News: 2006

NEWS ARTICLES | PRESS HITS

Meet Berklee's New Presidential Scholars
Six talented musicians get a full ride to Berklee as the college introduces its second group of Presidential Scholars. (December 22, 2006)

Berklee Alumni Earn 36 Grammy Nominations
Grammy nominations went to 26 Berklee alumni, including the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines '95 and John Mayer '98, who earned five nominations each. (December 13, 2006)

Faculty Member Brings the "Thunder" for Debut of Landmark Album
Associate Percussion professor Tony "Thunder" Smith to play world premiere of Lou Reed's 1973 record Berlin in New York and Australia. (December 6, 2006)

Public Enemy's Number One Rap legend Chuck D addresses students in a two-hour talk entitled "Race, Rap, Reality, and Technology." (December 6, 2006)

Family Affair
Husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi take their family on the road. The two musicians gave a clinic at Berklee hours before their bands made a tour stop on campus. (December 4, 2006)

Berklee is First Stop for NPR's International Radio Broadcast
Kendrick Oliver and his big band ring in the New Year with New Life at Berklee for NPR's Toast of the Nation. (December 1, 2006)

Carpe Diem
Music business/management students learn the risks and rewards of starting a business from a panel of successful music industry entrepreneurs. (December 1, 2006)

Beyond Words
Guitarist Bill Frisell visits Berklee for a clinic and lets his strings do most of the talking. (November 30, 2006)

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. (November 21, 2006)

Bass Great Marcus Miller to Perform with Students, December 8
Grammy Award-winning bassist, producer, and film composer Marcus Miller and two student groups will perform music associated with his extraordinary career. (November 16, 2006)

Rainbow Band Presents a Berklee Jazz Festival, November 30
Phil Wilson and his talented and well-traveled Berklee Rainbow Band will feature guest saxophonist Andy McGhee. (November 15, 2006)

We Are All Connected Berklee releases a CD of original music inspired by the crisis in Darfur. The CD is available through iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, eBay, and Newbury Comics. Proceeds raised through sales of the disc will be sent to the war-torn region. Learn more and listen to tracks from the disc. (November 13, 2006)

Music from Africa Comes West
Berklee's West African Drum and Dance Ensemble performs a special tribute concert to the Ashanti people. (November 9, 2006)

Latin Culture Celebration, November 6–13
Read the full menu of events, including listening parties, panel discussions, seminars, and lots of live music. Most events are free. (November 6, 2006)

One-Man Band An '80s icon—Thomas Dolby—comes to Berklee to talk about trailblazing on the cutting edge. (November 2, 2006)

Mambo Maestro "Cachao" to Receive Honorary Doctorate
Berklee gives an honorary doctorate to Cuban legend "Cachao" on the same night that students perform a concert in tribute to the bassist. (October 27, 2006)

Top Student Group Proves Bicoastal Appeal, November 16
A student quartet that performed for a standing-room-only crowd at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September will play two sets at a Washington D.C. club in November. (October 26, 2006)

Berklee Today Features Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel on Cover
The new issue of Berklee's alumni magazine hits the stands, with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel on the cover and features on saxophonist Mindi Abair and two alumni in the house band for the TV show Rock Star. (October 20, 2006)

Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee Continues, November 9
Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee Continues with Eguie Castrillo and Friends: Latin Meets Jazz. Castrillo and his 18-piece orchestra, featuring guest vocalist Didi Stewart, present a night of high-energy Latin jazz. (October 20, 2006)

Krystal Banfield Appointed as Berklee City Music Boston Director
Krystal Banfield brings her experience developing national programming and working with the community to City Music Boston, Berklee's scholarship, tutorial, and mentoring program for urban teens. (October 19, 2006)

Students Plug into Soundscan
Berklee has become one of two music business programs allowed to use Nielsen's SoundScan information system to analyze real time date in class. (October 16, 2006)

Encore Gala Goes Live, October 21
For the first time in its 12-year history, Berklee's Encore Gala will offer a live auction in addition to its annual silent auction. Live items that attendees will bid on include VIP treatment at the Tonight Show and throwing out the first pitch at a Red Sox game. Encore Gala 2006 is sold out, but visit our gala section to learn more. (October 12, 2006)

Buzz Builds Around Berklee's BeanTown Jazz Fest Major newspapers, television news teams, and national radio outlets preview an exciting weekend of music in Berklee's backyard. (September 29, 2006)

Music Education Flows Freely in Dorchester
Berklee student Rick Aggeler and alumnus/co-founder Paul Vitolins, youthful educators with vision and drive, create a music program at the Dorchester Boys and Girls Club. (September 28, 2006)

Berklee Announces Weekly Free Music Series at Bob's Southern Bistro
Berklee at Bob's will feature an a-list faculty band and weekly guest artist every Monday evening, starting October 9. (September 18, 2006)

Milestones 2006, Sept. 22
Berklee helps pay tribute to hip-hop innovators, high-tech gurus, and other musical trailblazers. (September 12, 2006)

A Reason for Certification
Propellerhead and Berkleemusic, the college's online school, have developed four accredited certificate programs based on Reason software. (September 12, 2006)

Trumpeter is Named 10th Jimmy Lyons Scholar At this year's Monterey Jazz Festival, Berklee will give its tenth Jimmy Lyons Scholarship to Berkeley, California, resident Billy Buss as past Jimmy Lyons scholar and current student James Williams helps make the presentation. (September 12, 2006)

Question the Rules
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis returns to his alma mater to receive an honorary degree and give some advice to students. (September 11, 2006)

Branford Marsalis to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee
Three-time Grammy-award-winning saxophonist and Berklee alumnus Branford Marsalis will make this year's Entering Student Convocation a special one, addressing the class of 2010 at the ceremony. (August 29, 2006)

Berklee's Monterey Jazz Quartet Turns Ten
The student quartet heading to the Monterey Jazz Festival this year is one of the strongest in the group's ten-year history. The four members boast a list of performing credits that includes Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, and Paquito D'Rivera. (August 22, 2006)

Vineyard Vibes 2006
Berklee faculty, students, and alumni travel to Martha's Vineyard for several days of concerts. Read about two vocalists who made some waves on the island. (August 11, 2006)

Interim Chair Named for Film Scoring Department
Eric Reasoner, music editor for several major motion pictures including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, is appointed interim chair of the Film Scoring Department for the 2006-2007 academic year. (August 11, 2006)

Berklee Announces Lineup for BeanTown Jazz Festival Produced for the first time by Berklee, the BeanTown Jazz roster includes McCoy Tyner; a stage programmed by Marsalis Music; and jazz with a dash of world, hip-hop, gospel, and blues. The event's lead sponsor is Sovereign Bank. (August 10, 2006)

The Sound of Science
Music making is one thing, but students who take acoustics courses arm themselves with information that can help get their creations heard better. Learn about the curriculum and a trio of award-winning student acousticians. (August 10, 2006)

Bringing a Heavy Groove to Russia
Student group led by David Fiuczynski gives two performances in St. Petersburg, Russia, while faculty and staff audition Russian musicians for full-ride scholarships. Our coverage includes a story and photo gallery. (August 7, 2006)

Umbria Jazz 2006
Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny provide some of the highlights as Berklee returns to Perugia, Italy for its 21st summer. (August 7, 2006)

Berklee President Roger Brown Travels to Japan
Celebrating 50 years of the Berklee-Japan connection, college president Roger Brown heads to the Asian nation to visit with partner schools, industry leaders, and alumni. (August 7, 2006)

Inner-City Teens Vie for Full-Tuition Scholarships at City Music Blowout, August 8
Free concert with pop, jazz, r&b, and gospel showcases talent from Boston neighborhoods on what will be an historic night, as Berklee grants a record ten full-tuition scholarships. (July 31, 2006)

New Assistant Chair Announced for Berklee's Music Business/Management Department
Entertainment lawyer, author, performer, and music business educator John P. Kellogg has been appointed as the assistant chair of the college's largest major, music business/management. (July 20, 2006)

Moviemaker Examines the Struggles of Black Rock Musicians Berklee and the Color of Film Collaborative screen Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker at the Roxbury Film Festival. Filmmaker Raymond Gayle and faculty member Larry Watson will take part in a post-show discussion. (July 6, 2006)

Free Evening of Jazz at Roxbury's Fort Hill
Berklee and ParkArts bring jazz to Highland Park in the historic Fort Hill area. (July 6, 2006)

Vineyard Vibes Brings Music to the Island in a Whole New Way
Good news abounds on Martha's Vineyard, as this summer's Vineyard Vibes festival not only provides great music but marks the beginning of Berklee's effort to develop a new music therapy community outreach program on the island. All of it is sponsored by Martha's Vineyard Co-operative Bank. (July 6, 2006)

Berklee Appoints Artists' Rights Champion as First European Trustee
Teddy Bautista, chair of one of the most progressive artists' rights and royalty organizations in the world, has joined Berklee's board of trustees. (July 5, 2006)

Berklee's Tito Puente Music Series Returns
Berklee has teamed with local Latino community organizations La Casa de La Cultura and Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion and city officials to bring music and people out to play in a park in Boston's South End. (June 27, 2006)

Arif Mardin, 1932 – 2006
Berklee alumnus Arif Mardin '61—one of the most prolific and successful producers and arrangers in pop music history—passed away June 25 of pancreatic cancer. The mastermind behind classic recordings by superstar artists such as Aretha Franklin, the Bee Gees, and Norah Jones, Mardin won 12 Grammy Awards. (June 26, 2006)

Ghanaian Musicians Join Five-Week Program
Two students will make the nearly 5,000-mile journey to attend Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program, thanks to full scholarships from Berklee and the Rita Marley Foundation. (June 22, 2006)

New Board Member Makes Investment of Time In Berklee
The newest member of Berklee's board of trustees is David Abrams, founder of investment partnership Abrams Capital, to the group. (June 19, 2006)

New York Alumna Brings Berklee Closer to the Big Apple
Berklee's New York Alumni Chapter president joins Berklee's board of trustees. (June 15, 2006)

Latin Rhythms Give Marley A Whole New Groove
Faculty member Matt Jenson puts a new twist on Bob Marley with his book of Afro-Cuban arrangements for a 10-piece band, Rebel Tumbao. (June 15, 2006)

Lunch Specials Come with Jazz on Thursdays in Kendall Square
For the second year, Jazz Revelation Records, Berklee's student-run jazz label, dishes up select musicians for the Kendall Square Concert Series sure to go well with lunch. (June 14, 2006)

Berklee Marley Ensemble Hits the Reggae Road
Faculty member Matt Jenson will take the Bob Marley Ensemble on the road to perform at reggae festivals in Montreal and Vermont this summer. (June 12, 2006)

From Basketball to Berklee
James J. Pallotta, vice chairman/head of U.S. Equity Securities of the Tudor Group and co-owner of the Boston Celtics, pursues his second passion—music—with his appointment to the Berklee's board of trustees. (June 9, 2006)

Berklee First College to Perform at Prominent Russian Jazz Festival
Berklee's Heavy Groove Ensemble will perform in Russia's JazzQ Festival, where the college will also conduct auditions for the first winner of The Sergei Kremensky Endowed Scholarship, a four year full-tuition and housing award. (June 9, 2006)

Pathfinder: Terence Blanchard
For trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, music is all about the decisions you make. (June 6, 2006)

Berklee Drummin' Up Rhythms from Around the World Some of the world's most innovative drummers will perform as part of Berklee's Percussion Festival, June 26-30. (June 6, 2006)

Fenway Swings with Sounds from Berklee
The community will meet up in Mothers Rest for the much-anticipated annual outdoor concert series, presented by Berklee, Park Arts, and the Fenway Civic Association. (June 5, 2006)

Berklee to Offer Musical Instruction, Scholarships in San Juan
At least $380,000 will be awarded to young musicians at 12th annual Berklee in Puerto Rico. (May 26, 2006)

Vineyard Vibes Festival, July 28–30
Berklee returns to Martha's Vineyard for its annual music series, this year featuring Jennifer Holliday in a tribute to Motown, Bobby Sanabria & Ascension, and the Gospel Explosion. (May 26, 2006)

Commencement News, Photo, and Video Browse our full coverage of the 2006 commencement. Berklee's ceremony saw 807 students graduate and honorary degrees go to Melissa Etheridge, Aretha Franklin, Elliot Scheiner, and Andy McGhee. (May 18, 2006)

A New House Alumnus DJ Gomi revamps dance music by embracing new technology. (May 11, 2006)

Music the Doctors Prescribe
Berklee's Music Therapy Department celebrates 10 years of bringing students and resources to sites where music is used as a healing agent . . . at home and abroad. (May 10, 2006)

First-Ever Boston Pops Jazz Fest to Include Berklee Students
Tomorrow's top talent will perform at Berklee's Jazz Café before and after the stellar line-up for the Boston Pop's Jazz Fest. (May 5, 2006)

Alumnus Makes Health Services Musical in Uganda
Supported in part by funding from Berklee's Alumni Grants Association, jazz guitarist Jim Logan will travel to Uganda to provide a heathy dose of music. (May 5, 2006)

Berklee Assumes Production of Beantown Jazz Festival
This year's sixth annual Beantown Jazz Festival will be the first produced by Berklee, and promises a dynamic artist lineup and several other exciting additions. (May 5, 2006)

Winners Announced for Berklee and Essence's Hip-Hop Songwriting Contest
Berklee and Essence magazine today announced the five winners from the pair's joint hip-hop songwriting contest. Learn more about the contest by reading media coverage about a few of the top finishers: Jacob "Icee Jake" Bragg (Columbus Dispatch, May 6, 2006), Nyles "Lil' Witness" Houston (Brockton Enterprise, May 5, 2006), and Jaamar Jackson (Montgomery Advertiser, May 5, 2006).

Berklee Hires Myra Hindus as First Cultural Diversity Vice President
In the college's effort to be one of the country's most innovative and inclusive campuses, Myra Hindus has been appointed to oversee development of a new diversity strategy. (May 4, 2006)

Yellowjackets Members Grace the BPC with Overjoyed, Greg Hopkins Band and more
Berklee will experience master classes and clinics from Yellowjackets members, back again as Herb Alpert Scholars. Some students will even perform with them on the big stage. (April 24, 2006)

Berklee Kicks Up Its Heels at the Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center's Conservatory Project will be anything but when country group Charlie Worsham and the Free State of Tallahatchie perform for the annual showcase in Washington, D.C. (April 19, 2006)

Berklee's Live Rust Students and alumni travel to Austin to pay tribute to rock legend Neil Young. (April 21, 2006)

Essence and Berklee's Top Ten Tunes Ready for Final Vote
Time to weigh in with your musical opinions. Finalists from Berklee and Essence's Hip-Hop Songwriting contest have been selected and now it's your turn to cast your vote for the winner. (April 19, 2006)

Berklee Gets Down to Business with Panel of Agents, Promoters for Major Tours
An impressive collection of pros from the concert touring industry—including people who have worked with U2, the Rolling Stones, and Neil Young—gathered for one of the college's most memorable panel discussions. (April 12, 2006)

President Brown's Thoughts for Parents of Prospective Students
President Brown has posted a letter to parents of prospective Berklee students, in which he speaks about issues of interest to all members of the Berklee community. (April 10, 2006)

Berklee Monterey Quartet Returns to Monterey, April 22
An electrifying quartet heats up the West Coast with a blend of sizzling sounds. (April 5, 2006)

Students Score Big at Berklee, April 12
Seven students will have the opportunity to bring their award-winning compositions to life by conducting a 45-piece orchestra. (April 4, 2006)

The XM Radio Sessions
This set, recorded for XM satellite radio, features the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, directed by Greg Hopkins, performing new student compositions. (April 4, 2006)

Call to Listen
Members of the Berklee community perform music inspired by the crisis in Darfur. (April 4, 2006)

Rainbow Band Shines in Spring
The annual spring concert from Berklee's Rainbow Band will continue the 40-year tradition of big-band jazz on Berklee's big stage. (April 3, 2006)

Berkee Awards the Best of the High School Bands
Talented individuals from the last six bands standing in the WBCN-FM/ Berklee Battle of the High School Bands will have the chance to win more than $5,000 in scholarships to Berklee's Summer Programs. (March 30, 2006)

Berklee Students Back at the Blue Note
Top students led by famed Berklee alum Terri Lyne Carrington will have the opportunity to play New York's renowned Blue Note jazz club for the eight year in a row. (March 29, 2006)

Berklee and Boston University Pair for MTV.U Sitcom score
Berklee's film scoring department set recent graduate Alex Tenner up with a film scoring job for MTV.U's next sitcom pilot. (March 29, 2006)

Innovative Electronica Artist Comes to Berklee to Teach
Richard Devine, who has designed sounds for known musicians, had music featured on commercials for internationally known brands, and regularly contributes tracks for the latest video games, will teach at Berklee for a week. (March 28, 2006)

BMI Offers Film Scoring Scholarship to Berklee's Next Generation of Talent
Current student Hanna Lim received an award from BMI during a presentation from Berklee alum and well known film scoring composer Richard GIbbs, known for his work on Dr. Doolittle, Fatal Instinct, and more. (March 27, 2006)

Academy Awards Yield Win and Nomination for Alumni Berklee alumnus Michael Semanick '85 garnered his second Academy Award for work on King Kong, while alumnus Michael Becker '84 received a nomination for his song in Best Picture winner Crash. (March 9, 2006)

Fingerstyle from Down Under
Personality trumps technique in the music of Australian guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel, who gave a recent clinic. (March 20, 2006)

Make the People Feel Special
Berklee senior Claire Wadsworth is Bill Cosby's cohost for the college's 60th anniversary concert. Read about how her adventures went and what she learned from the experience. (March 17, 2006)

Berklee's International Community Take to the Stage
The campus will celebrate cultures from around the world and the people who work to promote international flavor and spirit right here in Boston. (March 16, 2006)

Berklee Rides Out to Music Row for Spring Break
Berklee students trek down to Nashville to get the inside scoop on the music industry. (March 13, 2006)

Bringing the Funk: Geroge Clinton Visits Berklee
Students rehearsing the music of Parliament-Funkadelic get the shock of a lifetime when P-Funk's bandleader walks into the room. (March 10, 2006)

Academy Awards Yield Win and Nomination for Alumni
Berklee alumnus Michael Semanick '85 garnered his second Academy Award for work on King Kong, while alumnus Michael Becker '84 received a nomination for his song in Best Picture winner Crash. (March 9, 2006)

First for Berklee at South by South West Music Festival
Berklee and its student-run record label, Heavy Rotation Records, party as they never have before at the world's largest gathering of bands, fans, and music industry movers and shakers. (March 8, 2006)

Berklee Plays Tribute Concert for Beloved Faculty Member
Artie Shaw Big Band leader, Dick Johnson, and Berklee faculty members Walter Beasley, and more, will honor well-known, long-time, past professor Dean Earl, with a wonderful night of performances to establish a scholarship in his name. (March 7, 2006)

Women Musicians Network Concert Kicks Off Women's History Month at Berklee
Berklee's female students produce a jam-packed show of original, internationally-flavored compositions, spoken word, and dance to celebrate women with music. (March 2, 2006)

La Guitara Tour Makes a Stop at the BPC, March 31
Three guitaristas, including alumna Patty Larkin, will perform at Berklee during the groundbreaking La Guitara tour, which explores women's contributions to modern guitar playing. (February 23, 2006)

Banfield Begins Africana Studies Curriculum at Berklee
Dr. William Banfield's addition to the Berklee faculty ushers in the arrival of a curriculum focusing on African Diasporic music. (February 22, 2006)

Keys Fest 2006, March 1-2
Piano Department faculty and students shine.

The Duke and Strayhorn at Berklee
The Berklee concert series continues it's tradition of honoring the tremendous legends who make up the Great American Songbook—this year enjoy selections by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. (February 21, 2006)

President Brown's Faculty Journal
Berklee President Roger Brown wants an up-close look at what it's like to be a Berklee teacher, so he's spending a week observing faculty member Bob Pilkington. Read the president's daily journal for his impressions. (February 13, 2006)

Good news from the GRAMMYS for Berklee
This year's 48th Annual Grammy Awards meant a total of nine wins for alumni and faculty alike in various categories. (February 9, 2006)

Walking Around Heaven
Vocalist Marva Wright seems God and good fortune amidst the troubles in her hometown of New Orleans. (February 8, 2006)

Berklee Celebrates Black History Month
This year's Black History Month Music Celebration will cover a spectrum spanning dance to spoken word and black composers to the gospel industry, with special guests Stanley Clarke and Terence Blanchard. (February 2, 2006)

A Night for the Ages: Three Score/Berklee's 60th
Bill Cosby kept the crowd in stitches; Gloria Estefan, Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, and others gave electric performances, and Paul Simon ended the night with four classics. All of it raised funds for Berklee's Presidential Scholarships. Check out the photos and news coverage. (January 30, 2006)

Meter Man Bassist George Porter, Jr. helps a student band make the classic music of New Orleans's Meters come to life. (January 27, 2006)

Hurricane Shudders
Berklee alumna and music therapist Suzanne St. Amand experiences Hurricane Katrina up close. (January 25, 2006)

Berklee and ACT Roxbury Team For Hip Hop Summit, February 4
Roxbury organization and Berklee join to bring an empowerment summit to the community designed for young underground hip-hop artists. (January 19, 2006)

Heavy Rotation Records In Concert for Latest CD Release, includes San Disk Giveaway
One of Berklee's student-run record labels, Heavy Rotation Records, brings its artists to the stage on February 1 to celebrate their latest Dorm Sessions CD release. (January 17, 2006)

Partnership Puts Campus on the Path of Latest Guitar Advancements
Berklee teams with Line 6 to equip classrooms with state-of-the-art guitar recording and performance products. (January 12, 2006)

First-of-a-Kind Music College Scholarships Awarded
Berklee has granted five, four-year, all-expenses-paid Presidential Scholarships for the first time and has allocated funds to provide this history-making opportunity to musicians in the future. (January 4, 2006)