Brian O'Donovan of WGBH-FM's "A Celtic Sojourn" to be Evening's Host; Song to Give Away Pair of Roundtrip Airline Tickets at Concert

BOSTON, March 2, 2004 — Berklee College of Music's 18th annual International Folk Festival comes to the Berklee Performance Center on Thursday, March 25 at 8:15 p.m. The concert is the sixth in the eight-event Song's Nothing Conservatory About It concert series. Student ensembles from the Caribbean, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, the U.S., and Venezuela will perform the traditional music and dance of their native lands.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. International Folk Festival Farnsworth Blalock Photography

Following the performance, the college will host an international food tasting party in Berklee's dining hall, located in the 150 Massachusetts Ave. building. All who attend the concert are invited to participate.

Berklee's International Folk Festival is an annual celebration of the college's international student population, which hails from more than 70 countries and currently numbers approximately 25 percent of the college's total enrollment. The festival is a perennial favorite with the Berklee community and the public because of the broad range of musical styles and instrumentation represented, as well as the dancing performed by Berklee students and special guest artists.

Song's Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series
Season tickets to the remaining three concerts in the eight-concert series are $75 for general admission, $95 for preferred seating ($55 and $75 for seniors). The package also includes a bonus ticket to the April 22nd Singers' Showcase concert. Individual tickets may be purchased to all shows, except the Pat Metheny concert on April 30. Admission to the Metheny show is available to season ticket holders only. Season ticket packages may be purchased at the Berklee Performance Center Box Office, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, in Boston or online. Tickets for individual shows will go on sale two weeks prior to the performance. For more information on the entire series, visit Song's Nothing Conservatory About It on the web.

A pair of roundtrip airline tickets to anywhere Song flies is raffled during each concert in the series. Remaining concerts include:

March 25 – International Folk Festival
Hear the familiar strains of love, loss, triumph, sorrow, and joy in a dozen new ways; featuring student instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers representing Berklee's large and diverse international population. Tickets $10, $15 preferred.

April 26 – Hallelujah! Amen! An Evening of Gospel Music
Berklee's Reverence Gospel Ensemble makes a joyful noise. Come, listen to them testify, and maybe see the light yourself. Tickets $10, $15 preferred.

April 30 – Pat Metheny in Concert
Visiting Professor Pat Metheny is producing a record for a Berklee student group. This group performs the first half of the show. Then, Metheny and special guest Gary Burton play a set with student musicians. Tickets available with season ticket package only.

Berklee is pleased to welcome Song as sponsor of the Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series. The series' media sponsor is WGBH-FM 89.7.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over half a century, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing 70 plus countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today — and tomorrow.

Song is an innovative low-fare service which provides non-stop flights between the Northeast and key Florida leisure destinations, plus Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Juan, with over 142 daily flights on 36 Boeing 757 aircraft. All Song flights are operated by Delta Airlines. Song airline tickets can be purchased by visiting: www.flysong.com.

Fishman Transducers, Inc. is sponsoring the International Folk Festival for the 15th consecutive year. Widely recognized as the premier designer and manufacturer of acoustic amplification products, Fishman products are found in the hands of many of the world's top acoustic performers. Founder Larry Fishman's innovative and unique approach to engineering and building amplification products over the past twenty years has led to the granting of twenty-seven patents. Today Fishman products are sold both to original equipment manufacturers and to the music-playing public through a worldwide network of musical instrument dealers and distributors. For more information, visit: www.fishman.com.


For more press information, please contact:

Toni Ballard
Office of Public Information
Berklee College of Music
tballard@berklee.edu