Summer in the City
Berklee’s Office of Special Programs has geared up for the 2010 summer program season. Each summer we offer the opportunity for roughly 2,500 participants to experience Berklee, and the list of course offerings continues to grow. These programs are a vital recruitment tool for the college. Typically one-third of the fall entering class is made up of students who at some point attended one of Berklee’s summer programs.
The college currently offers 19 programs between early June and August. In addition to these, the Berklee in Dublin Improvisation Workshop, a collaborative program with the Office of International Programs, is offered in April. Summer offerings at Berklee include many two-, three-, and four-day workshops with an instrumental focus or specialization. Some of the workshop titles include the following: Bass Lines, Brass, Saxophone, and Flute Weekend, Vocal Summit, Acoustic String Festival, Business of Music, Songwriting Workshop, Music Production Workshop, Stage Performance Workshop, and a relatively new offering on composing music for video games. For piano instructors who want to expand their knowledge of contemporary styles, there is the Summer Institute for Piano Teachers. The Berklee in Los Angeles program is hosted by Long Beach City College and conducted by the Office of International Programs. It is an opportunity for songwriters to hone their writing skills and gain knowledge in the areas of production and music business.
Berklee’s flagship summer program remains the Five-Week Summer Performance Program, which is directed by Rob Rose, the associate vice president for special programs, and longtime faculty members Robert Doezema and John Pierce. Better known as “Five Week,” the program is now entering its 22nd year. It’s the largest, most comprehensive summer contemporary music program available anywhere and attracts more than 900 students each summer from across the United States and 50 countries worldwide. The Summer Rock and Jazz Workshops, new components of the Five-Week Program, offer full-tuition and housing scholarships to the most talented among the participating instrumentalists.
Offered since 1995, the Berklee Percussion Festival is a weeklong program for drummers and hand percussionists of all backgrounds and styles. Over the past 15 years, it has grown to an enrollment of roughly 200 students annually.
One of our largest programs, Guitar Sessions attracts more than 500 guitarists annually, offering a week of lessons, labs, ensembles, and visiting artists and clinicians.
New to Berklee’s roster of summer offerings this year are the Flute Weekend, Vox Rocks a Cappella Program, Berklee English as a Second Language (ESL) Program, and a program geared toward the 12–14 age-group: Berklee Day Sessions.
While most colleges and universities wind down during the summer months, Berklee will be abuzz with musical programs and activities that cover a range of styles and interests. For details about this year’s offerings, visit www.berklee.edu/summer, or contact the Office of Special Programs at (617) 747-2245.
