second president. Establishes the world's first undergraduate degree program in film scoring. |
| 1984 |
Launches the world's first college-level major in music synthesis. |
Ricky Skaggs talks to a student.
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| 1987 |
Begins offering the world's first college-level songwriting major.
Students spend several days in Nashville, attending clinics, concerts, and jam sessions, giving birth to an annual pilgrimage to Music City. |
Curtis Warner leads a theory class.
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| 1991 |
City Music, Berklee's program to make music education available to underserved youths, is launched. |
| 1993 |
Establishes hand percussion as a principal instrument. Founds Berklee International Network to support contemporary music education globally. |
| 1994 |
Opens Berklee Center in Los Angeles to build strategic relationships for the college throughout the music industry. |
| 1995 |
Launches student-run Heavy Rotation Records to promote student rock, pop, and hip-hop talent. |
| 1996 |
Establishes music therapy major. |
Grandmaster Flash teaches a clinic.
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| 1999 |
Incorporates hip-hop into the curriculum. |
| 2002 |
Launches Berkleemusic.com, an online music school. |
| 2003 |
Students found the college's second label, Jazz Revelation Records. |
| 2004 |
Roger H. Brown is named the college's third president. |
| 2005 |
Music business/management becomes the most populated of the college's 12 majors. |
| 2006 |
Increases presence of bluegrass on campus as mandolin and banjo become principal instruments. |
Student Mario Guthrie records his show on the BIRN.
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| 2007 |
The Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN) hits the digital airwaves. |
| 2008 |
Opens Cafe 939, a student-run, 200-seat, live-music venue and coffeehouse. |
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