How long have you been playing your instrument?
I have been singing for 7 years and playing the piano for 6 years.
Which summer program did you attend and what drew you to Berklee?
I attended the Berklee Five-Week Performance Program. I was drawn to Berklee by the amazing people that have studied there, the renowned teachers, and the amazing reviews. Continue reading
Summer Programs introduces Ilana Sivachenko, who participated in Berklee’s Five-Week Performance Program. She has been singing since she could talk and has played the piano for 15 years.
What drew you to Berklee’s Summer Programs?
What drew me to Berklee was the ability to experience music fully, to feel it. Growing up I realized that I would not pursue music as a career because I had too many varying interests, but I wanted to give myself one ultimate immersion into music with others that love it as much as I do.
What was your favorite aspect of the program?
My favorite aspect of the program was the sheer passion exuded by everyone there. I firmly believe that nowhere else in the world is there a place like Berklee, where musicians of all different backgrounds with different instruments will break into an impromptu jam session while waiting for a class or a test or orientation. There is no other music school that fosters that kind of a connection between musicians and all forms of music, as well as with all manner of musicians.
Summer Programs introduces Jean Michel Zayas, a drummer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who participated in Berklee’s Five-Week Performance Program.
Which summer program did you attend and what drew you to Berklee?
I went to the 2008 summer program when I was 17 years old. The opportunity came thanks to my godfather, who saw potential in me and wanted to show me the experience he had when he studied at Berklee.
What was your favorite aspect(s) of the program?
The atmosphere of just good music and being able to share and learn from musicians who are just incredible at what they do.
What were some of the challenges that you faced during the program?
Basically I had never formally studied music or didn’t know how to read music, so when I went to Berklee I took the studies very seriously. It was a challenge for me to catch up with other students at their level. Continue reading
Post authored by Erin Gernon, marketing assistant for Summer Programs.
A few of us are lucky enough to find a place that clicks, and for Nancy Morris, Berklee College of Music seems to be that place.
A talented singer, songwriter, and pianist, Morris has been a Berklee faculty member for 14 years in the Ensemble Department. She returned to Berklee after attending as an undergraduate in the late 1970’s. She currently teaches Songwriting, in addition to ensemble courses.
“If I was going to teach somewhere, I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else,” she said. Continue reading
Post by Jason Camelio, director of international programs.
If you look hard enough, you might see an ever-so-slight difference in the traffic patterns on the LA freeways during the week of SXSW. For alum and program consultant Tom Griesgraber and I, it really did not make a difference as we crisscrossed the city for meetings and scouting locations in preparation for the new Berklee in Los Angeles summer programs to be held this August. You heard correctly “p-r-o-g-r-a-m-S”. Two to be specific. In what has become standard practice, we have reached out to some key Berklee alumni to help us prepare for two programs with that will have a detailed focus on the craft of songwriting, performance and production. Continue reading