Alumni Affairs/See All BT IssuesBerklee Today Spring 2018
A Magazine for Contemporary Music and Musicians
Berklee Beat
Berklee’s Global Network Evolves
In late October, representatives from Berklee’s international network partner institutions gathered at Berklee’s Valencia, Spain, campus for three days of presentations, information sharing, and networking. The confab drew leaders representing partners from Asia, Europe, North and South America...
Encore Gala Raises Funds for BCMP Scholarships
The Berklee Encore Gala rocked the Boston Marriott Copley Place on October 21, 2017, raising nearly $2 million to benefit the Berklee City Music program.
Celebrating a Legacy
In October 2017, a new edition of the storied Only Chrome-Waterfall Orchestra played to a packed house at the Berklee Performance Center to celebrate the 80th birthday of former faculty member and composer/arranger Mike Gibbs ’63.
Heavy Weather and Higher Ground
In his November 2017 state of the college address, President Roger H. Brown stressed that Berklee must seek “higher ground” to meet challenges that confront higher education institutions.
The Voice of Bollywood at the BPC
In December, the Berklee Indian Ensemble welcomed its first female artist in residence, Bollywood playback superstar Shreya Ghoshal.
Sailing Past $100 Million
With 17 months remaining, the college’s Soundbreaking campaign has already sailed past its target goal of raising $100 million.
Endowed Music Therapy Field Training Fund Established
Presidential advisory council member Tee Taggart and her husband, Jack Turner, have initiated funding to develop the Endowed Music Therapy Field Training Fund.
Barr Foundation Partners with Berklee
The Barr Foundation provides a $300,000 planning grant to establish a new institute at Berklee to collaborate with Boston’s foremost medical, educational, and technology institutions.
Creative Independence for the Visually Impaired
After receiving a generous grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Berklee will build on its past success by creating a version of the music notation program Finale that will be accessible to the blind.
The Woodshed
The Woodshed: Writing a Canon
Everything you always wanted to know about canons (but were afraid to ask).
Expert Testimony
Expert Testimony
Peter Gerstenzang ’77 offers a guide to making a short, snappy film to showcase your band and songs.
Coda
Calypso, Country, and a Fulbright
J. Hunter Moore ’77 describes his circuitous path to Trinidad and Tobago, where he received a Fulbright U.S. Scholars grant last year, and how fulfilling the grant has proven to be.
Lead Sheet
Career Services and Alumni: Building Community
Faculty Highlights
With 44 years of experience as an educator, professor Jon Damian views writing and teaching performance arts as comparable to dance, musical performance, or acting. “It’s all show business,” he says.
Émilien Moyon, the program director in the Global Entertainment and Music Business program at Berklee’s Valencia campus, is fascinated by reinventing patterns and formulas that often fall into obsolescence once they’ve proven to be successful.
Recently, Berklee established two scholarships to honor the contributions of former faculty members Mili Bermejo and Bill Pierce, as well as Martin Luther King Jr.
As the composer-in-residence for the Capitol Hill Chorale in Washington, D.C., professor Kevin Siegfried recently premiered his works “Music of the Spheres” for choir and glass harmonica, and “Appalachian Carols,” based on the music of folk singer Jean Ritchie.
Composition Department chair Richard Carrick made his debut as both composer and conductor at the George Enescu Festival in Romania, premiering his work Akko with the Hyperion Ensemble. He also premiered a work at the Pacific Rim Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, in October.
Alumni News
Sometimes taking a chance leads to completely unanticipated opportunities. Such was the case for vocalist Sarah-Jane (Pugh) Scott ’10, now a rising performer, recording artist, and television personality in Germany.
Husband-and-wife musical team Mare Wakefield and Nomad Ovunc (both ’04), came to Berklee from different parts of the world with different aspirations. Then a chance seating arrangement in a Berklee ear training class brought their worlds together. Wakefield recalls the first time she heard Ovunc...
The ability to grow and adapt, as well as to innovate and thrive among uncertainty, are the hallmarks of Terry Wollman ’80, a producer, composer, musical director, radio host, and stellar guitarist.
It’s been a whirlwind for singer/songwriter Panagiotis Koufogiannis B.M. ’12, whose “life changed completely” after he won the Greek version of The X Factor in July 2017.
Percussionist and composer Orpheo McCord ’02 was preparing to release his debut solo album last year when the catastrophic Thomas Fire hit Southern California, forcing his family to evacuate their Ventura County home. “The flames came to within yards of our house,” McCord recalled. Their home...
Dean Ratzman of Port Angeles, WA, travels the country performing his show “Swingin’ with Dean.” For tour dates, visit ratzpack.net.
Richard Magnani of West Sayville, NY, retired after 26 years as a band and orchestra director in Baldwin, NY.