News of Berklee's International Programs

In many ways, access to travel and technology helps us to perceive the world as smaller than it really is. As our physical world seemingly contracts, our access to different cultures and music grows in leaps and bounds. A quick look at alumni on the world stage allows a glimpse into the breadth of creativity and success being achieved by the global Berklee community.

In this new Global Groove column, we spotlight news about Berklee’s extended community around the world. We encourage alumni to contribute to the column by e-mailing information about events and accomplishments to Jason Camelio at jcamelio@berklee.edu.

Africa Scholars Program

This past June, Berklee paid its first formal recruitment visit to the African continent. Under the direction of President Roger Brown, college departments developed the Africa Scholars Program to identify top talent in Africa, offer the best candidate a “full ride” scholarship, and bring Berklee to a wider audience in this region of the world.

A team comprising Michael Shaver, the assistant director of international admissions; Ron Savage, the chair of the Ensemble Department; Carolyn Wilkins, a professor in the Ensemble Department; Joe Galeota, an associate professor in the Ensemble Department; and publicist Margot Edwards traveled to the University of Accra in Ghana and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban to audition and interview prospective students. The next visit to the African continent is planned for the spring of 2009. For more information, visit http://www.berklee.edu/scholarships/africa.

BIN Summit in Freiburg

In July, representatives from the 15 member schools of the Berklee International Network (BIN) met at the Institutionen Jazz & Rock Schulen in Freiburg, Germany, for the biennial BIN Summit. Discussion centered on the new programming that each partner institution will offer as well as the programming Berklee will offer to network partners. Among Berklee’s new initiatives are international study-abroad programs in Athens, Greece, and Freiburg, Germany, and the International Faculty Outreach and Exchange program. Berklee revealed plans for BIRN 5, a fifth channel for BIN partners on the Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN). Programming will include music, news, and information from around the world generated by the Office of International Programs for broadcast to 12 countries in as many languages. To learn about submitting material to BIRN 5, visit www.berklee.net/ip/birn5.html. Visit http://www.thebirn.com to listen to all five BIRN channels.

Music Festivals

Summer is prime season for music festivals around the world. In Europe last summer, the Montreux Jazz, Umbria Jazz, and North Sea Jazz festivals featured dozens of Berklee alumni performers. Some of the highlights included appearances by such rising stars as The MassAve Project, Chiara Civello ’98, Anat Cohen ’96, and Lionel Loueke ’00 as well as established artists like Ingrid Jensen ’89 and Roy Hargrove ’89. For a complete list of the alumni performers at these festivals, visit www.berklee.edu/ip.

Berklee will partner with the Danilo Perez Foundation for the sixth annual Panama Jazz Festival that will run January 12 through January 17, 2009. It will include concerts by several major Latin-jazz artists and a Berklee student band. Additionally, Berklee will send a team of faculty members and students to present clinics and master classes in a range of subjects and conduct auditions and interviews for those seeking admission to Berklee.

The Office of International Programs posts updated news and information about its programs online. For more information, visit http://www.berklee.edu/international/news.html.