Rock to Summer School

Local students won scholarships to Berklee summer programs at the WBCN/Berklee Battle of the Bands.
July 26, 2009

12 area teens beat out the competition at the 15th Annual WBCN/Berklee College of Music Battle of the High School Bands in April and won scholarships to a Berklee summer program of their choosing. Summer programs include the Five-Week Summer Performance Program, the Music Production Workshop, the Berklee Percussion Festival, the Stage Performance Workshop, and Bass Lines. The winners will join students from all over the world to sharpen their playing or singing skills in private lessons, ensembles, and concert performances, and to attend lectures and master classes in songwriting, music synthesis, music business, or music production and engineering.

Calling Aviv from Wakefield, Massachusetts, a group with classic rock, funk, progressive, and grunge influences, was crowned the winner of the battle. The band's guitarist, Doug McGregor, is headed to Guitar Sessions from August 16–21. Learn more about Calling Aviv.

The Jessica Prouty Band, playing straight up rock 'n' roll, was the only group in which every member won a Berklee scholarship, and they capitalized by attending the Stage Performance Workshop together from June 29–July 1. The band is comprised of vocalist and bassist Prouty, of Marblehead; guitarist and vocalist Cody Nilsen, of Wilmington; keyboard player Andy Covino, of Swampscott; and drummer Cam Pelkey, of Marblehead. See their take on Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," performed during the workshop, at youtube.com/jessicaprouty. Learn more about the band.

Rounding out the summer programs scholarship winners are:

  • Zachary Levine-Caleb (vocals, bass, loops) and Patrick Walsh (guitar) of the Newton-based experimental electronic indie rock group Vitamin Seed, who will attend the Music Production Workshop
  • Kernaklian's drummer Nick DiGiovanni of Concord, who is attending the Five-Week Summer Performance Program
  • Rock/grunge/alternative band Woodbury's drummer Brett Scott of Tewksbury, who attended the Berklee Percussion Festival
  • Bassist Dana Shoults of the danceable reggae rock band Deadfish from Littleton, who attended Bass Lines
  • Jake Pardee (vocals, guitar) and Aaron Zaroulis (drums) of Ipswich blues/rock/jazz band Bingo Fridays. Zaroulis attended the Percussion Festival and Pardee attended the Music Production Workshop.