The Berklee Percussion Festival 2008

	The Berklee Percussion Festival • Application

What's the program?

Whether you are new to the world of percussion or a player looking for new ideas; whether you are a hand percussionist, a drum set specialist, a marimbist, a vibist, a concert percussionist, or an educator, the Berklee Percussion Festival will give you a new edge on rhythm, improvisation, percussion craft, effects, sound, and performance skills.

The Berklee Percussion Festival will emphasize practical playing experience through a variety of performance activities, in-class performances, ensembles, master classes, and concerts for all percussionists and educators interested in all aspects of percussion in a variety of styles.

You can concentrate on one of the following styles: Afro-Cuban drum set or hand percussion, Brazilian drum set or hand percussion, West African percussion, fusion drum set, funk drum set, jazz drum set, rock drum set, marimba, vibraphone, or concert percussion.

Am I eligible?

The Berklee Percussion Festival will admit students and teachers of all levels, including those with little or no playing experience in percussion. People of all ages are welcome to attend, but students must be at least 15 years old by the start of the program.

How should I prepare for my placement audition?

All participants will be given an entering placement audition so that they may be placed in performance groups or classes with percussionists of similar training and ability: beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Vibist and drum set students will audition with a rhythm section.

Auditioners on all principal instrument tracks should expect to perform the various rhythms they feel most comfortable playing, show how they incorporate these into their practice routines, and demonstrate their ability to improvise on their instrument (excluding marimbists and concert percussionists). Marimbists and concert percussionists should prepare one solo work demonstrating their overall ability. Participants with little or no prior experience will meet with a member of the faculty to discuss their music background and their goals for the program.

Who are the instructors?

All classes and ensembles will be taught by members of Berklee's internationally renowned percussion faculty, as well as by visiting artists.

Berklee Faculty

Percussion Department Chair: Dean Anderson
Assistant Chair: Yoron Israel

• Sergio Bellotti
• Mohamad Camara
• Terri Lyne Carrington
• Eguie Castrillo
• Rick Considine
• Dave Cowan
• Sa Davis
• Kenwood Dennard
• Ernesto Diaz
• Larry Finn
• Richard Flanagan
• Francisco Mela
• Victor Mendoza
• Ricardo Monzon
• Ralph Peterson
• Kim Plainfield
• Ron Reid
• Mike Ringquist
• Ed Saindon
• Dave Samuels
• Jackie Santos
• Joe Galeota
• Jamey Haddad
• Skip Hadden
• Robert Kaufman
• Bertram Lehmann
• Mike Mangini
• Casey Scheuerell
• Tony "Thunder" Smith
• Bob Tamagni
• Dave Weigert
• Steve Wilkes
• Nancy Zeltsman

Visiting Artist Faculty

This year's guest artists will include:
South Indian percussion specialist Trichy Sankaran

Note: Visiting artist faculty subject to change.

What's the schedule?

The festival begins Monday, June 23, with registration and auditions in the morning, master classes/concerts throughout the day, and a special evening concert. Tuesday through Thursday will feature the following:

• two hours of class on your principal instrument
• for vibists, drummers, and hand percussionists: a one-hour styles class on instruments related to your principal instrument (including a rhythm section in each class)
• for marimbists and concert percussionists: ensemble rehearsals to prepare for a concluding concert
• one-and-a-half-hour master classes in performance anxiety, keyboard musicianship, and injury prevention
• a one-hour master class and an evening concert

Other highlights include a rhythm class with Trichy Sankaran, a steel drum concert, drum set through the '60s, drum set since the '60s, an Afro-Cuban music clinic and/or concert percussion clinic, a hip-hop ensemble workshop, faculty concerts, and visiting artist performances. There will be ongoing percussion industry exhibits each day where you can see the latest instruments and educational materials.

The final day of the festival will include a rhythm class and/or ensemble faculty concert, student jam sessions, and the closing ceremony including the Faculty Blowout Concert. Parents are encouraged to attend the last day's activities by requesting free tickets from the Percussion Department.

Do I need to bring an instrument?

All percussion instruments will be available for class use, but you may bring your own if you wish. Do not bring drum sets, though you may want to bring a cymbal bag, including a hi-hat clutch. There will be 18 drum sets available for practice from 10:00 a.m. to midnight each day as well as a limited amount of percussion instruments. All percussion instruments are provided by Alternate Mode, Drum Workshop, Inc., Evans, Gretsch, Grover Pro Percussion, JAG Drums, Kaman (Toca), Latin Percussion Music Group, Inc., Ludwig/Musser, Mapex, Marimba One, Mike Balter, Paiste, Pearl Corporation, Premier, Regal Tip, Inc., Remo, Inc., Sabian, Shure, Sonor, Taos Drums, Vic Firth, Inc., Yamaha, and Zildjian.

Where will I eat and sleep?

When we have processed your application, you will be sent information and an application for residence hall housing. Most program participants elect to stay in the Berklee residence halls. However, acceptance to the program does not guarantee a residence hall space. Space is limited. To optimize your chances for on-campus housing, you must return the housing application immediately upon receiving it. To be eligible to live in the residence hall, you must be 15 years of age by June 23, 2008. If you are applying to the program after mid-May 2008, call the Housing Office at 617 747-2292 to find out if residence hall space is still available.

How much are the tuition and fees?

How and when can I pay my fees?

Bills for this program will be mailed 30 days prior to the start of the program. The bill will include a payment coupon and return mail envelope for your convenience. All bills will have instructions on how to make payment using the Internet, phone, and bank-to-bank wire transfers; they will also include the due date for the payment. Tuition and housing fees are to be paid together, unless you are living at an off-campus location. Payments are due in full one week prior to the start of the program. This will expedite your registration. Payment on the date of registration is highly discouraged. If you are experiencing difficulty making your payment by the due date, contact our offices for assistance. If your application was not received and processed in time for you to have a bill sent in the 30-day period, call the Office of the Bursar to check your balance. A bill will be mailed regardless of when your application is processed and it will indicate "Late Add." No additional charges are assessed for this, however, you are still responsible for making the payment within the due date guidelines.

The Office of the Bursar is available to assist you with your questions regarding charges and payment of your summer program. Please address any of these issues by emailing bursar@berklee.edu or by contacting one of our representatives at 617 747- 2165 or 617 747-2610.

Are there scholarships available?

If you are interested in being considered for a partial tuition scholarship, you must send in a cassette tape or CD of your best playing in the style you wish to study. These materials should be submitted with your application. However, they may be sent separately if you apply online and your application has been received and processed.

For scholarship consideration for the Berklee Percussion Festival, please submit the following:

• Drum Set: A five-minute performance, either solo or accompanied (band or play-along), of your greatest stylistic strength. Also include a performance of the following rudiments: single-stroke roll, double-stroke roll, and paradiddle. These should be performed from slow to fast to slow.
• Hand Percussion: A three-to-four-minute performance of a prepared piece (solo or accompanied) on your primary hand percussion instrument (Afro Cuban, Brazilian, West African, or Middle Eastern).
• Marimba: A three-to-four-minute performance of either one or two solo works for marimba. These can be either two or four mallet works.
• Total Percussion: A two-minute performance of a concert snare drum solo, a two-minute timpani solo, and a two-minute marimba/xylophone solo.
• Vibraphone: A three-to-four-minute solo performance. This can be a written work or a standard tune that includes soloing and comping.

As funds are limited, requests for scholarship consideration must be received by Berklee no later than April 1, 2008. Scholarship winners will be notified by mail. Your scholarship decision letter will be sent separately from your acceptance letter. Tapes and CDs cannot be returned.

We suggest that you submit your scholarship request materials early. We cannot evaluate students for scholarships unless an application to the program has been received. No federal aid is available for this program. Only students currently enrolled in high school (secondary school) or graduating from high school in 2008 are eligible for scholarship consideration.

How do I apply?

There are two ways to register for the program:

When will I know if I've been accepted into the program?

Please allow us four weeks (six for international applicants) to process your application. Once your application has been processed, we will notify you of your enrollment status by mail.