“One more time,” Jordan Casty instructed the musicians as he conducted West Side Story’s “America.” “But why?” instructor Alexander Beer asked. “As a conductor you need to tell them why, how to improve.” Casty, one of four Berklee students studying at the Jazz and Rock Schulen last semester, gave more explicit directions. At the same [...]
Tag Archives: Berklee Study Abroad
Inspiration in Freiburg
May 21, 2011 – 6:00 am
It’s amazing what unfamiliar territory can do for the creative juices. Take, for example, living in a foreign country. That’s the effect living in Freiburg has had on Will Park, a second semester vocalist/guitar player. He’s found songwriting inspiration for new material while in Freiburg and traveling to other European countries. One favorite spot is [...]
Making Musical and Cultural Connections in Freiburg
May 20, 2011 – 3:31 am
Here in Freiburg, Berklee’s study abroad students are making connections with other international students—and with each other—inside and outside the classroom. They’re playing in ensembles with Jazz and Rock Schulen students. (It’s worth noting that the building where the rehearsal rooms are housed is a bit of a maze—a much smaller version of the 150 [...]
On the Big Stage
May 18, 2011 – 6:35 pm
When Jazzhaus Freiburg opened more than 20 years ago, Miles Davis came and performed in the city to commemorate the event. Since that landmark inauguration, Soul Asylum, Dianne Reeves, Rammstein, Ice-T, Cassandra Wilson, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Berklee alumnus Al Di Meola are among the varied artists who’ve taken the stage at the prestigious [...]
Semester in Athens: getting acclimated
January 25, 2010 – 2:53 pm
The start of a new semester abroad is such an exciting time, and I was so fortunate as to be with yet another fantastic group of Berklee students embarking on their study abroad program last week. One evening, after a mouthwatering traditional “taverna” dinner, complete with the tenderest lamb and hearty quantities of tzatziki (a dip of [...]