Berklee today

JUN 2017

Berklee today is the official alumni publication of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a forum for contemporary music and musicians.

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2017 35 Summer Summer 2017 35 West Coast News WesFest Success Continues In March, Scott Gershin '84 became the director of sound editorial for the Sound Lab, a new department within Technicolor, a digital technology leader in the media and entertainment world. Under Gershin's direction, The Sound Lab will meld technology with powerful storytelling to create high- quality branded soundscape expe- riences for 360-degree films, video games, virtual reality, augmented real- ity, theme parks, and special venues. A veteran sound designer and sound editor with more than 100 fea- ture film, TV, and game projects on his résumé, Gershin tapped experts from his network for the Sound Lab team. Among them are alumni Debbie Gonzalez '87 (executive producer), Jesse Garcia '15 (associate sound designer), and Chris Hegstrom '98 (senior virtual reality audio specialist). The Sound Lab's focus on story- telling is home turf for Gershin. "I've been telling stories with sound for 30 years," he says of his work in film, TV, and video games. "As a musician, I see a film soundtrack as an audio tapestry made up of the interaction of music, dialogue, sound design, and Foley," Gershin says. "I capture and use those sounds to tell a story that takes the viewer through emotional peaks and valleys." Gershin believes that the ongoing development of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed realities will change the way we enjoy entertainment. Although this technology is in still in its infan- cy, it promises powerful new immer- sive experiences for audiences. Debbie Gonzalez built her career producing music for commercials for clients such as Honda, Lexus, and Adidas. When clients needed sound design elements she called Gershin, her Berklee classmate. Their collabo- rations spurred Gershin to create Soundelux Media Labs (later named Soundelux Design Music Group) a part of the Soundelux family, where Gershin worked for 27 years and became a partner. After taking a hiatus to raise her daughter, Gonzalez reconnected with Gershin at a Berklee alumni holiday party. At the time, Gershin was work- ing at Formosa Group, a post-pro- duction sound design company, and needed someone who understood music production and business devel- opment. Gonzalez fit the bill. When From the left: Paula Wehmiller, Jonathan Elyashiv, and John Wehmiller Danny Mo' and the Exciters played an r&b; set at the March 12 WesFest Concert at the Baked Potato nightclub in Studio City, CA. From the left: vocalist Kira Small, drummer John "JR" Robinson, and bassist Danny Morris. Summer 2017 35 By Justine Taormino '06 By Peter Gordon '78 Gershin left Formosa to create the Sound Lab at Technicolor, Gonzalez fol- lowed. At the Sound Lab she oversees business development and produces projects. Her work includes contract- ing composers, managing budgets, networking, and recruiting talent. Jesse Garcia also followed Gershin from Formosa to The Sound Lab. These days, he wears many hats managing and preparing all of the assets for edi- tors and serving as first-assistant sound editor for Gershin. Garcia handles all of the logistics to serve the client's needs. As a new Berklee grad in 2015, Garcia entertained various career paths. He now advises new gradu- ates to avoid tunnel vision. "There are many types of jobs within post-pro- duction," he says. "At The Sound Lab we're designing sound for all types of industries." Rounding out the team is Chris Hegstrom, who oversees the Sound Lab's virtual reality audio. Based remotely in Seattle, WA, Hegstrom was formerly the audio director for Microsoft. "Seattle has a focus on experimentation and technology," Hegstrom says. "Los Angeles is reve- nue-oriented and marketing-driven." He serves as the eyes and ears for the Sound Lab's clients in the Seattle VR development and audio scenes. Hegstrom's presence in Seattle supports current client relation- ships and provides him an awareness of new studios and projects in the works. It's a competitive advantage that's a win-win for Hegstrom and the Sound Lab. For the new immersive experi- ences the Sound Lab is working on, 3D sound is a necessity according to Hegstrom. "A stereo mix would break that immersion," he says. "It's a 360- degree sphere of potential sound sources and your ears are mixing the experience." Gershin and his team are focused on the long game in immersive media. "How will these techniques play out?" Gershin asks. "That's the art form. That's what is going to be fun." Scott Gershin '84 Ron Lyon Ron Lyon The memory of Wes Wehmiller '92 was celebrated in joyous fashion in the annual WesFest concert at the Baked Potato in Studio City, CA, on March 12, 2017. "Wes's spirit and enthusiasm, his wisdom and compassion, his humor and love of life were fully present and felt in the music," said Wes's mother, Paula. And that was bread for the world's soul." During the past 12 years, WesFest has become an extended annual fun- draising campaign to support the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship Fund at Berklee. It's an impressive example of sustained grassroots fundraising. The value of this scholarship fund now stands at slightly more than $400,000. The Wes Wehmiller scholarship is awarded annually to a Berklee bass student who best exemplifies the values that Wes represented. As an endowed scholarship, it will honor Wes's legacy for decades to come. An impressive opening set of original tunes was led by 2012 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship recipient Hayley Jane Batt '12. Inaugural Wehmiller Scholarship recipient Will Snyder '08 was on keyboards, and Eric Jackowitz '11 and Jonathan Sosin '08 played drums and guitar respectively. Danny Mo' and the Exciters fol- lowed a with a powerful r&b; set that paid tribute to some major artists that we lost recently: Leon Russell, Prince, and Al Jarreau. This year's all-star band included alumni Danny Morris '78, John "JR" Robinson '75, Kira Small '93, Marty Walsh, Fred Kron, Krysta Youngs '05, Ali Handal, and Jennifer Criss Williams. The latest recipient of the scholarship, Jonathan Elyashiv '18, was featured on bass. This year's headliner, keyboard- ist Patrice Rushen, delivered a spar- kling set, with Ndugu Leon Chancelor (drums), and Reggie Hamilton (bass). They closed the evening jamming on Wayne Shorter's tune "Footprints" with scholarship recipient Jonathan Elyashiv sitting in on bass. WesFest cofounder Bryan Beller '92, who returned to MC this year's concert, said, "It was really beauti- ful seeing WesFest bring together a continually growing family of amazing musicians, all in the service of raising money for this great cause. Seeing pre- vious scholarship winners Will Snyder and Hayley Jane Batt open the show set the perfect tone. Hearing Jonathan Elyashiv bring his deep groove and gentle soul to the famous Baked Potato stage was sublime." In the words of Danny Morris, Wehmiller's former teacher, "Wesfest is a special capstone experience for the scholarship recipient each year. It's an opportunity for friends and extend- ed family to witness the fruit of our work as musicians and teachers and to showcase the recipient perform- ing with some of the best and vibrant soulful musicians I know. "Something special about this event makes us all perform with mag- ic, knowing that Wes is [somewhere] listening, along with his parents John and Paula Wehmiller in attendance, as we welcome yet another young bass- ist into the extended family of Wes Wehmiller Scholarship recipients." For more on Wes Wehmiller and the scholarship, visit weswehmiller.net.

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