Music awards ceremonies frequently have spawned Berklee class reunions, as the college's alumni increasingly have collected nominations and awards. That was certainly the case in New York in February 1998, as nine former Berklee students were contending for a total of 16 Grammy Awards. At the top of the heap were Paula Cole, the 1990 Berklee graduate who walked away with the coveted Best New Artist Grammy, and 1989 alumnus Roy Hargrove, winner of the Best Latin Jazz Performance award.
For Cole, it was the culmination of a year that many young musicians dream about. She watched her second album, "This Fire," go platinum; scored two hit singles, "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" and "I Don't Want to Wait"; and earned seven Grammy nominations.
In the midst of all this success, however, Cole hasn't forgotten where she was a few years ago: working hard toward a bachelor of music degree in Professional Music at Berklee. She also had attended Berklee's 5-Week Summer Program before graduating high school. "The teachers really encouraged me, and I got a great scholarship . . . I loved Berklee," she told TV Guide in its Feb. 21 edition.
One of those teachers, Bob Stoloff, Associate Professor in the Berklee Voice Department, began teaching the Rockport, Mass. native when she was 16 years old.
"As soon as I heard her, I knew she was slated for something major," Stoloff said. "She was frightened and impressionable, but I could see she had talent. I just needed to make her see how strong she was."
Stoloff said that Cole's performance on the Grammy broadcast seemed influenced in part by her participation in Berklee's Vocal Summit ensemble, directed by Stoloff. "She accompanied lyrics with certain body motions and took a vocal drum break, both of which we work on with Vocal Summit."
Hargrove Spends Day After at Berklee
Roy Hargrove's 10-piece band, Crisol, earned the leader his first Grammyaward for the record "Habana," a mix of Afro-Cuban and jazz styles performed by musicians from Cuba and the United States.
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Student trumpeter Jeremy Pelt (right) trades fours with Hargrove (left) and Payton. |
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The day after the Grammy Awards, Hargrove and fellow Grammy-award-winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton traveled to Berklee and performed with New Life Jazz Orchestra, a Boston-based big band composed almost entirely of Berklee students and alumni, and led by alumnus Kendrick Oliver. Part of Berklee's Black History Month Music Celebration, the Grammy winners soloed and later traded riffs with Berklee student trumpeters Jeremy Pelt and Rashan Ross, who performed well when standing in the spotlight with their more experienced counterparts.
A quick read of the complete list of Berklee alumni nominated for Grammy awards this year reflects the depth and diversity of talent among the college's graduates.
Page 2: Faculty and Alumni Shine at Boston Music Awards
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