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Creative Process:
An audio profile series produced by Professional Music major Claire Hughes '02.
June 7, 2002
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| Claire Hughes |
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Claire Hughes is a Professional Music graduate with a fascination with radio and a curiosity about the creative lives of her mentors. With the help of Professional Music Department Chair Kenn Brass, Claire turned her interest in radio into a graduation project.
A desire to know more about her professors inspired Claire to profile several faculty members. "I was intrigued by the idea that we develop relationships with our teachers on an academic level, but we don't often get to hear about their creative process," she says. "We can learn so much more from them by hearing how they function musically, and how they got to be where they are today. In essence, I wanted to hear their musical stories."
These interviews provide unique views into the creative lives of four Berklee faculty members. The interviews were conducted in the Berklee recording studios in April 2002. Please click on the picture of any teacher to hear the interview.
Faculty Profiles
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Mili Bermejo: Vocalist and composer Mili Bermejo draws from the extraordinary Latin musical tradition. Raised in a family of artists, Mili was immersed in music from early childhood. Her father is the renowned Mexican composer, singer, and guitarist Guillermo Bermejo, and her mother, Luz Bermejo, is an exceptional Argentinean tango singer. Mili performed extensively throughout Mexico City in the 1960s and 1970s, and in 1980, came to study jazz at Berklee College of Music, where she has been a member of the Voice Department faculty since 1984. In 1996 Mili and her husband, Dan Greenspan, were selected by the United States Information Service and Arts America to tour as Jazz Ambassadors, both performing and teaching. In 1998 Mili received the New England Foundation for the Arts Achievement in Jazz Award. Mili's Latin American roots combined with two decades performing in the jazz idiom have resulted in a truly unique combination of Latin folkloric style and contemporary jazz influence. Click on the picture above to hear Mili talk about her music. You can visit Mili's web site at www.milibermejo.com. Her CDs are available there as well. |
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Kenwood Dennard: Drummer and composer Kenwood Dennard was practically born playing music. He began playing piano at age 3, and moved on to the drums at age 9. Since then, Kenwood has truly mastered the art of drumming, playing in numerous settings. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he went on to play with legends like George Benson, Art Blakey, Maceo Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jaco Pastorius, just to name a few. From 1988 to 1996, Kenwood was an artist-in-residence and taught free jazz at the New School in New York. Kenwood returned in 1996 to teach private percussion lessons, ensembles, and labs at Berklee, his alma mater. Click on the picture above to hear Kenwood talk about his music and his experiences. You can learn more about Kenwood by visiting his web site at www.justadvance.com. |
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Wayne Naus: Trumpeter and composer Wayne Naus has developed a truly unique approach to the art of performing that can only come from a lifetime of dedication to music. Wayne gained some of his first professional experience in the United States Army Band, and moved on to tour with Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, and Arturo Sandoval. After years of working in the jazz idiom, Wayne wanted to take his music in new directions, and formed the band Moksha. Moksha is a musical experience possible only because of the high level of improvisational ability of its members. Wayne also teaches a class at Berklee called The Music of the Yellowjackets, leads Berklee's Tower of Power ensemble, and has written a book called Beyond Functional Harmony. Click on the picture above to hear Wayne talk about his music. To learn more about Moksha or to order a CD, visit the web site at www.mokshamusic.com.
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Livingston Taylor: Livingston Taylor is an extraordinary singer-songwriter, guitarist, and performer. A veteran of the stage, he has been performing his own brand of acoustic pop-folk songs for over 30 years. Livingston's fans can't get enough of his uniquely understated style of music. His success is also partly due to his love for his audience. A night at a Livingston Taylor show is an experience one doesn't soon forget. Livingston easily captivates his audience with his masterful guitar playing, warm vocal quality, and extremely well-crafted songs. Livingston teaches a popular course at Berklee College of Music called Stage Performance Techniques, and is currently a visiting artist at Harvard University. He explains his performance philosophy in his book Stage Performance, soon to be rereleased by Berklee Press. Click on the picture above to hear Livingston talk about his experiences and his music. To learn more about Livingston or to order a CD, visit his web site at www.livtaylor.com. |
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Interviews, faculty biographies, and photographs of Dennard, Naus, and Taylor by Claire Hughes.
Acknowledgements
I had a lot of help from several people, without whom this project would not have been possible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.
Tim College: This project would not be what it is without your expertise. Your help and advice were invaluable to me through the entire recording and editing process. I couldn't have asked for a better engineer. Thank you!
Rob Hochschild: Your interviewing tips helped me a lot, and of course I could not have put this project on the web without you. Thank you so much for your time, help, advice, and support.
Rob Jaczko: Thank you for advising me, and for helping me get in touch with the folks in the studio office. I really appreciate all your help.
Scott Mabuchi: Thank you for your help in booking the studio, for finding Tim College for me, and for doing it all in a time crunch!
Kenn Brass: Thank you for all the good advice, and for being so flexible and accommodating to my ever-changing ideas for the project.
Tom Riley: Thank you for giving me the idea to turn idle curiosity into something meaningful. I hope you are pleased with the way the project turned out.
And to Mili Bermejo, Kenwood Dennard, Wayne Naus, and Livingston Taylor, thank you for allowing me to delve into your creative lives. I have learned so much from listening to your experiences. Thank you for giving your time and knowledge. I hope you are all satisfied with the way the project turned out. I think many aspiring musicians can learn from what you all have to say.
— Claire Hughes
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All audio and video clips require QuickTime. To protect the rights of artists and performers, all clips are streamed, rather than offered for download.
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