Berklee Music-Week 3

                Week 3 was quite similar class schedule wise, but Monday, I had an exciting addition to my day. In the afternoon, I went to the Vinx Recording Studio, and was able to record myself singing along with a track. The studio was very nice, and the equipment was of very high quality, but we didn’t have a lot of time individually as there were many people signed up, wanting a spot. Vinx was there himself, and he is a very talented musician as we heard him perform in the first week of classes. He teaches the Singers Drum Circle, which is an optional elective, and asked me to come check it out later that day. After a performance by Terri Lynn Carrington, a very accomplished drummer who now teaches at Berklee, I went to the Singers Drum Circle class. We basically sat in a room and looked at pictures and we would go around the circle expressing how the picture made us feel, what was the story behind the picture and exercising our creativity and lyric writing skills. It was very interesting and thought provoking.

                Tuesday and Wednesday were busy as always, we learnt a lot of the music that we will be performing in Musical Theatre class, and worked on background vocals for the song Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, which is a lot of fun to sing. In Rhythm and Grooves, I chose to sing the song Cry Me a River and it went really well and everyone loved it.

                On Thursday we had a quiz in theory, which I think went fairly well, and then afterwards I met my friend Gabrielle who was in my a cappella group in Montreal and is now graduated and working in Boston. We had a nice picnic lunch in the park and caught up on lost time. Later that evening I had my music business class where we focused on the importance of live performing, which was very interesting, and then after dinner headed home.

                Friday, I only had one class because my ensemble was cancelled, so I took the afternoon off and relaxed before my BIG exciting weekend! My friend and I were heading off to New York City for the weekend! We took the bus at 5:30, which was more like 7:00 because the bus got delayed. The bus was only 4 hours and cost $20 each way…we couldn’t NOT go! We arrived late in the evening, around 11pm and made our way to our hotel, The Paramount located in the middle of Times Square. The hotel wasamazing, and the location was perfect, but when we walked into the room we realized why we got such a good deal. The room was tiny, with a double bed for the both of us. We managed to fit and the bed was comfortable enough to make up for the lack of space, so in the end we were quite happy with the living situation.

                Early the next morning, we got on the subway headed for South Station, the very south tip of Manhattan. From there we took a ferry headed for Staten Island, that we thought was heading for the Statue of Liberty, but was quite enjoyable anyways. We got a lovely view of the city and it was free! Afterwards, we found the actual line-up, and it was ridiculously long, taking hours to get to a boat to take you to the Statue of Liberty. We decided not to waste our time and took a few pictures with the little statue in the far of distance, just to prove we were there. Then, we took the subway back and met up with my friend from university who lives in New York. We then went to Whole Foods and got some food to have a picnic in Central Park. We were extremely lucky that we had such wonderful weather, and it was such a relaxing time sitting on a blanket in the sun. We later went to get changed and had dinner at Blue Fin before seeing a Broadway show. The show was called Next To Normal and was about a dysfunctional family, with a mother struggling with anxiety and depression. Although it was depressing at parts, and I definitely heard some people sniffling in the back, the music was very beautiful and powerful, and I am very glad we chose to see it. By the time the show was over, it was quite late, but we decided to venture to the Empire State Building to see the 360 degree view from the 86^th floor. It was definitely the highlight of the trip and definitely worth the wait and money.

                Sunday morning we woke up early to try and catch the early service at a church in Harlem. We were hoping to hear the gospel music and experience the life and vivaciousness of the people. The subway unfortunately was not running train into Harlem that weekend and we ended up at the end of the line and off the map. We hoped into a cab and got to the church only a couple minutes after the service was scheduled to begin. Unfortunately for us “tourists” had to wait in a separate line, and it was too late for us to enter the early service, and we would have to wait two more hours. We had to check out of the hotel by noon, so we could not catch the later service, but we had an interesting time walking through Harlem and trying to get back home. After a wellneeded nap we went to SoHo and did some shopping and then returned to Time Square to collect our luggage and return to the bus. It was a really great trip and I’m so glad that we were able to fit it in with our busy schedules. Although I developed a bit of a cold while I was away, I’ll try and get some rest now that I’m back.

Miss you lots,

Renée Massé

Berklee Music – Week 2

It has been another very full week here at Berklee Five Week Summer Program. Monday’s classes are larger, and broader. I had Survey of Vocal Styles, which focuses on the history of music, and showcases the key musicians of various genres throughout time. Afterwards, everyone has the same class together in the Berklee Performance Centre where we had Melissa Ferrick, who is a professional musician come and speak with us about her experience and perform as well.

Tuesday was my busy day, filled with theory, musicianship and private lessons. That evening I had Musical Theatre class, where we practiced for our auditions that would be occurring the following day. The auditions would be at the ‘New York’ level and we were required to have a headshot and resume, and come prepared with our song.

Wednesday I had a Rhythm and Grooves class, which I was quite excited but nervous about. We had to pick a swing tune and write the chart which the chords on it for the band, and perform and direct the band as we were doing it. It was quite exciting seeing the chords and music that we arranged come to life, but it will take some getting used to when conducting the band. Later that evening we had our musical theatre auditions, which went very well, we only had to prepare 32 bars of a song and sing it for our teachers. Once that was over my friend and I went to a concert at the Red Room, which is Boston’s only all-age performing space. The venue features many of Berklee’s up-and-coming bands, and at one point featured bands like Owl City and Passion Pit which are now, very well known. The concert I went to see showcased Super Volcano, a heavy metal band which was definitely NOT my style of music, and Ann Driscoll a well-known Berklee singer-songwriter.

Thursday I only have a couple classes, so I took the opportunity to get my hair cut at one of Boston’s many salons. Afterwards, I decided to explore the city a bit more, by venturing a little out of my regular path. My mother will be coming to visit me during the last week, so I went to see what her hotel was like and how close it would be to my classes. I discovered this beautiful pool behind the church that I walked past every day, and in thewarmth and sun, was extremely relaxed and content walking along it and felt very much at peace.

Friday I had an ensemble class, where we practice songs in a small group that will later be performing at the end of the program, this class is probably my favourite because we get to sing well known songs and improvise. After class I went to a coffee shop and sat down with my theory homework and decided to learn everything that we have been doing (the teacher for the course is a very nice gentleman, but he tends to skim through a lot of the material and go on tangents about his life, which while it can be entertaining, is not going to get me a good grade on the quiz next week) I decided that I would just have to learn the material on my own time, which is a bit annoying considering we have a lot of class during the day as it is. After a couple of tedious hours, my brain had had enough, so I met up with my friend to go out for a nice dinner. The weather unfortunately was not in agreement with our plans and made it extremely difficult for us to get somewhere somewhat dry. Once dinner was over, and the clouds and rain had finally gone away, we went to the Caf Show, which is a concert where full-time Berklee students can perform for us. The band that was playing, apparently are competing to open for John Mayer, and are currently in first place. Needless to say they were very impressive and performed many original pieces as well as covers.

Saturday, I met up with my Italian friend and her roommate and we walked along Newbury Street, Boston’s main ‘shopping street’. It was a beautiful and warm day, so we decided to keep walking through this park at the end of the street which has a little lake in the middle of it. We continued onwards towards Quincy Market for lunch, which was extremely busy on Saturday afternoon, but very pleasant. By the time we got back, we had been walking for about three and a half hours, and my feet were exhausted. I came back home for a bit and then later went to the practice rooms to do some homework.

The next day, I met some friends to do a bit more shopping, and then we took the bus to Cambridge to go see an a cappella concert near Harvard Square. The group was called Syncopation and they were only a four person group, but very talented. It was nice to leave the ‘bubble’ that we are in every day and see a bit more of Boston. Afterwards we ventured out a littlefurther to try and see more of Harvard, but the campus is so spread out that we were unable to find the grand entrance that I was hoping for, that I have seen in many  movies, but settled for the only sign we found (which was extremely pathetic in my opinion J ). Another great week in Boston, and I am looking forward to what happens in week three!

Miss you all,

Love,

Renée Massé

Berklee Music-Week 1

Although the program has only been going on for a week, I feel as though I have been here for much longer. I finally feel settled in to this city, but the journey was slightly bumpy. The first day my flight was cancelled, but I was able to get a later flight. After arriving in Toronto, I had about an hour to retrieve my luggage and make my connection to Boston. Even after running to the luggage stop, my luggage was nowhere to be found. I waited about an hour and a half, but finally decided to run and catch my flight to Boston with what I had on my back…which was not much. After arriving in Boston at about 10:30pm, I spoke with the Air Canada baggage claim lady and was on my way in a taxi to my new home for the next month. I had specific instructions to retrieve the home key in a pile of mulch next to a column of my roommate’s friend’s apartment hidden under a takeout menu. Although in principle this seemed like an easy task, upon arrival I feared I would not have a place to sleep that night. The patch of mulch is about 16 metres squared and there is not a streetlamp nearby, so as the taxi is waiting for me, I climb into the mulch with the little light from my cellphone and set upon a meek search. With a little help from some random guys who probably thought I was nuts, I found the hidden keys and hoped back into the cab and arrived safely into my new apartment.

Day 2 I had to sign up at orientation and get my Berklee ID card. After forgetting my passport and having to return back home to obtain it, I was officially a Berklee Summer Student and the city was my oyster. I quickly found Boston’s main shopping street and got myself an outfit, considering I only had what I wore on the plane…which was not the best considering the weather conditions.

Day 3, still no sight of my luggage, I have my audition for my placement in the program. The audition went quite well and afterwards I had a musical and theory placement exam, which also went splendidly. I made a friend called Renee from New Jersey while I was waiting in line which was quite exciting, and that night I attended a concert by a band called The Tower of Power which was put on by Berklee, and was very entertaining.

Day 4 was Academic Orientation, but was really mostly the Faculty putting on concerts for us. It was very neat to see how talented the staff was, and who our mentors would be over the course of the Five Weeks. I also had my first Chorus practice, which was interesting; the choir director is a bit nuts and taught us the “Earth Breath” which channels the energy of the Earth into you…. Later on that evening I finally received my luggage and was thrilled to finally be able to unpack!

On Tuesday we obtained our schedules and started classes. I had a theory class (which I am actually in quite a high level for vocalists), a private lesson, a musicianship course where we develop our ear training skills, and a background vocal lab where we learn to be backup singers. That night were the auditions for the Five Week Performance Showcase, where 5 students are chosen to perform at the end of the program. I waited about 3 hours to sing 60 seconds, and I was one of the earlier people! Needless to say about 400 people auditioned, and the odds were NOT in my favour, but I am still glad I took the opportunity, and was very pleased with my audition.

Wednesday I had another musicianship class, a class called Rhythm Section Grooves, where we learn to direct the band so that people don’t think that Vocalists are ‘stupid’ and that we have some idea of what we are doing. Our assignment for next week is to prepare a swing tune, and I have chosen “Orange Colored Sky”. Afterwards I had a lab for Pop/R&B where I was very unimpressed by the lack of organization of the teacher, considering she wasted about half of class preparing photocopies. Then later that evening I had a Musical Theatre Class, we will perform 5 songs at the end of the Five Weeks, and will be having auditions for the solos next week.

Thursday I had musicianship and theory once again and then a long break until my elective: Music Business, it was quite a large class, but it appears to be very interesting, and I am looking forward to learn more throughout the weeks. Afterwards from 8-10pm I had another Choir practice, and went to bed!

Friday was nice, because I only have two classes, musicianship and ensemble, where we learnt Chain of Fools, and another song called Emotional Rollercoaster, and we will be performing two pieces at the end of the five weeks!

On Saturday, I went with some friends to the closest beach to Boston, called Revere Beach, which was America’s First Public Beach. The water was pretty cold, but we still went in, and soaked up the warm sun. There was also a sandcastle contest going on which was really impressive! I also took the ‘T’ which is Boston’s public transportation system, like the Metro.

So far, this looks like it’s going to be a very exciting experience, and I’ve already learnt lots! I’ll keep you all posted.

Miss you all,

Love,

Renée Massé

Liberal Arts encompasses a broad area of study, which includes the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Humanities is the study of the human experience from the perspective of philosophy, history, literature, languages, music, theatre and art.  The Humanities explore the values, ideas and ideals of humanity in order to create thoughtful and responsible citizens of the world.

Social Sciences uses scientific methods to analyze, evaluate and understand human behaviour, society and cultural patterns.  The social sciences include the fields of anthropology, commerce, criminology, economics, geography, political studies, psychology, sociology and women’s studies.

It is this combination and the generality of a BA degree that make it so useful.  “The value [of it] is that it’s preparing [students] for any career”, says Jennifer Floren, CEO of a college recruiting service.  Once [students] begin to think of the Arts degree in terms of acquiring broad, transferable skills, as opposed to specific techniques and knowledge, its merits become more apparent.

An Arts degree is not a vocational one, so its graduates must do more work to prepare for the job search, says Gregg Blachford, Director of the McGill Career and Placement Centre.  “If you’re in engineering or management, you’re being streamlined,” he says.  For arts graduates, career paths are less obvious.  “A lot of arts students are just not aware of the nature of work out there,” Blachford adds. 

“ . . . [students] have to make what [they] want out of it.”

McGill’s Dean of Arts, Christopher Manfredi, believes that the Bachelor of Arts is a valuable degree because it allows students depth in their discipline, breadth of education and “because of the skills it teaches . . .  in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, ability to write and its broad exposure to questions of the human condition.”  For the university student, beginning adult life from the general perspective that an Arts degree provides choice, and moving slowly toward a more specialized focus after graduation, is much easier than beginning with something very specific (say, neurobiology) and trying to expand your focus later.  The freedom to learn from several disciplines within the Faculty of Arts allows students to explore many academic paths to help them with this decision.

The liberal arts approach is making a comeback in Canada after years of focus on technical skills, needed to support the once-burgeoning high-tech sector.  As the technological boom has begun to even out, the demand for employees with a broader mindset has resurfaced in the job market to manage the infrastructure and creative thinking behind modern innovation.  In a January 2001 report, 30 top executives of major Canadian high-tech corporations released a joint statement citing a “strong need for those with a broader background who can work in tandem with technical specialists, helping create and manage a corporate environment.”

The post-secondary education system in Canada is also shifting slightly to provide more liberal arts opportunities.  For example, McGill’s freshman Arts Legacy program that is a year-long interdisciplinary approach emphasizing rhetorical skills such as how to think critically and communicate effectively.  BA graduates are actually highly employable in the corporate world.  “The CEOs of the world are mostly arts students,” says Blachford.  According to a recent statistical analysis conducted by Dr. Robert C. Allen of the University of British Columbia, 50 to 81 per cent of arts graduates are employed in a professional or managerial capacity, which compared favourable with those in commerce, at 60 per cent.  Manfredi believes this favourable statistic exists because “employers are looking for smart people who easily adapt to new situations.”  In fact, he suggest, “someone with an arts degree may be better at those things than someone with a more specialized degree.”

The merits of the broad arts program are resonating now with other faculties that are now shifting towards a multidisciplinary approach in their programs.  “I think there is a recognition in the fact that we have created the Bachelor of Arts and Science degree, that people who are in science need exposure to arts and vice versa,” says Manfredi. 

Exposure to diverse courses and disciplines gives the graduate with a BA the invaluable skill of adaptability.  According to Manfredi, “I think it makes one a better citizen [and] a better human being, and I think the most important thing is that it gives one a degree of adaptability, which in a rapidly changing world, is absolutely crucial.”  

Excerpted from:

http://media.www.mcgilltribune.com/media/storage/paper234/news/2006/11/07/Features/Feature.An.Arts.Degree.Is.Not.just.For.Arts.Sake-2444473.shtml