“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: freiburg
Freiburg: Location, Location, Location
June 3, 2011 – 3:14 pm
If you accidentally fall or step into Freiburg’s Bächle (a beautiful system of gutters throughout the city diverting water from the Dreisam River), you’ll marry a Freiburger. Freiburg is reportedly the sunniest and warmest city in Germany, yet sometimes the weather can be unpredictable, making layering or Zwiebel-Taktick—translated as peeling an onion) key. A farmers’ [...]
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 [...]