News: 2005

NEWS ARTICLES | PRESS HITS

PRESS HIT: Pickers and Strummers Find a Home in the City
Adding bluegrass to its contemporary music curriculum, Berklee responds to the interests of its students and trends in contemporary music. (Boston Globe, December 28, 2005)

Berklee Kicks Off NPR's Toast of the Nation '06 Celebration
Henry Butler will perform live at Berklee, as part of NPR's rockin' coast-to-coast party to ring in the New Year New Orleans style. (December 23, 2005)

Front Women
Berklee women make themselves known at the ROCKRGRL conference in Seattle. (December 22, 2005)

Ornette Coleman will Receive Honorary Doctor of Music Degree From Berklee, January 17
Father of free jazz to give keynote address at annual, two-day faculty BTOT conference. (December 22, 2005)

Three Score: The Berklee 60th Anniversary Concert
An unprecedented line-up of superstars—including Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, and Bill Cosby—and rising talent from pop, jazz, and Latin music gathered to perform in honor of Berklee's 60 years of innovative music education. (December 21, 2005)

Jordan's Leading Cultural Ambassador and Berklee Alumnus to Present National Peace Tour in May
Zade to rehearse his international orchestra—featuring Berklee alumni and students—at the David Friend Recital Hall January 5. (December 19, 2005)

Alums and Faculty Garner Grammy Nominations This year's Grammy announcements include nods for alums such as Brandford Marsalis, Steve Vai, and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, among others. (December 15, 2005)

Student Finds the Holidays are for Giggin'
Robert Hanlon, one of Berklee's first ever presidential scholars, will be using this holiday season to perform with some of his fellow musicians in the Seattle, Washington, area. (December 8, 2005)

NOVA Series News
Berklee's NOVA Series brings Marva Wright and Davell Crawford to the Berklee Performance Center with The Reverence Gospel Ensemble, on Monday, December 12. (December 5, 2005)

City Music Students Joined by Aerosmith Bassist for Tribute Performance
During the recent gala opening for Boston jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low, Berklee's City Music Allstar Band performed classic rock tunes to showcase the store's new location. (December 5, 2005)

ProArts Cross Registration Opportunities
The Professional Arts Consortium (ProArts), an association of Berklee and five neighboring institutions of higher education dedicated to the visual and performing arts, announces several new cross registration opportunities. (November 28, 2005)

The Feel Bassist Meshell Ndegeocello visits Berklee for a three-day residency and talks to students about getting to the heart and soul of music. (November 21, 2005)

Berklee Group to Perform in D.C.
Berklee sends an all-star student group to play Monday, December 5, at Blues Alley. (November 18, 2005)

See the Stars of Tomorrow at Berklee, Dec. 8
The Berklee tradition known as Singers' Showcase has provided the training ground for vocalist such as Lalah Hathaway and Paula Cole and opportunities to see the next round of up-and-comers is on December 8. (November 18, 2005)

Boston Magazine and VW Establish New Scholarship
Music Business/Management students working on Berklee's student-run record label are eligible for new scholarship money thanks to Boston Magazine and Volkswagen. (November 18, 2005)

Second Line Resurrection Concert to Benefit New Orleans Musicians
Lineup includes Berklee's Jazz Hip-Hop Orchestra, Louisiana's Jaguar Alumni Drumline, George Porter Jr. of the Meters, Donald Harrison, Mark Whitfield, and lots of stepping and strolling. (November 17, 2005)

Playtime
A Berklee staff member reports on a mind-opening afternoon with composer Meredith Monk. (November 15, 2005)

Women of Berklee Represent College at ROCKRGRL Conference
Berklee faculty and several alumni will perform at the ROCKRGRL Music Conference in Seattle, WA, designed to promote, encourage, and celebrate women's achievements in music. (November 10, 2005)

Panel Fosters Entrepreneurial Spirit
The Music Business/Management Department set the stage for future leaders with advice from top level business executives during its second annual Entrepreneurs Panel. (November 9, 2005)

Encore Gala Raised Record Funds for Berklee's City Music Program
Attendees at this year's Encore Gala enjoyed an evening of live music from Berklee faculty and students and a silent auction to benefit underprivileged youth in the Boston area. (November 1, 2005)

WindsDay 2005, November 7
The Berklee Woodwind Department offers a day of concerts and lectures for the public while paying tribute to some of the horn world's top brass. (October 28, 2005)

Recording in the Real World Students toil with industry greats—vocalist Kathy Mattea and producers Elliot Scheiner and George Massenburg—in a Berklee studio. (October 27, 2005)

Responsibilities of Songcraft
Piano great Ellis Marsalis urges student vocalists to study the songs they sing. (October 24, 2005)

Saxophonist Jimmy Heath Presents Concert and Master Class, November 21-22
Saxophone legend Jimmy Heath has performed with many of the jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. (October 21, 2005)

Latin Culture Celebration, October 31-November 7
This year's Latin Culture week is a series of concerts and clinics showcasing the depth and diversity of Latin American musical expression, including a special tribute to Rubén Blades. (October 13, 2005)

Legendary Players Reminisce about Boston BeBop, October 31
Berklee college panel offers the public a look into Boston's bebop heyday through the eyes of legends. (October 11, 2005)

Blues Traveler
After the flood, New Orleans-based blues/jazz pianist Henry Butler looks at the bright side. (October 7, 2005)

Have Jazz, Will Travel, to Local Libraries
Berklee, the Boston Public Library, and the Boston Jazz Society continue the annual Jazz On Wheels program, which allows children and their families to learn about and play jazz in neighborhood libraries. (September 30, 2005)

Encore Gala: A Hot Ticket Helps Young Musicians, October 22
Berklee's annual Gala offers a special night of more than 150 musicians, an auction of stellar prizes, and more, to benefit urban teens in years to come. (September 23, 2005)

Music for Social Change a Focus at Berklee, October 20
Motown artist, clinics, and a stellar public concert is the first sequence of events in an initiative to empower musicians as agents of social change. (October 14, 2005)

Abraham Laboriel, Patrice Rushen, and Steve Gadd Accept Honorary Doctor of Music Degrees
The honorees deliver surprise performance with students at Berklee's 2005 Entering Student Convocation. (September 23, 2005)

Fenway's Opening Our Doors! Features Some of Berklee's Finest, October 10
Jordanian student Farah Siraj kicks off a Boston cultural celebration and alumnus Luques Curtis also performs in the Columbus Day event. (September 22, 2005)

Country Music Star Kathy Mattea Will Record Student Composition
Mattea will work with producers George Massenberg and Elliot Scheiner to select, record, and produce a student song at Berklee, a first-ever type of collaboration. (September 16, 2005)

Berklee Student Invited for Royal Performance
Belgian student Alicia Vermaele receives an invitation to perform for the prince and princess of her native country. (September 16, 2005)

Vineyard Vibes 2005
Words and images from Berklee's fifth annual island festival, this year featuring Juliana Hatfield, a tribute to the Mambo Kings, and others. (September 14, 2005)

Rising Sun Berklee-born rock-pop quartet Apollo Sunshine prepares to release its second CD as a joint collaboration between its record company and the college's student-run label. (September 9, 2005)

Berklee's Response to Hurricane Katrina
The Berklee community pitches in with the relief effort by forming a fund for New Orleans musicians and creating a number of other initiatives.

California Saxophonist Named Ninth Jimmy Lyons Scholar
Berklee and the Monterey Jazz Festival select a San Jose reedman for one of the college's most coveted awards. (September 9, 2005)

Five to Four: Berklee Alumni Garner Good Odds for Emmys
Four alumni, including Simpons composer Alf Clausen, receive a total of five Emmy nominations in categories such as Outstanding Music Composition and Outstanding Music Direction, among others. (September 9, 2005)

Berklee 2005-2006 Concert Series Welcomes Kevin Eubanks
Alumnus Kevin Eubanks returns to his old stomping ground to lead a band for Berklee's annual concert series. (August 30, 2005)

Abe Laboriel, Patrice Rushen, and Steve Gadd to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee
Laboriel, Rushen, and Gadd will make Berklee's Entering Student Convocation a special one as each honoree addresses the class of 2009 at this year's ceremony. (August 19, 2005)

Apollo Sunshine Celebrates the Release of Its New Album, Sept. 9
A trio that formed while attending Berklee, Apollo Sunshine, comes back to where it began with a CD release party at Boston's Middle East nightclub. (August 18, 2005)

Berklee Ensemble Saddles Up for Country Music Concert, Sept. 4
Berklee's Country Music Ensemble will open for country music star Trace Adkins and hit-making Nashville singer/songwriter Bobby Carlson at the Indian Ranch, in Webster, MA. (August 17, 2005)

Berklee and Bose Team for a Cutting-Edge Concert Series
The pairing of Bose's audio genius and talented Berklee musicians makes for a must-see series of eclectic concerts. (August 12, 2005)

Six Full Scholarships Awarded to Local Youth
Six young Bostonians receive full-tuition scholarships during Berklee's City Music Blow-Out Concert. The college's gifts will total more than $600,000 for a four-year period. (August 10, 2005)

Berklee 2005 - 2006 Concert Series Runs the Musical Gamut
Lalah Hathaway, Kevin Eubanks, Meshell Ndegeocello, Patty Larkin, Yellowjackets, others on tap to perform. (August 5, 2005)

Berklee appoints Deborah Bieri as Berklee's New Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Berklee appoints Deborah Grozen Bieri to the newly established position of Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement. (August 4, 2005)

Students and Hot Indie Label Collaborate on Apollo Sunshine Disc
Power pop trio Apollo Sunshine's latest album will be jointly released by Berklee's Heavy Rotation and spinART Records, whose past releases have featured artists such as the Pixies and Richard Thompson. (August 3, 2005)

A Score in Umbria Berklee marks its 20th anniversary of teaching students in Italy. (August 2, 2005)

Yellow Fever
Two members of the Yellowjackets spend a week performing, teaching, and collaborating with students. (August 2, 2005)

Vineyard High School Students Study at Berklee with Grammy-Nominated Phil Wilson
High school musicians who studied under trombonist/arranger Phil Wilson will perform opening set at the fifth Vinyard Vibes Festival, August 14. (July 29, 2005)

Six Full-Tuition Scholarships for Inner-City Teens to be Awarded at Berklee City Music Blowout Concert, August 9
Free concert with pop, jazz, r&b, and gospel showcases talent from Boston neighborhoods. (July 29, 2005)

Berklee and Beantown Jazz Festival Partner for Concerts with Lalah Hathaway on September 23 and Miguel Zenon, September 24
Hathaway concert is special pre-festival kick-off at Berklee Performance Center with artist reception. (July 28, 2005)

Berklee and City of Boston ParkARTS Present Jazz at the Fort, Aug. 7
Free outdoor jazz concert will feature faculty vocalist Gwen Leathers at Roxbury's Fort Hill. (July 22, 2005)

Gospel Greats and Local Artists in Concert at Berklee, July 29-31
Legendary gospel artist Tramaine Hawkins, renowned Berklee faculty members Dennis Montgomery and Jetro da Silva, and more lift praises on high at the Berklee Performance Center. (July 22, 2005)

Somewhere over the Rainbow Band, July 28
Phil Wilson and Co. will perform "The Wizard of Oz Suite" at the BPC. (July 21, 2005)

Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra Coast-to-Coast, July 31
XM Satellite Radio will broadcast a live studio recording of Berklee's Concert Jazz Orchestra on Sunday. (July 20, 2005)

Student Jazz Label Launches Summer Concert Series in Cambridge
A series of free jazz concerts this summer in Cambridge's Kendall Square will feature student artists, including musicians from Jazz Revelation Records, Berklee's student-run jazz label. (July 15, 2005)

Berklee Names Dr. Lawrence Simpson Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Lawrence J. Simpson is appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president for academic affairs. (July 13, 2005)

Not about the Notes Bela Fleck bassist Victor Wooten visits Berklee to talk about communicating through music. (June 29, 2005)

Strings and Threads
Bass legend Ron Carter has the sound and the style to match. Read about his recent lecture. (June 24, 2005)

Community Arts Collaboration Keeps Summer Swingin'
Berklee, the Fenway Civic Association, and ParkARTS team to bring top-notch jazz talent to the Mothers Rest playground. (June 20, 2005)

Taking Action A community forum inspires an audience to help spread awareness about crisis-torn Darfur. (June 17, 2005)

Berklee and La Casa Honor The King of Timbales
Berklee and La Casa de la Cultura join to bring the Tito Puente Latin Music Series to the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center this summer. (June 17, 2005)

Student Saxophonist Performs at New York's JVC Jazz Festival, June 24
Mike Tucker takes his quartet to New York to open for trumpeter Duane Eubanks in a concert presented by Jazz Revelation Records. (June 17, 2005)

The Fight of the Phoenix
Phoenix Media/Communications Group founder and CEO Stephen Mindich talks about battling corporate conformity. (June 10, 2005)

June Concerts Spotlight Berklee's Brass and Wind Players, June 24-26
Scheduled performers include trombonist Phil Wilson, trumpeter Charles Lewis, and saxophonist Jim Odgren. (June 9, 2005)

Percussion Department Drums Up Weeklong International Fest,
June 27–July 1
The 2005 Berklee Percussion Festival will include a line up of some of the world's most innovative and dynamic percussionists performing hip-hop, jazz, and a variety of world music styles for the public. (June 7, 2005)

Berklee Celebrates 20 Years in Umbria
Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner, Enrico Rava, and Charlie Parker will all be honored as part of Berklee's 20 years of jazz education in Italy. Read the Italian language version. (June 2, 2005)

The New Sound of Soul
British journalist Jacquelyn Springer provides the straight dope on hip-hop's growing impact. (May 31, 2005)

Vineyard Vibes is Back: Bigger and More Diverse
Berklee's summer festival Vineyard Vibes returns to Martha's Vineyard this year with an expanded lineup that includes jazz, gospel, Latin jazz, and rock music, too. (May 24, 2005)

Macworld-Berklee Music Festival to Present Four Free Nights of Rock, Latin, Reggae, and Progressive Jazz, July 6, 11 - 13
Berklee faculty, students predominant as performers, clinicians at Macworld Conference & Expo. (May 19, 2005)

First-Ever Gospel Summer Workshop at Berklee
Renowned Berklee faculty start an intensive study of gospel technique as part of Berklee's summer offerings. (May 18, 2005)

Degrees of Change
Talent and confidence in abundance, Berklee's class of 2005 steps out. Ron Carter, Anita Baker, and Kevin Eubanks collect honorary degrees. Read the story and follow links to the photo gallery and other commencement pages. (May 18, 2005)

Berklee Students Win 2005 Shure Recording Competition
A student production team wins $10,000 worth of Shure microphones and a $3,000 scholarship donation. (May 18, 2005)

Berklee to play at the Kennedy Center
The Mike Tucker Quartet will perform as part of an innovative project from the Conservatory Project to display the nation's finest student work. (May 13, 2005)

Berklee Offers New Elite Summer Jazz Workshop
A jazz workshop held during Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program will feature alumna drummer Terri Lyne Carrington as artistic director. (April 29, 2005)

Mexico City Native at Berklee Wins Big with BMI peermusic
Manileck De la Parra from Mexico City wins the BMI peermusic Scholarship Competition. (April 22, 2005)

Berklee Announces 2005 Commencement Lineup
Anita Baker, Ron Carter, and Kevin Eubanks will receive high honors at Berklee's graduation ceremony. (April 20, 2005)

Playing Ray Alumnus Curt Sobel provides the key to the musical magic in the movie Ray. (April 20, 2005)

Berklee Students to Play NYC's Legendary Blue Note Jazz Club, Monday, May 9
Group to be led by bassist/singer/composer Esperanza Spalding and Cuban drummer/faculty member Francisco Mela. (April 20, 2005)

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic headline First-Ever Mac-World Music Festival at Berklee
Apple and Berklee team up to showcase the melody of modern technology at this year's Macworld Conference and Expo. (April 20, 2005)

Berklee Announces New Interim Senior Vice President Role
Dr. Marilyn Brock joins the Academic Affairs Department as interim senior vice president. (April 19, 2005)

The Capital's Big Band Jam Features Berklee's Jazz Orchestra
The Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra will play at the Blues Alley Jazz Society's 20th Anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. (April 15, 2005)

Berklee Rainbow Band to play at Berklee Performance Center
Phil Wilson leads his internationally acclaimed Berklee Rainbow Band on the Berklee Performance Center stage. (April 8, 2005)

Blessings Flow from Berklee Performance Center
Dennis Montgomery's widely popular gospel groups, Reverence Gospel Ensemble and Overjoyed, grace the Berklee Performance Center stage with praise. (April 8, 2005)

Yasuhiko Fukuoka Named 2005 BMI Film Scoring Scholarship Recipient at Berklee
A Berklee student composer wins a scholarship given in the name of Austin Powers film scorer George S. Clinton. (April 7, 2005)

Next Generation of Jazz On Stage at the Regattabar, April 28
Jazz Revelation Records, Berklee's student-run jazz label, presents a CD release concert featuring performances by Nir Felder, the Northern Lights Band, and Fikira. (April 6, 2005)

By Storm
Berklee makes a big noise at the annual International Association of Jazz Educators conference. (April 1, 2005)

Something Conservatory About It
"Bach to Bop and Back" bridges classical and jazz, Monday, April 11, at St. Clement's Shrine. (April 1, 2005)

College Pays Tribute to Jazz on Wheels Cofounder
Berklee professors present a tribute concert to late Jazz on Wheels cofounder, Jacquelyn Hogan, Saturday, April 9, at the Boston Public Library. (April 1, 2005)

Berklee Trio Travels to Costa Rica For the first time, a Berklee student group is invited to participate in 60-year-old performance series showcasing outstanding U.S. college students. (March 29, 2005)

Apollo Sunshine Celebrates New EP's Arrival
Berklee's student-run Heavy Rotation Records and New York label SpinART mark the arrival of Apollo Sunshine's soon to be released EP at the Middle East. (March 25, 2005)

Berklee and Roxbury Community College Collaboration Continues
Rising star Esperanza Spalding keeps jazz flowing from RCC's Mainstage Theatre in the second performance of the series. (March 24, 2005)

Yellowjackets Buzz at Berklee
There's a buzz at Berklee about the Yellowjacket's performance of new music as part of Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series. (March 18, 2005)

Berklee Announces Memorial Scholarship for Wes Wehmiller
The parents, family, and friends of alumnus and bassist Wes Wehmiller '92 have established a scholarship in his memory. Wehmiller, who passed away in January, was a former member of Duran Duran and has a long list of performing credits with a range of recording artists. (March 14, 2005)

A Slam Dunk for Student Group at NBA All-Star Game
The wrap on what it's like to go from writing rhymes on napkins to rapping for NBA All Stars. (March 11, 2005)

Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series Brings the International stateside
Student artists from around the world will perform music symbolic of cultures and practices from all over the globe. (March 9, 2005)

Women's History Month
A series of concerts, films, lectures, and other events focused around this year's theme, the Transformation of Silence into Language and Action. (March 2, 2005)

Berklee Announces Michel Camilo Scholarship
The Michel Camilo Scholarship will be presented to a young musician, either Dominican-born or of Dominican descent, with both exceptional talent and a passion for a career in music. Camilo will also perform with Joe Lovano on March 9, a benefit for the scholarship. (February 28, 2005)

Mission of Hope: Updated
Linda Mason, spouse of president Roger Brown, returns from a women-to-women mission in Darfur, and brings with her stories and field recordings from Sudanese women. And you're invited to hear those recordings and learn more about the trip at a community forum on March 23. (UPDATED February 28, 2005)

Berklee to Honor Country Music Legend Earl Scruggs
Country music legend Earl Scruggs, a pioneering banjoist, will receive an honorary doctorate of music degree at a private ceremony and tribute concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. (February 25, 2005)

Root Connection A Berklee student and native of the Dominican Republic finds a way to meet his countryman and musical hero, Juan Luis Guerra. (February 25, 2005)

Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Series
Turns Spotlight on Women
A student show that's a new addition to Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series features Berklee's extraordinary women composers, vocalists, and instrumentalists. (February 24, 2005)

Sociologist and Erudite Joins Board
Sarah Lawrence Lightfoot, acclaimed sociologist, researcher, author and Harvard education professor, joins Berklee's Board of Trustees. (February 24, 2005)

High Schoolers Head to Berklee for Competition
Before Miles and Coltrane made it, they went to high school. Get a peek at the next generation of jazz masters at Berklee's 37th annual High School Jazz Festival. (February 23, 2005)

Television Executive Joins Board
Charles Hirschhorn, G4 founder and CEO and veteran TV and film executive joins Berklee's Board of Trustees. (February 19, 2005)

A Full Ride from Berklee
Berklee debuts Presidential Scholarship Program, a first-of-its-kind, "full ride" offering that will cover all costs of attending the college. (February 18, 2005)

Alternative News Giant to Deliver Zafris Lecture
Boston-based media mogul Stephen Mindich will deliver the 2005 Zafris Distinguished Lecture for Music Business/Management. (February 16, 2005)

Student Hip-Hop Group Gets NBA All-Star Selection
Student Brian "Raydar" Ellis and his group Hood Official head to Denver to play on the national stage before the NBA All-Star Game.(February 15, 2005)

Seven Alumni Win Grammys
John Mayer, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, and Howard Shore win awards at the 47th Grammy Awards. (February 14, 2005)

Financial Executive Joins Board
Michael R. Eisenson, co-founder of Charlesbank Capital Partners, joins Berklee's Board of Trustees. (February 11, 2005)

Healthcare and Biotechnology Executive Joins Board
Elliott D. Hillback, senior vice president of Genzyme's corporate affairs office, joins Berklee's Board of Trustees. (February 11, 2005)

New Music Festival
A showcase of six Berklee student groups performing original arrangements and compositions, part of Song's Nothing Conservatory About It concert series. (February 7, 2005)

Ron Carter To Deliver Keynote Lecture
The jazz bass great anchors Black History Month with a free public symposium at Berklee on February 24. (February 7, 2005)

British Airwaves
Jazz pianist and public radio host visits Berklee to talk shop with faculty and accept an honorary degree. (February 1, 2005)

Black History Month Music Celebration
Ron Carter delivers the month's keynote lecture, Sheila E. gives a clinic, Bob Marley scholar Roger Steffens visits, and a host of students and faculty members will perform. For additional information, read the press release. (February 1, 2005)

Berklee's Tsunami Relief Effort
A series of public events and fundraising concerts raise awareness and money to address the destruction in Southeastern Asia. (January 26, 2005)

Label Makers
Two music business/management graduates win an award for crafting an inventive scheme for running record companies. (January 26, 2005)

5th Annual Heavy Rotation Records Showcase
The event showcases Label Artists Apollo Sunshine, Fluttr, Via Audio, and The Godbody. (January 21, 2005)

Berklee and Roxbury Community College Present Jazz Concert as Start of New Collaboration
Rising star on the local scene, Roxbury's Tuffus Zimbabwe, kicks-off the new series February 4. (January 13, 2005)

The Great American Songbook: Music of Cole Porter
Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series continues with a tribute to one of our greatest tunesmiths, Cole Porter, in a show that willl benefit the tsunami relief effort. (January 8, 2005)

Phil Wilson and the Berklee Rainbow Band to Play 32nd Annual IAJE Conference. (January 7, 2005)

The New Axe
The proliferation of the PowerBook on the Berklee campus makes big news on the Apple web site. (January 5, 2005)

Berklee and Monterey Festival Seek Applicants for Jazz Scholarship
The annual search for the most talented jazz students in California is underway, as Berklee and Monterey Jazz open the competition for the ninth James L. Lyons Scholarship. (January 5, 2005)

Jazz Pianist and Radio Host Marian McPartland Will Receive Honorary Degree
Marian McPartland, who has led equally successful careers as both a musician and broadcast personality, comes to Berklee to speak to faculty members and receive an honorary doctorate of music degree. (January 5, 2005)