2015 Scholarships – We are all winners!

Posted on by berkleecitymusic

This post was written by Dr. Krystal Banfield, Dean, Berklee City Music

“We all sat around the computer awaiting the answer! When I opened the college scholarship computer portal and saw that I was awarded a college scholarship! My entire family burst into tears. I had received the City Music full tuition college scholarship. Thank you! ”

This was shared by one of our City Music students having just received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child,” is true. We all have had some influence on our students, which has contributed to their success. Yet, how can we know success, if the evidence does not arrive in the way of a scholarship? These are questions we readily ask as we prepare our students by building their skills and guiding them so that they would have the capability to attain choices—to pursue their dreams, to be leaders in their communities, to have purpose, to be responsible, to have the ability to enrich their own lives and the lives of others. In doing so, we know it takes being committed to a concentric circle that includes you, your students and their families, their teachers, schools and the greater communities. But how can we create this for more of our students who by national statistics still fall far behind their more advantaged peers? It is possible to leverage our relationships collectively, to share what works, and be determined in our efforts as we look to endeavor earlier preparation for each student. Let us establish a national dialogue, with a goal to create a consistent standard that provides opportunities for each student who joins our community. But, first let’s celebrate our next cohort of 2015 scholarship awardees!

15 – Awarded City Music College Scholarships
Camden Repertory Theater
Campus Club Milledgeville
City Music Boston
Cleveland Music Settlement
East Bay Center-Performing Arts
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
Phoenix Conservatory of Music
Project RYTMO
Richmond Youth Jazz Guild
Stax Music Academy

120 – City Music Summer Scholarships
2xSalt Ministry
A Place Called Home
Bahama Village Music Program
Boys & Girls Harbor
Camden Repertory Theater
Campus Club Milledgeville
City Music Boston
Cleveland Music Settlement
East Bay Center-Performing Arts
Escuela de Bellas Artes de Carolina
Fort Hayes Metro Education Center
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Lincoln Park Perform Arts Center
Motivational Edge
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
One World
Philadelphia Clef Club
Phoenix Conservatory of Music
Project RYTMO
Richmond Youth Jazz Guild
Sarah McLachlan School of Music
Sitar Center
Stax Music Academy
Tipitina’s Foundation
Wilmington Youth Jazz Band
Woodlawn Musical Arts/Audiostate 55

Emcee Kiki Haynes (Actress, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) and Walter McCarty (Assistant Coach, Boston Celtics) joined Berklee President Roger Brown, Associate Vice President for Education Outreach and Executive Director of Berklee City Music J. Curtis Warner, and Dean of City Music Krystal Banfield to present 18 Berklee City Music Network Students with full-tuition scholarships to Berklee College of Music
2014 College Scholarship Recipients with emcee Kiki Haynes, Walter McCarty, Berklee President Roger Brown, Associate Vice President for Education Outreach J. Curtis Warner, and Dean of City Music Krystal Banfield

Berklee City Music Scholarship Concert Recap

Posted on by berkleecitymusic

Last week, 107 Berklee City Music Boston and Network students participating in the Five-Week Summer Performance Program took the stage of the Berklee Performance Center for the Berklee City Music Scholarship Concert.  The young musicians showcased the skills that they honed throughout the program in Instrumental and Vocal Jazz, Big Band, Pop/Rock, Pop/R&B, and Choral Ensembles under the direction of Berklee College of Music professors Bobby Gallegos, Alonzo Harris, Nichelle Mungo, George W. Russell, Mike Tucker, and Marty Walsh.

At the end of program, Emcee Kiki Haynes (Actress, Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse) and Walter McCarty (Assistant Coach, Boston Celtics) joined Berklee President Roger Brown, Associate Vice President for Education Outreach and Executive Director of Berklee City Music J. Curtis Warner Jr., and Dean of City Music Dr. Krystal Banfield to present 18 Berklee City Music Network Students with full-tuition scholarships to attend Berklee this Fall.

Emcee Kiki Haynes (Actress, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) and Walter McCarty (Assistant Coach, Boston Celtics) joined Berklee President Roger Brown, Associate Vice President for Education Outreach and Executive Director of Berklee City Music J. Curtis Warner, and Dean of City Music Krystal Banfield to present 18 Berklee City Music Network Students with full-tuition scholarships to Berklee College of Music
Emcee Kiki Haynes (Actress, Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse) and Walter McCarty (Assistant Coach, Boston Celtics) joined Berklee President Roger Brown, Associate Vice President for Education Outreach and Executive Director of Berklee City Music J. Curtis Warner, and Dean of City Music Krystal Banfield to present 18 Berklee City Music Network Students with full-tuition scholarships to Berklee College of Music

 

A special shout-out goes to Berklee City Music National student, Yesseh Furaha-Ali from the Philadelphia Clef Club, who was awarded a prestigious 2014-2015 Berklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship, a four-year scholarship covering the cost of tuition, on-campus housing, and the required laptop.

2014 Berklee City Music College Scholarship, Network Recipients

2014 Berklee City Music College Scholarship, City Music Boston Recipients

  • Pianist Daniel Hines, Dorchester, Massachusetts
  • Drummer Samuel Joseph, Readville, Massachusetts
  • Saxophonist Yoshitaka Koga, Methuen, Massachusetts
  • Vocalist Grace Mann, Roxbury Crossing, Massachusetts
  • Guitarist Melisande Pope, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
  • Upright bassist Nailah Williams, Dorchester, Massachusetts
  • Vocalist Yanina Johnson, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dean’s Set List: So What (Season 2: EP1)

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

It’s the start of a new Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program and there are Berklee City Music Summer Scholars from all over the country attending.  During the Five-Week Program we record students who are featured on the Dean’s Set List.

The Dean’s Set List features students from around the Berklee City Music Network performing in the office of our Dean, Dr. Krystal Banfield.  In order for a student to be selected they must fulfill certain criteria pertaining to their academic standing, Berklee City Music standing, involvement in their community, and musicianship.  It is a musical Dean’s List.

To start off season 2 our first episode features John Michael Bradford  on Trumpet from Tipitina’s Foundation, Yesseh Furaha-Ali on tenor saxophone from The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, Ayinde Williams on piano from Richmond Youth Jazz Guild, and Daniel Winshall on bass from City Music Boston performing Miles Davis “So What.”

NOTE: Be sure to watch it in 1080 HD by adjusting the video settings using the gear icon on the bottom right of the video.

2013 Conference Master Class Performances

Posted on by Arin Canbolat
IMG_7144
The 2103 Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class Finale Band with clinicians Shoshana Bean and Kirk Whalum, and music director Rob Lewis.

At last year’s Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class five bands performed and were critiqued by guest clinicians Kirk Whalum and Shoshana Bean.  Check out these videos of students from the Tipitina’s Foundation Intern Program, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Berklee City Music Boston, The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, and Stax Music Academy.

Tipitina’s Foundation

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center

Berklee City Music Boston

Philadelphia Clef Club

Stax Music Academy

At the end of the master class students from each band were selected to be in the finale band, led by musical director and Berklee alumni Rob Lewis, where they performed Rufus Thomas’ “Walking the Dog.”  Watch this video to see highlights from the master class and the finale band.

If you are interested in performing at this year’s Conference Master Class in Los Angeles please click here for more information and to apply.  Make sure you apply by July 1 to not miss the deadline!

Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class – Philadelphia Clef Club

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

The fourth Master Class to perform at The Berklee City Music Network 2013 Conference was the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. The band was directed by Lovett Hines with Will Wright on the piano and featured Immanuel Wilkins on alto sax, Yesseh Furaha-Ali on tenor sax, Antonio Robinson on bass and Cameron Cephas on drums.

Check out Tipitina’s Foundation’s Master Class Performance,

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center’s Master Class Performance

and Berklee City Music Boston’s Master Class Performance.

Coming up next: the release of a new video from the Conference Master Class, and if you are interested in performing at this year’s Conference Master Class in Los Angeles please click here to view the application.

Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class – City Music Boston

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

Berklee City Music Boston was the third band to perform at last year’s Conference Master Class. The band was led by Berklee City Music Boston faculty member Greg Holt and consisted of Grace Mann on vocals, Ngomane Bolden-Dendy on trumpet, Gustav Hossin-Endl on tenor sax, Antonio Shiell-Loomis on guitar, Joshua Sutherland on piano, Christoff Glaude on bass and James Doran on drums.

Check out Tipitina’s Foundation’s Master Class Performance

and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center’s Master Class Performance.

Stay tuned next week for the release of a new video from the Conference Master Class, and if your ensemble is interested in performing at this year’s Conference Master Class in Los Angeles please click here to apply.

Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class – Tipitina’s Foundation

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

At last year’s conference five bands from around the Berklee City Music Network performed and were critiqued by guest clinicians Kirk Whalum and Shoshana Bean.  Check out  this video of students from the Tipitina’s Foundation Intern Program featuring  John Michael Bradford, trumpet; Elise Gonzalez on electric, bass; Thomas Glass, drums; and Donald Harrison, piano.  Donald Harrison is the Artistic Director of the Intern Program.

Stay tuned next week for the release of a new video from the Conference Master Class, and if you are interested in performing at this year’s Conference Master Class in Los Angeles please click here to apply.

 

Berklee City Music Network Conference Master Class 2013

Posted on by berkleecitymusic

If you joined us in Memphis at last year’s conference, you may recall that we had a wonderful Performance Master Class at Minglewood Hall, conducted by Shoshana Bean and Kirk Whalum, with music director, Rob Lewis.

shoshana and kirk

See what went down in Memphis, featuring performances by student ensembles from Tipitina’s Foundation, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Berklee City Music Boston, The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, and Stax Music Academy.

 

Don’t miss the 2014 Conference this November in LA!

Dean’s Set List: Robert Gould, John Michael Bradford, and Hunter Burgamy

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

This month’s episode of the Dean’s Set List features Robert Gould from Little 5 Points Music Center in Atlanta, and John Michael Bradford and Hunter Burgamy both from Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans performing  “Georgia on My Mind“ by  Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell and made famous by Ray Charles.

Robert Gould is a current student at Berklee College of Music who received a full-tuition scholarship from Berklee City Music in 2012.  John Michael Bradford and Hunter Burgamy were both City Music Summer Scholars in 2013, where Hunter received a full-tuition scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music and is currently in his first semester.  John Michael is currently a junior in high school and received a $20,000 scholarship from the college during the 2013 Five-Week Summer Performance Program.

To learn more about the Dean’s Set List please visit our previous post.

Giving Tuesday: The “UNselfie”

Posted on by Arin Canbolat

Yesterday was Giving Tuesday, a day that started two years ago in an effort to give back to our community and organizations that are helping to make a difference.  In contrast to this idea is the 2013 word of the year, “selfie,” a craze that has taken over the internet with many people posting photos of themselves.

Berklee City Music Board Member, Jeff Walker, suggests in his Huffington Post Blog Post that we turn it around and make it the “UNselfie” and show our support of those who are doing good by taking “pictures could be of people doing good things, of acts of kindness, of compassion in action! Being UNselfish!”  To help start the trend here is a collection of Instagram pictures from around the Berklee City Music Network and our supporters showing the “UNselfies” of those giving back.

Jeff Walker, author of The Generosity Network and Berklee City Music Board Member engaging members of the Berklee City Music Network at the 2013 Berklee City Music Network Conference about board development.

Boston Celtics power forward Brandon Bass, participating in a master class with Berklee City Music Boston students.

Berklee Alumni, performing artist, and Artistic Director of the Internship Program at our Network site Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans, Donald Harrison, teaching a master class with Berklee City Music Boston students.

https://www.instagram.com/p/fTQa6zjMCw

Network member A Place Called Home‘s Executive Director, Jonathan Zeichner, and staff providing Thanksgiving Dinner to the South Central Los Angeles community.

The Shoe Crew providing 804 pairs of shoes to children at A Place Called Home.

The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation presenting Berklee City Music with a donation at half-time. 

Berklee City Music providing full-college scholarships to students from across the Berklee City Music Network at the Scholarship concert this August.

You can support these organization and members of the Berklee City Music Network by visiting their websites (click here for a list of Network members).  Berklee City Music sends a big Thank You to all those mentioned above, our Network members, and supporters for their continued efforts to Making Dreams Possible One Note at a Time.