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Avi Rothbard (left) and Ludwig Girdland perform in the French Riviera |
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Photo by Allen Bush |
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You won't find a course called Touring 101 in the Berklee catalog, but students who have represented the college at various music festivals lately have been getting first-hand lessons about life on the road.
Student saxophonist Jaleel Shaw performed with a Berklee group in July at a jazz festival on the French Riviera, and led a student group at the Monterey (Calif.) Jazz Festival in September. "This is what I'm preparing for as a Performance major," Shaw said. "It was hard work; we were rehearsing and performing every day, and sometimes plans changed at the last minute. Now I know what it's like to be on the road."
Shaw's road responsibilities included helping publicize his group's performance. By the time he had left the Bay area, Shaw had done four radio interviews.
Performing in Juan Les Pins, France, with one of Berklee's powerhouse ensembles, the Rainbow Band, Shaw and the other students were billed by festival organizers as the jazz stars of tomorrow. The Rainbow Band led by Brass Dept. Professor Phil Wilson, three other student groups, and a faculty group, were well-received by enthusiastic music fans throughout "Recontres Internationales du Jazz de Berklee." The 24 student musicians who made the trip were a diverse cross-section of the student body, including vocalist Chiara Civello from Italy, violinist Ludwig Girdland from Sweden, guitarist Avi Rothbard from Israel, pianist Chihiro Yamanaka from Japan, saxophonist Yann Bettremieux from France and Shaw, who hails from Philadelphia, Penn. (U.S.A.).
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Jaleel Shaw (left) and Charles Haynes at the Monterey Jazz Festival. |
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Photo by Rob Hayes |
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"The trip was like Outward Bound for musicians," Professional Performance Division Dean Matt Marvuglio said of the France trip. "Not only did students get to play in a festival, but they also got to experience road life with the travel, food, different culture, and airport layovers."
In late August, a Berklee student quartet played at two jazz festivals in Kobe, Japan. The talented group featured saxophonist Anat Cohen, pianist Leo Blanco, drummer Charles Haynes, and bassist Bill Mohler.
The student groups were accompanied at all three locations by Berklee faculty and staff, some of whom also performed during the music festivals. In addition, Berklee auditioned local musicians vying for Berklee scholarships in each city.
Later this year, several other students will travel as part of their Berklee experience. One of them, violinist Casey Driessen, will perform at the World of Bluegrass Festival, in Louisville, Kentucky.
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