Berklee's Helping Hands

Berklee is grateful for the generous gift from Waves Ltd., a leading supplier of audio-signal- processing software and plug-ins to enhance the desktop-production tools used by Berklee students. As computers become more powerful, they provide opportunities for musicians to perform new tasks and to work in new and more effective ways. Waves software provides musicians with a multitude of virtual-digital-signal processors that are located in the personal computer and require no additional hardware. Various features of the Waves software will make it easier for Berklee educators to teach signal processing and help students to grasp more readily complex production concepts.

Summer Guitar Sessions

Fender Musical Instruments, a top guitar manufacturer, has helped to give hundreds of high school students the opportunity to attend Berklee’s Summer Guitar Sessions and further develop their musical talents. Over the last 11 years, Fender has been a main sponsor of the Summer Guitar Sessions. Their support has helped enrollment in the program to grow to over 400 students this summer.

The Summer Guitar Sessions offers young guitarists an opportunity to improve their performance skills in many musical genres including jazz, blues, rock, folk, or metal. All students participate in a variety of classes such as fretboard harmony and style labs, and also play in ensembles and at jam sessions.

For the past three years, the D’Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts has offered significant scholarship support for the Summer Guitar Sessions as well. The funding is made possible in part with support from J. D’Addario & Company, Inc., world-renowned manufacturer and distributor of musical instrument strings and accessories.

This year’s Summer Guitar Sessions will run from August 18 through 23. All classes and ensembles are taught by members of Berklee’s internationally acclaimed guitar faculty and guest artist clinicians.

“We are grateful to Fender and D’Addario for providing this outstanding opportunity for guitarists to make significant improvements in their playing and experience the unique musical environment at Berklee,” said Rick Peckham, assistant chair of Berklee’s Guitar Department. “We share the same commitment with them to provide important programs like the Guitar Summer Sessions to encourage young guitarists to pursue their studies in music and cultivate their talent.”

Investment in Future Jazz Musicians

Trustee William Holodnak is very straightforward about his passion for Berklee: it’s all about the music. He loves jazz and he wants to use his skills and resources to ensure that America’s music continues to thrive. Assistant Vice President Marjorie O’Malley observed, “Bill is a very clear thinker who acts upon his philanthropic interests with the same intensity that he applies to his work. He sees the importance of providing scholarship support for the students who are creating and performing jazz at Berklee. His gift makes it possible for these young musicians to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college education and excelling at the college. We are deeply appreciative of his generosity toward the Charlie Parker Endowed Scholarship fund.”

Fishman Sponsors International Folk Festival

Since 1991, Fishman Transducers has been a proud sponsor of the International Folk Festival held each spring in the Berklee Performance Center. The folk festival is one of Berklee’s most popular musical events and offers outstanding performances by Berklee’s talented international student musicians.

The International Folk Festival held this year on March 28, 2002, represented Berklee’s diverse student body and multicultural focus. Berklee has a large percentage of undergraduate students from outside the United States (over 30 percent) representing more than 77 countries. The comcert program featured performers from South America, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and many other nations.

“Music is one of the few languages which transcends cultural barriers,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Lawrence Bethune. “Our international students not only learn contemporary American music, but each student draws from his or her country’s unique musical heritage to enrich the educational experience for the Berklee community. We are grateful to Pam and Larry Fishman for their commitment to supporting music education and promoting international goodwill.”

Larry Fishman is a 1974 graduate of Berklee. His company, Fishman Transducers, is one of the foremost manufacturers of acoustic instrument pickup systems and preamps.