Class Connections
Professor Livingston Taylor (back row, left) stands with some of Texas alumni who turned out for his workshop on performance techniques. The October 5, 2000 event in Austin, Texas, was the first Berklee alumni gathering ever held in the Lone Star State.
Fall 2000 was extremely busy in the area of alumni affairs. There was considerable activity in many chapters.
The first-ever Berklee alumni event in Texas took place in Austin on October 5. Singer, songwriter, and popular Berklee professor Livingston Taylor was welcomed by Texas alumni chapter president, Sarah Walter Sharp '95. Close to 30 guests enjoyed Taylor's insights gleaned from his experience performing thousands of shows over the past 30 years. Drawing from his recently published book, Stage Performance [see the book review in this issue], Taylor described how a performance is a conversation between the performer and the audience. For more information on how to get involved with Berklee alums in Austin, contact Sarah Walter Sharp at <sarah@sarahsharp.com>.
On October 24, SESAC hosted a panel called Careers in Sound Design. Panelists included alumni Chris Bertollotti '87, Marcus Farney '90, Paul Goldman '93, Joe O'Connell '88, and special guest Jason Kaplan. The discussion covered the growing field of sound design and ways to become established in it, and examined impressive examples of the panelists' work. A big thank-you goes to Linda Lorence '87 of SESAC and all of the panelists for making this happen.
In November, we revisited the subject of the software package ProTools. This time, the San Francisco alumni chapter hosted the seminar titled Learn the Rules of ProTools (Part II). A savvy group of engineers, mixers, and producers gathered at Cutting Edge Studios on November 14 to learn about the new ProTools 5.1 system and a variety of upgrade solutions.
November 30 marked a very successful alumni holiday social in Boston. A spirited reception was held prior to the Singers' Showcase concert at the Berklee Performance Center. Stunning performances from all of the vocalists completed this truly spectacular evening. I'm looking forward to next year's celebration.
Closing out the year was a fantastic seminar entitled A Look Behind the Hits. At Streetlight Studios outside Times Square in New York, a panel of hit producers and engineers investigated some of the issues associated with the platinum and multiplatinum albums they have made. Guest speakers included alumni Daniel Karns '88, Mike Mason '89, and Angela Piva '86, and guests Richard Blair and Roey Shamir. Attended by over 50 people, this panel was captivating and a huge success. Special thanks go to all of the panelists and Streetlight Studios.
In other news, lifetime e-mail registrants are continuing to flow in at an astonishing rate. If you have not taken advantage of this service, do not wait any longer. For more information, simply go to the Berklee website at <www.berklee.edu> and select "alumni pages." The Alumni Affairs Office is in the process of adding additional features to the alumni area of the website that will soon be available. Stay tuned.
Last but not least, I would like to wish everyone the best for the year 2001. I hope to speak with you shortly!
Take care,
Adrian Ross '96
Director, Alumni Affairs
