Berklee Today: Giant Steps and Milestones

Berklee's inaugural capital campaign sets lofty goals.
June 10, 2008

On April 26, friends of Berklee gathered at the InterContinental Hotel on Boston's waterfront for the official launch of Giant Steps, Berklee's recently announced capital campaign. In his remarks, President Roger H. Brown told the audience, "This is the first capital campaign the college has ever undertaken." Brown detailed that the campaign title was borrowed from the famous song "Giant Steps" by jazz legend John Coltrane and that it represents a milestone in Berklee's development as an institution. "Coltrane's song is really a jazz etude," Brown said. "If you can improvise on it, it's a milestone in your development as a musician."

Berklee trustees and Giant Steps campaign cochairs John Connaughton and Mike Dreese told the guests how they came to be involved with the campaign. "I have been a mentor, a guest lecturer, and [a] trustee at Berklee," said Dreese. "I'm cochairing this campaign in part because I have been around the college for so long and know the great things it has accomplished on a shoestring and what possibilities lie ahead. Most importantly, I am motivated to financially support the college and work on behalf of the students."

Read more about Berklee's Giant Steps Campaign in Berklee Today.