Berklee today is the official alumni publication of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a forum for contemporary music and musicians.
Issue link: http://berkleetoday.epubxp.com/i/385555
2 Berklee today In recent years, Berklee has created ac- ademic institutes to offer students focused studies in specifc areas of the contemporary music universe. Currently, there are eight areas of fo- cused study that include Berklee's Global Jazz Institute, Interdisciplinary Arts Institute, and the Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship, to name a few. I am leading the charge to estab- lish the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMi) to focus on the business of pop- ular music. Our objective is to provide an ex- perience-based education that will en- able students to go from the classroom to the stage and gain professional ex- perience through participation in the music business while building alliances that will beneft them today and to- morrow. BPMi students will interact with the music industry, working at the highest levels in A&R;, artist develop- ment, recordings, booking, promotion, touring, social media, sponsoring, and tour bookings from clubs to festivals. The program will also teach students to give back by working with Berklee's City Music Program partners as they tour the country. BPMi's structure will involve an external advisory board consisting of top-level executives from the enter- tainment, technology, and communi- cation industries. These top industry fgures are collaborating with us to design curricular activities that refect contemporary trends and practices in the music industry. Selected Berklee faculty and staff will serve as internal advisers to mentor our students and artists. BPMi will bring recognition to the college while teaching students how to communicate, teach, market, pro- mote, and perform. The cornerstone of the curriculum will be opportunities for students to play at and participate in prestigious festivals in the United States and abroad. For the past four years, I have booked our student artists at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. It's daunting for young performers who have played only on a stage that is two to four-feet high and 10 to 20-feet wide to suddenly appear on a profes- sional stage fve to eight-feet high and 40 to 60-feet wide. To prepare them for larger venues, having a Berklee sound- stage on which to practice will be key. President Roger Brown and I have dis- cussed the critical need to build a sound stage on campus so that student art- ists can fully develop their live-perfor- mance skills. Berklee already has three record labels, 10 new studios, Internet radio stations, 12 majors, and a great fac- ulty. We understand what the music industry is, but we are not working in the industry. BPMi will beneft from a board of current music business leaders. We are assembling world- renowned promoters, agents, man- agers, publishers, and social media experts. Collaboration between Berklee and industry professionals will change students' lives. I've had promising discussions with many music industry profes- sionals, and I am pleased that Gerry Barad, the chief operating offcer of Live Nation Global Touring gravi- tated to the idea and has attended meetings with President Brown, Provost Larry Simpson, and me about launching the institute. Many other music industry executives have also shown interest. Among them are leaders from C3, William Morris Endeavor, Windish Agency, Messina Group/AEG, YouTube, Spotify, Tait Towers, Vans, Red Bull, and more. Successful alumni also want to par- ticipate. John Czajkowski '98, tour ac- countant for Bruce Springsteen and Katy Perry; Jared Braverman '10, Live Nation Touring; Steve Canfeld '07, Red Bull; Steve Celinski '07, Marshall Arts Group; Kim Gerlach '03, YouTube; Dave Altarescu '02, Spotify (and Berklee trustee); Josh Rowe '03, the Hype Machine; Joe Peppin, Complete Control Management; Ardie Farhadieh '09, Billions Corporation are interested in helping to shape BPMi. BPMi has the potential to be a game changer for popular music ed- ucation. We are exceedingly grateful that already a generous anonymous donor shares our vision, and has pledged $5 million to support the in- stitute, supporting the plan to go from the classroom to the biggest stages in the world, participating in festivals that sell 100,000 tickets a day. And along the way, we'll give back by vis- iting local-area schools and raising awareness about the value and impact of music in the world. lead sheet Preparing to Change the Game By Jeff Dorenfeld, professor of Music Business/Management