Berklee Announces Valencia Summer Programs

Berklee College of Music in Valencia announces details of its summer programs to be run at its new campus located in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia, Spain. The various workshops, running July 3–16, will cover topics such as songwriting, improvisation, ensemble performance, and music technology and will be taught by world-renowned Berklee faculty. Students attending the summer programs will also have the opportunity of working with special guest artists such as singer-songwriter Paula Cole and Dawaun Parker, Eminem producer and staff songwriter and producer for Dr. Dre.

"We are opening our doors again ahead of the launch of our new master's programs in September to offer students the unique opportunity to learn and perform at our new state-of-the-art campus," explains Guillermo Cisneros, vice president for global initiatives, Berklee College of Music, and executive director, Berklee in Valencia. "Students will not only have the chance to study in the heart of the Mediterranean music scene, but also enjoy all Valencia has to offer, from cultural, historical, and architectural sites to the night life and the beaches."

In addition to a host of stellar Berklee in Valencia faculty members, special guests teaching at this year's summer programs are Berklee alumni Paula Cole and Dawaun Parker. Paula Cole is a singer-songwriter and Grammy Award–winner with top 20 hits including "I Don't Want to Wait" and "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone." She has released six albums in her 17-year career, selling approximately three million CDs. Cole was the first woman in history to receive the Best Producer Grammy nomination for her work.

Dawaun Parker is Eminem's producer and staff songwriter, as well as producer for Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. Parker, a multi-Grammy Award–winner who has produced multi-platinum selling albums, has also worked with artists including 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.

"We are privileged that Cole and Parker are taking time out from their busy schedules to share their knowledge, talent, and experience with talented young musicians at Berklee in Valencia," continues Guillermo Cisneros.

Berklee and the groundbreaking Lollapalooza festivals in Santiago, Chile and São Paulo, Brazil have partnered to award two Lollapalooza Scholarships to musicians from those countries, in keeping with the festival's philosophy of artist discovery and helping bands reach new audiences. The winners—Sarah Messias, a 16-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Jundiai, Brazil who counts harmonica as her favorite instrument but also plays piano, guitar, drums, and sings, and Manuel Torres Riquelme, 21, who hails from Linares, Chile and plays electric guitar, piano, and percussion—will attend the summer programs of their choice (details below). Each Lollapalooza Scholarship covers tuition and room and board, as well as a transportation stipend.

For more information about the Lollapalooza Scholarships, visit berkleevalencia.org.

Berklee in Valencia Summer Programs

Singer-Songwriter and Vocalist Program (July 3-5)

Giving students an unparalleled opportunity to explore songwriting, vocal technique, style, and performance, this program also gives an insight into song selection, musicianship, look, and presentation. The aim is to help students find their unique strengths that set them apart.

Program Director: Greg Badolato

Faculty: Nancy Morris, Darcel Wilson, Livingston Taylor, and Ken Zambello

Special Guest: Paula Cole

Berklee Groove School (July 6-9)

All musicians in contemporary music should have an understanding of groove, style, and the functioning of the back-line, not only to be better performers, but also to be better songwriters and producers. Groove School will give students this insight, presenting lectures on various groove-centered performance skills and techniques, and master classes to allow them to put their knowledge into practice.

Program Director: Jason Camelio

Faculty: Michael Farquharson, Rick Peckham, George Russell Jr., Dave Weigert, and Greg Badolato

Art of Improvisation: Blues and Jazz (July 10-13)

Berklee College of Music's first ever seminar on improvisation comprises a four-day workshop open to musicians of all styles—from classical to pop, rock, jazz, and more—interested in learning the art of improvisation from the blues and jazz traditions. Exploring the stylistic considerations of improvisation, who does it, how it relates to the composer's craft, and why all instrumentalists should learn it, students will learn improvisational techniques and practice them in a master class.

Program Director: Jason Camelio

Faculty: Michael Farquharson, Rick Peckham, George Russell Jr., Dave Weigert, and Greg Badolato

Re:Tool - Music Technology in Performance and Production (July 14-16)

Centered on the role of technology in music, this program will teach students about how laptops, turntables, DJs, virtual instruments, mobile apps, and devices are finding a place in current productions and performances, influencing how we interact as performers and users. Students will gain perspective on the traditions of hip-hop, techno, turntablism, beat-making, and remixing, and the combination of these newer forms with jazz, classical, and popular music.

Faculty: Brian "Raydar" Ellis, Kai Turnbull, and Stephen Webber

Special Guest: Dawaun Parker

Symphonic Band Workshops

These programs enable students to improve their skills as conductors, arrangers, and composers—and learn more repertoire.

• Arranging and Composition for Symphonic Band Workshop (9–12 July)
• Conducting for Symphonic Band Workshop (9–12July)
• Symphonic Band Repertoire Workshop (18–22July)

The Berklee in Valencia summer programs are open to students from any country. Interested musicians should register and apply online at berkleevalencia.org.