Berklee Auditions

[Dr. Cheese]

Amen, solos are great fun, but time, taste and groove will get you working and keep you working.

In my own little world, I became a church musician well into my adulthood. I did not grow up in a very musical church tradition like Church of God in Christ. I came up mainly playing Funk, listening to Fusion, and picking licks from Prog players like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.
When I got into Gospel, I tried to play flashy like Fred Hammond or Andrew Gouche. I did not know the music well enough and fell on my face multiple times. Actually learning the music and getting the form right became my focus and my playing has continuously improved ever since. I copy truly great players like Will Lee or Nathan East who can play anything, but who will play one note and make it sound great!

 

[jutty17]

In my own little world, I became a church musician well into my adulthood. I did not grow up in very musical church tradition like Church of God in Christ. I came up mainly playing Funk, listening to Fusion, and picking licks from Prog players like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.
When I got into Gospel, I tried to play flashy like Fred Hammond or Andrew Gouche. I did know the music well enough and fell on my face multiple times. Actually learning the music and getting the form right became my focus and my playing has continuously improved ever since. I copy truly great players like Will Lee or Nathan East who can play anything, but who will play one note and make it sound great!

You got it Doc. As youngsters, we want to show the world how many notes we can play. The older we get, the more we learn the less you say, and the more you say just the right thing, the better!

 

[bass12]

In my own little world, I became a church musician well into my adulthood. I did not grow up in very musical church tradition like Church of God in Christ. I came up mainly playing Funk, listening to Fusion, and picking licks from Prog players like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.
When I got into Gospel, I tried to play flashy like Fred Hammond or Andrew Gouche. I did not know the music well enough and fell on my face multiple times. Actually learning the music and getting the form right became my focus and my playing has continuously improved ever since. I copy truly great players like Will Lee or Nathan East who can play anything, but who will play one note and make it sound great!

That makes me think of the time I saw Andrew Gouche playing with Chaka Khan. I very much admire Gouche's playing but he was trampling all over those songs - it was totally distracting. The combination of his overplaying and Chaka's oversinging (screeching) was unbearable and I had to leave. Too bad, as I really liked the repertoire. If only they'd both "played for the song".

 

[dbsfgyd1]

This is an interesting video. Berklee sounds like a great school for someone who wants to be a working musician.

I had a high school classmate then went to Berklee in the early 70’s. He was a fair high school trumpeter, but lasted one semester and went on to became an accountant. Pretty much he said it was way over his head.

When my son (Bassist) was I’m high school we considered Berklee, as well as Shenandoah Music Conservatory. Tuition was a bear in either case so he opted to join the Marine Corps, where they sent him to the Armed Forces Music school, and was gigging 90 days later.

He’s about to retire here shortly with 21 years of service, a pension and healthcare for life. All the while he was in he had a regular pay check, housing, the best gear available, transportation, regular gigs like 240 a year playing a wide variety of music. Musicians are always on time, on task, prepared and sober.

In terms of person development while enlisted he is now a college graduate with a BA at no cost, pretty close to earning an MBA, is a qualified sound engineer, event planner, and if you ever need to to move 100 or so musicians and their gear to Kathmandu for a gig and back, he’s your guy. LOL!!

Me? I starved for my art.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I had a high school classmate then went to Berklee in the early 70’s. He was a fair high school trumpeter, but lasted one semester and went on to became an accountant. Pretty much he said it was way over his head.

When my son (Bassist) was I’m high school we considered Berklee, as well as Shenandoah Music Conservatory. Tuition was a bear in either case so he opted to join the Marine Corps, where they sent him to the Armed Forces Music school, and was gigging 90 days later.

He’s about to retire here shortly with 21 years of service, a pension and healthcare for life. All the while he was in he had a regular pay check, housing, the best gear available, transportation, regular gigs like 240 a year playing a wide variety of music. Musicians are always on time, on task, prepared and sober.

In terms of person development while enlisted he is now a college graduate with a BA at no cost, pretty close to earning an MBA, is a qualified sound engineer, event planner, and if you ever need to to move 100 or so musicians and their gear to Kathmandu for a gig and back, he’s your guy. LOL!!

Me? I starved for my art.

Steve Gadd was in a military band. I know they are great musicians.

 

[hrodbert696]

It seems to me that I'm often running across people who studied at Berklee, and hardly ever anyone who graduated from Berklee. It seems like most people either wash out, or leave early to jump on professional opportunities. Knowing from my own institution how important student retention is for finances, it must be nerve-wracking to run the place, but maybe they have a big endowment or something. The ones who actually graduate mostly seem to be music teachers. But that's pure, unscientific, anecdotal impressions.

 

[Carl Hillman]

You should see what Eric Andre has to say about Berkelee

I believe the salient quote he made about Berklee's stringency is, "You can handcuff a chimpanzee to a saxophone and it’ll graduate with straight A’s".

 

[BigBadBen67]

You got it Doc. As youngsters, we want to show the world how many notes we can play. The older we get, the more we learn the less you say, and the more you say just the right thing, the better!

I saw a wonderful video of Lee Sklar talking about how much has to go into playing a whole note: duration, feel, release, do you use vibrato? The longer that note lasts the more you own it and have to do it well.

 

[Lee Moses]

A close friend of mine was classmates with Stanley Clarke at Berklee a long time ago.

I'm pretty sure Stanley Clarke never attended Berklee.

 

[Lee Moses]

This is what I’ve heard - the best who attend Berklee never graduate. They get hired and their careers are off and running.

Yes and no. For the rock and pop guys, that's pretty well true. They've probably learned everything they'll actually ever use their first semester. But plenty of jazz guys have finished up their degrees--oftentimes playing gigs and tours with big names while still students--and gone on to greater success afterward.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Yes and no. For the rock and pop guys, that's pretty well true. They've probably learned everything they'll actually ever use their first semester. But plenty of jazz guys have finished up their degrees--oftentimes playing gigs and tours with big names while still students--and gone on to greater success afterward.

Esperanza Spalding graduated and became their youngest instructor at 20, and last I heard, she is at Harvard.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I'm pretty sure Stanley Clarke never attended Berklee.

Stanley Clarke did all of his formal studies in Philadelphia, his hometown.

 

[Major Seven]

I know several people who went to and graduated from Berklee. They are all teachers. Many students are so talented they get pulled out and recruited to join touring national acts.

I went to Berklee. Many people left to join bands. There were so many monster players there it was
depressing. The first thing you learn there is that you suck.

 

[onda'bass]

I never felt like i sucked at berklee. I wasn't the poster boy but I survived lol. When you get put in the wild you'd see how much better you were. Ymmv

 

[King Harvest]

I know a guy who went there. He was in real estate sales very soon after.

I also know a handful of people who went to sister school Boston Conservatory. None of them have careers in music either.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Ed Friedland, The Bass Whisperer, was Berklee bass faculty.

I wanted to go there in the 80's but my parents wouldn't support it. I know quite a few who did and made decent careers in music.

I think part of the "fails" might be related to where a graduate insisted on living. It's hard to make a great performance living in certain areas vs. others. A recent graduate of any music school needs to live where the work is. A music degree can at least get initial auditions, as in the foot in the door, in areas where it's possible to make a decent living playing. In some of the fringe areas, a music educator playing side work can do quite well.

However, not everyone with a music degree can really fit into the "work" that is music. Some need to show their unique art, and it will or will not bring dollars.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

Was Eric Andre positive or negative? Was he the guy they made the movie about being a Jazz drummer?

No he’s a Comedian who has a Berkelee base degree

and I’m not gonna bash anyone
But as a Canadian even I really wanted to go to Berklee College of music

just some things didn’t quite pan out the way I wanted it
Just because you have a bass degree. does it mean you’ll find a job easy

On my last day at the camp I met a guy in the airport security.. he asked me what kind of bass I had. And after chatting for a bit he also had a degree but was working at the airport

My goal now like my dad is to have a full-time job but still be able to play and enjoy music on the side

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

Eric Andre’s opinion about playing bass is about as valuable to me as Victor Wooten’s opinion about being a comedian.

LMAO

 

[CryingBass]

I know a guy who went there. He was in real estate sales very soon after.

I also know a handful of people who went to sister school Boston Conservatory. None of them have careers in music either.

That’s a tell

 

[MingusBass]

I’ll paraphrase what Kevin Scott said on a recent podcast when the subject of music schools came up.

If you’re planning on starting your journey to becoming a professional musician by graduating with $100,000 in debt, don’t!

The best part of music school is the connections you make, not necessarily what you learn.

That being said, you’re much better off taking private lessons with the baddest player you can find, and in this day and age, there are many that will instruct you over zoom, someone like Justin Raines for example. Even if you have to pay them $100 per hour, it’s a better deal than what you’ll get with a place like Berklee.