Final Cadence

Francis L. Gallerani ’56 of Brockton, MA, died June 10, 2008. He was 78. Born in Kingston, MA, Gallerani studied drums and percussion at Berklee. For most of his life, he was a professional drummer and was a member Musicians Local #281 playing with with Billy Flanagan of Brockton and Stan Spector of Brookline, and  many bands in the New England area. He leaves wife, Elsie “Sonia”; four daughters; and four grandchildren.

Ricky S. Webster ’74 of Topsfield, MA, died July 28 of brain cancer. He was 53. Webster attended Berklee and Boston University and was an accomplished pianist. He leaves his mother Rosemary Webster.

James Belanger ’75 of New Britain, CT, died August 1 after a long battle with Marfan syndrome. He was 53. At Berklee he majored in composition. Belanger had worked for the Division of State Police, Information Systems in the Connecticut Department of Public Safety. Known for his wry sense of humor and lifelong love of music, he will be remembered for his courage and independence. He is survived by parents, Bernard and Josephine; three sisters; a brother; and their families.

David L. Cawthon ’88 of Newton, MA, died July 12. He was 40. Born in Chicago, he shared his deep love of and enthusiasm for music as a guitar teacher in Newton and throughout the Greater Boston area. He leaves parents, Robert and Carolyn Cawthon; sister, Karen; and nephew, Zachary.

Berklee faculty member Wayne Wadhams of Boston, MA, died August 19 after a long illness. He was 61. Wadhams leaves life partner, David Drummond, and longtime friend Arlene Ash.

A musician, composer, producer, artist, entrepreneur, author, educator, and innovator, Wadhams was one of Berklee’s quiet legends. As a child, he played the organ and piano and appeared as a “child prodigy” at Hammond Organ Society meetings and played for silent movies at the New Haven Paramount Theater. Among his many early accomplishments, he arranged and sang the main theme of the Candid Camera TV show and did several NBC sports specials. After taking a year off to tour with his band the Fifth Estate, Wadhams graduated from Dartmouth College in 1969. The group had a top 15 hit titled “Ding Dong! the Witch Is Dead.” He also worked with filmmaker John Sayles recording and mixing audio for Return of the Secaucus Seven in 1979 and Lianna in 1982.

Asked in 1983 by Lawrence Berk and Bob Share to assess whether expanding Berklee’s recording program was a good idea, Wadhams seized the opportunity to transform Berklee’s offerings from a few audio recording courses to a major in music production & engineering. Six months later, working with Bill Gitt (currently Berklee’s chief engineer), he designed and delivered six studios, several faculty members, and industry-veteran recording engineer Don Puluse to oversee the program.

In 1985, the MP&E Department won its first of four TEC Awards. “Wayne led our division and the college to the idea that technology can be an artistic tool for powerful expression,” says Technology Division Dean Stephen Croes. “The program and concept that he articulated has been emulated and imitated all over the world.”