- What: Berklee College of Music
- Location: Boston, USA
- Students: 3,800 undergraduates
- Faculty: 460
- Programs: A variety of diploma and degree programs in several music related disciplines
Berklee College of Music opened its doors in 1945 and now is the largest independent music college in the world. Berklee was founded primarily as a jazz school, simply because jazz was the most popular American music genre of the time. In subsequent years, as music has popular music has evolved, so has Berklee's focus, and the school's curriculum now include rock music, pop music and classical music, in addition to jazz.
The school has churned out a many a high profile student, including:
- Quincy Jones
- Paula Cole
- Branford Marsalis
- Melissa Etheridge
Berklee College of Music is neither a school for music performers nor a school for aspiring music industry professionals. Instead, the college's approach is multi-dimensional, emphasizing the importance of understanding the basics of the technical aspects of music for music professionals, and for music performers to understand enough about the business to be in control of their careers. Within this interdisciplinary approach to music education, students can pursue degree and diplomas in many fields, including:
- Composition
- Music Business/Management
- Music Education
- Songwriting
- Music Production and Engineering
The faculty at Berklee is perhaps the most important part of the school. At Berklee, the faculty is not there to simply give lectures and tests; instead, each individual teacher is committed to mentoring the students and helping them develop their careers. The path to music careers is very individual, and the faculty at Berklee recognizes this and helps each student find their own way.
Berklee's faculty knows the music industry because they are a part of it themselves, and many of them have the awards to prove it. Some of Berklee's award winning staff members are:
- Mick Goodrick
- Donna McElroy
- Richard Evans
Berklee students don't only get the attention of a top notch facutly. Every semester, the get a chance to learn from a rotating line up visiting professors and guest faculty who can give them insight into every area of the music business. Some past guest lecturers have included:
- Billy Joel
- Smokey Robinson
- Janis Ian
- Jimmy Buffett
- Yo Yo Ma
- Arturo Sandovali
- Pat Metheny
If a move to Boston is not in the cards for you, you can grab a little bit of that Berklee experience through Berklee's online programs. Although you'll need to be on campus to earn a Bachelor degree, you can complete a number of certificate programs online (certificates are similar to Associate degrees). Online courses are also a popular way for people already within in the industry to brush up on their skills or expand their knowledge into new areas, such as publishing.
Berklee tuition varies greatly depending on how many classes you're taking, the program of study you're pursuing, and more. The college does have a financial aid office ready to help your explore the different funding opportunities available to you. Like any college, funding at Berklee comes in a combination of:
- Scholarships
- Grants (both merit based and need based)
- Loans (both federal and private)
In the US, federal student loans are available for Berklee and can be applied for on the FAFSA website. The costs of attendence, plus the availability of financial aid may vary for international students.
