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Endowed Scholarships and Chairs
Wes Wehmiller Scholarship
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Wes WehmillerClick here to watch the video of President of Berklee College of Music, Roger Brown, announcing the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship: Berklee Remembers Wes
video, 55MB |
The Wehmiller family and Wes Wehmiller's extended family of friends from around the world invite you to join them in the ongoing celebration of the life of Wes Wehmiller '92, a highly accomplished bassist, athlete, and photographer who died of thyroid cancer in January, 2005. The scholarship is awarded annually to a continuing student of the electric bass at Berklee whose musicianship, spirit, and visibility as a performer demonstrate his or her potential to carry on the talent and spirit of Wes.
Click here to make a contribution to the scholarship and to become part of this spirited community giving forward in the way Wes so generously gave and still gives to us.
A unique aspect of the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship is that on the evening of the awards ceremony in March, the new scholarship recipient performs with Berklee Bass Professor Danny Morris at Danny Mo's Jam. The following spring, the student travels to Los Angeles to perform at WesFest, an annual celebration of Wes' musical legacy. The WesFest concert series serves as the centerpiece for the continuing fundraising drive for the scholarship fund, and the monies and awareness raised by the WesFest concert series have quickly made the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship one of the most prestigious awards given by Berklee College Of Music.
Wes, who won a scholarship to attend Berklee, was mentored here by bassist/professor Danny Morris who became a close colleague and friend. In 1993, Wes moved to the west coast where he collaborated with a vibrant Los Angeles community of Berklee alumni. From 1997 through 2001, Wes toured worldwide with the multi-platinum pop band Duran Duran, and appeared on many TV shows with them as well, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, VH-1's Storytellers and Hard Rock Live. Wes also performed with Missing Persons, avant-garde solo artist Mike Keneally, and several other L.A. based bands, and his work appears on numerous recordings produced in the L.A. area and in Vancouver.
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Headliner Jimmy Haslip |
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At www.weswehmiller.net you can learn about Wes, and the people he touched. This site is packed with music, videos, photography by and of Wes, and much much more.
On March 11th, 2009, Justin Schornstein became the fourth recipient of the Wehmiller scholarship, receiving his award from Bass Department Chairman, Rich Appleman, and Wes' mentor, Danny Morris, at the afternoon awards ceremony luncheon. That evening, Justin performed at Danny Mo's annual show formerly titled 'Danny Mo's Jam' and this year aptly renamed by Appleman as 'Danny Mo's Family Reunion.' "I was introduced to Justin's musicianship through an essay he composed for my Survey of Bass Styles class," Danny Mo says. "After being thoroughly intrigued by his thoughts on music, I invited Justin to play bass with me on Ellington's 'Come Sunday.' Justin immediately reminded me of all the precious qualities that Wes had on the instrument, music as conversation, sharing expressive thoughts through sound. When preparing for my annual show, I was impressed with Justin's skills as an arranger, his leadership while rehearsing, and ultimately his performing. Along with his large ensemble, Justin energized the capacity crowd with some of the heaviest Gospel infused grooves I have ever experienced around Berklee."
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Scholarship winner Justin Schornstein at Danny Mo's Jam |
Three weeks before Danny Mo's Jam in Boston, WesFest 4 - the fourth annual WesFest benefit concert - was held at The Knitting Factory in Los Angeles headlined by The Allan Holdsworth/Alan Pasqua Group featuring Chad Wackerman and Jimmy Haslip. As in every WesFest concert, the current year's scholarship winner performed a set at the show, and 2008's recipient Steffie Willis upheld the tradition by laying down a deep, reggae-influenced groove in a set with Danny Mo & The Exciters, a band led by Danny Morris. Three other acts, all a part of Wes Wehmiller's broad and diverse musical world, performed at WesFest 4: original WesFest headliner guitarist/virtuoso Mike Keneally in his Keneally-Minnemann-Beller power trio; L.A. singer/songwriter Tamara Silvera, whose new CD Departures features Wehmiller's last known full-album recorded work; and The WesFest All-Stars, a collection of Wehmiller's friends and musical compatriots featuring performances by Ali Handal, Kira Small, Mother Eff, and Wes' original rock band I, Claudius (whose CD Bleed: The Wes Demos contains reworked demo tracks with Wehmiller's original bass parts, and contributed to the overall merchandising effort).
Danny Mo & the Exciters at WesFest 4 |
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"We're extremely grateful for the contribution of so many individuals involved in the show, as well their efforts to spread the news and make the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship known world-wide," says WesFest 4 Producer Stacey Ferguson. "The fact that the WesFest fundraising drive continues to raise more money every year speaks volumes about how the amazing energy and depth of Wes' life continues to touch people, and inspires them to carry it on."
And "carry it on" we will with WesFest 5 in Los Angeles in February of 2010 and the Danny Mo Family Reunion on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the David Friend Recital Hall in Boston. As Danny Mo says, "Hope to see many of you there, as you are already on the guest list!"
For more information about creating or supporting scholarships, please contact David McKay or Marjorie O'Malley.
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