Berklee Today: Mayer Mentors

Keppie Coutts, John Mayer, Mike Aljadeff, and Jonathan Carr recorded song demos together in the studio.

Photo by Mark Small

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Dennis Montgomery III invited John Mayer to sit in with his ensemble and give an informal clinic.

Photo by Phil Farnsworth

During a clinic at the Berklee Performance Center, Mayer invited assistant professor Tomo Fujita onstage to play the blues.

Photo by Phil Farnsworth

Mayer talks to students after his clinic.

Photo by Phil Farnsworth

On October 8, before a capacity crowd at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), President Roger Brown explained the roots of Berklee's good fortune in securing a weeklong residency with pop superstar John Mayer. According to Brown, late one night Mayer sent the president a text message asking about paying a visit to Berklee. "John wanted to come to Berklee and work with student songwriters on developing their writing," Brown recalls. "I asked when he wanted to do it, and he said, "Next week." At Brown's behest, a team of faculty and staff members quickly set up an itinerary for Mayer that included visits to classes taught by his former teachers, the BPC clinic, workshops with songwriters, and sessions in which Mayer produced demos of songs by three student songwriters.

Read more about John Mayer in Berklee Today.