Courses
West African Drum and Dance Ensemble
A performance-based ensemble utilizing the music and rhythms from traditional West African genres.
The Berklee College Drum Line
A percussion ensemble designed to develop playing skills in the drum line idiom. Instrumentation includes snare drums, multi-toms, mixed percussion, tuned bass drums, and mallet keyboards.
Berklee College of Music Percussion Ensemble
Advanced performance lab for percussion principals emphasizing group performance of contemporary percussion literature.
Berklee Steelpan Ensemble
This ensemble will perform a range of music specifically written and arranged for the steelpan instrument.
Marimba Ensemble
An ensemble for beginning percussionists specializing in interpretations and transcriptions of baroque, classical, and contemporary literature.
Marimba Ensemble 2
An ensemble for intermediate percussionists specializing in interpretations and transcriptions of baroque, classical, and contemporary literature.
Marimba Ensemble 3
An ensemble for advanced percussionists specializing in interpretations and transcriptions of baroque, classical, and contemporary literature.
Elements of Jazz Piano
A piano ensemble designed for entering students with strong classical technique but little background in jazz performance.
Piano Trio Lab
An ensemble for piano students who want to improve their ability to function in an ensemble setting with bass and drums.
Afro-Cuban Piano Montunos Ensemble
This course emphasizes rhythmic aspects and the historical context of Afro-Cuban piano montunos.
Odd-Meter Rhythmic Studies for the Pianist Ensemble
A hands-on, in-depth study of odd meters (5/4, 7/4, 5/8, 11/8 and 15/8) using rhythmic speech and counting/tapping of various groupings and accents.
Synth Techniques for Live Performance Ensemble
An ensemble designed for piano principals emphasizing basic synthesizer programming and performance in a live situation.
Gospel Keyboard Techniques Ensemble
This ensemble will expose the pianist to the stylistic diversity among gospel keyboard performers.
Accompanying Techniques for the Piano/Vocalist Ensemble
An ensemble for piano principals focusing on tunes in various jazz, pop/rock, and R&B styles.
The Piano Style of Thelonious Monk Ensemble
An ensemble for piano principals emphasizing the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and compositional innovations of Thelonious Monk.
Rehearsal Techniques for the Pianist/ Band Leader Ensemble
An ensemble for piano performance majors that focuses on practical rehearsal techniques. The student applies rehearsal techniques to duos, trios, and larger ensembles with one or more horns.
New Music Improvisation Ensemble
An ensemble for pianists to study improvisational systems and structures using both traditional notation and other methods such as graphic, visual, or written instructions.
Jazz Piano Master Class Ensemble
An advanced performance ensemble for piano principals providing the opportunity to study, analyze, and perform the music of selected jazz pianists in a master-class setting.
Big Band Jazz Rating 3
Big Band Jazz Rating 3 ensemble will perform arrangements associated with, but not limited to, jazz legends such as Count Basie, Woody Herman, and Buddy Rich.
The Music of Martino, Pass, and Wes Montgomery
The Martino, Pass, and Wes Montgomery ensemble will study and perform the music of Pat Martino, Joe Pass, and Wes Montgomery.