BERKLEE MUSIC SCHOOL

[Felipe Vai]

HAIL to the king,

Did somebody on this forum plans to go to berklee or know somebody who studied there? i would love to hear what you guys have to say about berklee,im only 15 years old and i live im brazil there is some way for me to go study there ??? thanks

[pawel]

I think there are soe Jemsiters who went to Berklee, but you gotta wait for them to show up here...In terms of getting in to study there, i'd look for the information on the admission process on their website www.berklee.edu...

[kennydoe]

do a forum search.
I've posted a few times on this subject.
~K

[Felipe Vai]

Do you guys know in what majors steve formed in berklee ?

[Soup Kitchen Studios]

I'm still stuck at Berklee (6th semester), so if you want to ask any questions, shoot. Steve went to berklee for about 7 months and then got a job with Frank Zappa. While he went here he "never showed up to class and stayed in his room transcribing all day." That's what one of my teachers said anyway. From the interviews I've read, Steve got the most out of the Ear Training courses and the arranging courses he took while here. This isn't a school that will give you a great deal of technique or discipline if you don't already have it.

[Felipe Vai]

Thanks for showing up man, dude i dont know if that is true ( steve transcribing music all day ) cause the previous berklee site had a section with famous guys that studied there, and it indivated what majors that the dude had formed in, i dont recall it right but i think i ve seen 3 or 4 majors for steve , and they wouldnīt pass him if he didnīt show up classes. Tell how was your experience there, you know i have great discipline to study and if go one day there i would study even harder because i woudnt have any other preocupation, im 15 and my guitar teacher was shocked to know my age he said that he tought that i had 18 or more to play the stuff that i play ( i am a tall guy and i look more age than i have) my biggest problems is the money to go there, other thing my guitar teacher knows a dude that studied in berklee, and guy is formed in a millions things , but he said that one day they were testing some gutiars at a music store and the dude is what we call in brazil " travado" he cant play well , he cant transcribe his feelings and/or toughts to the guitar

[Soup Kitchen Studios]

Felipe, Maybe we're loosing something in the translation here but no one has 3-4 majors. It is safe to say that Steve went to school for about 2 semesters, which is about 36 weeks of instruction. 95% of Berklee students don't even declare a major until their 3rd semester. Steve did not graduate from Berklee. Neither did John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, John Myung, ect.

I like Berklee, but I don't expect it to turn me into a super-star either. Many people do, and they go away disappointed. To quote Simon, "This is a pen, not a magic wand"

By the way... you can definitely pass classes without showing up to many classes Berklee is extremely laid back.

Also, He definitely transcribed music all day, that's how he got his Zappa gig.

[Felipe Vai]

Okay, thanks for the info, and by the way didnt steve started the 10 hour workout on berklee ???

[Anton]

would anybody be kind enough to tell me how much it costs ?
thanks
~A

[Merlin_]

Originally Posted by Anton

would anybody be kind enough to tell me how much it costs ?
thanks
~A

I've heard it costs about 30k a year, but don't quote me on that. I'm sure dave could give you a more definite answer

Originally Posted by Dave Swift

I'm still stuck at Berklee (6th semester), so if you want to ask any questions, shoot.

Just one quick Q, if you don't mind
About the styles of music covered at Berklee - I know it was originally a Jazz school, but I presume you can go and study rock or whatever you want? I don't mind a bit of jazz but wouldn't fancy it all day every day

[Anton]

30K a year , sheesh so its full of posh people with rich parents then ?
j/k
~A

[pawel]

30k is a standard for private institutions in the States, the truth is that only a few people pay this full price. This is due to all the financial aid programs scholarships etc...If you are an international student though, it is really difficult to get any of it.

[Anton]

Ah i see
Thanks dude

[Sid Vai]

i once saw a guy who studied at berklee play right in front of me. i was playing and another guitarist friend mof mine comes and says. "hey let him play. he studied at berklee." and when this guy played it blew me away. he could do arpeggios and taps in between them. thats when i started really respectigng berklee.
he said he studied performance and arrangement. or something.he also said he spent the greater part of his time practiccing. he said that in two years he only went to the movies three times. (he's from honduras, like me, thats why its hard to believe u wouldnt go out as much in a foreign country).
...i wish i could go to berklee. but as a kid in honduras i just dont see it happening.

[Soup Kitchen Studios]

Tuition is around 9K a semester. It feels much more expensive because Boston is an extremely expensive city to live in. In comparison to many other colleges, that tuition is not that expensive.

You can study any style of music you want at berklee. You have to take some Theory courses in which you study Jazz Harmony and Traditional Harmony but you can apply that knowledge to just about any style of music you wish. I am not a Jazz guy, although I have respect for the players who excell in that genre. I'm really into Rock/Pop myself.