Berklee College of Music

In 1945, pianist, composer, arranger and MIT graduate Lawrence Berk founded Schillinger House, the precursor to the Berklee School of Music, after quitting his job at Raytheon.[10] Located at 284 Newbury St. in Boston's Back Bay, the school specialized in the Schillinger System of harmony and composition[11] developed by Joseph Schillinger. Berk had studied with Schillinger. Instrumental lessons and a few classes in traditional theory, harmony, and arranging were also offered.[10] At the time of its founding almost all music schools focused primarily on classical music, but Schillinger House offered training in jazz and commercial music for radio, theater, television, and dancing. At first, most students were working professional musicians. Many students were former World War II service members who attended under the G.I. Bill. Initial enrollment was fewer than 50 students,[12] but by 1949 there were more than 500 students.[13] In 1954, when the school's curriculum had expanded to include music education classes and more traditional music theory, Berk changed the name to Berklee School of Music, after his 12-year-old son Lee Eliot Berk, to reflect the broader scope of instruction.[14]

Lawrence Berk placed great emphasis on learning from practitioners, as opposed to academics, and generally hired working musicians as faculty members. Several of the school's best-known musician-educators arrived after the school's name change. In 1956, trumpeter Herb Pomeroy joined the faculty and remained until his retirement in 1996.[15] Drummer Alan Dawson and saxophonist Charlie Mariano became faculty members in 1957.[16] Reed player John LaPorta began teaching in 1962.[17] Like many of Berk's ideas, this practice continues into the present. Although far more emphasis is placed on academic credentials among new faculty hires than in the past, experienced performers such as Gary Burton, Mick Goodrick, Pat Metheny, Arif Mardin, Aydin Esen, Hal Crook, Dave Santoro, Ed Tomassi, Ted Pease, Joe Lovano, and Danilo Perez have served as faculty over the years.

Another trend in the school's history also began in the mid-1950s. During this period, the school began to attract international students in greater numbers. For example, Japanese pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi arrived in 1956.[18] Multiple Grammy-winning producer Arif Mardin came from Turkey to study at the school in 1958.[19]

In 1957, Berklee initiated the first of many innovative applications of technology to music education with Jazz in the Classroom, a series of LP recordings of student work, accompanied by scores. These albums contain early examples of composing, arranging, and performing by students who went on to prominent jazz careers, such as Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent, Sadao Watanabe, and many others. The series, which continued until 1980, was a precursor to subsequent Berklee-affiliated recording labels. These later releases provided learning experiences not only for student composers and performers, but also for students in newly created majors in music engineering and production, and music business and management.[20]

Berklee awarded its first bachelor of music degrees in 1966.[21] Members of the first graduating class to receive degrees included Alf Clausen, Stephen Gould and Michael Rendish. Gould taught film scoring at Berklee and is currently the Program Director for the Educational Leadership PhD program at Lesley University. During the 1960s, the Berklee curriculum began to reflect new developments in popular music, such the rise of rock and roll, soul and funk, and jazz-rock fusion.[21] In 1962, Berklee offered the first college-level instrumental major for guitar. The guitar department initially had nine students, and today it is the largest single instrumental major at the college. Guitarist Jack Petersen accepted an invitation by Berk to design and chair the first formal guitar curriculum. Berk discovered Petersen through his affiliation with the Stan Kenton Band Clinics. Trombonist Phil Wilson joined the faculty in 1965.[22] His student ensemble, the Dues Band, helped introduce current popular music into the ensemble curriculum, and later as the Rainbow Band, performed world music and jazz fusions.[22] In 1969, new courses in rock and popular music were added to the curriculum, the first ever offered at the college level.[21] The first college course on jingle writing was also offered in 1969.[23]

Berklee classroom building at 130 Massachusetts Avenue

The school became Berklee College of Music in 1970[24] and bestowed its first honorary doctorate on Duke Ellington in 1971.[25] Vibraphonist Gary Burton joined the faculty in 1971, helping to solidify the place of jazz-rock fusion in the curriculum.[26] As Dean of Curriculum from 1985 to 1996,[27] Burton led the development of several new majors, including music synthesis and songwriting, and facilitated the school's transition to technology-based education.[28] Curriculum innovations during the 1970s included the first college-level instrumental major in electric bass guitar in 1973,[29] and the first jazz-rock ensemble class in 1974.[30]

In 1979, Berklee founder Lawrence Berk stepped down as president.[31] The board of trustees appointed his son, Lee Eliot Berk, to replace him.[32] Under new leadership, the school underwent further growth and diversification of its curriculum. The college offered the world's first undergraduate degree program in film scoring starting in 1980.[33] Beginning in 1981, the string department curriculum expanded to include many stylistic idioms besides classical music.[34] In 1986, the world's first college-level major in music synthesis was offered,[35] followed by the world's first college songwriting major in 1987.[23] Instrumental majors also expanded to include the first college hand-percussion major in 1988.[36] The college was also the first third-level institution in the world to offer a course in Electric Bass Guitar. While many conservatories offer a major in Double Bass, Berklee's former bass chair Rich Appleman was a pioneer in bass education and understood the impact this change could bring.

The number of international students has grown steadily to 24.2% of total enrollment in 2010 and 28% as of the 2012–2013 academic year.[37]

Berklee expanded its community outreach efforts in 1991 with the launch of City Music, a program designed to make music instruction available to underserved youth in the Boston area.[38] On a more global scale, Berklee partnered with selected music schools around the world to form the Berklee International Network in 1993.[39] Another new major, in music therapy, was offered beginning in 1996. In 2003, the school began offering classes online through Berkleemusic.com, now called Berklee Online under the leadership of Dave Kusek.[40][41][42] Other curriculum developments included the incorporation of a hip-hop course in 2004.[43]

In 2004, Lee Eliot Berk stepped down as president of the school his father had founded, and Roger H. Brown was installed as the college's third president.[44] Under Brown's leadership the college's enrollment has grown and diversified, admission has become highly selective, and significant increases have occurred in the retention (above 80% in 2016) and graduation rate (above 60% in 2015).[45][46] In 2006, mandolin and banjo were accepted as principal instruments for the first time.[47] The college also initiated an Africana Studies program, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, and an American Roots Music Program.[48][49][50] In October 2013, Berklee Online launched its online degree programs, and began accepting applications for the Bachelor of Professional Studies in two majors: music production, and music business.[51] In January 2014, the college launched the Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (Berklee ICE), a new campus center which offers courses, workshops, research and an incubation environment to encourage music businesses startup companies.[52]

In June 2015, Berklee College of Music and The Boston Conservatory announced that the governing boards for the two schools had approved plans to pursue a proposed merger.[53][54][55] On January 19, 2016, the two schools announced that they would be merging. The agreement was signed the next day, with Berklee College of Music being renamed Berklee, and the Conservatory being renamed The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.[56][57]

On October 22, 2020, Berklee announced its new president-elect, Erica Muhl, as President Brown announced his retirement. Muhl previously worked at the University of Southern California (USC), where she was dean and founding executive director of the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

For the fall semester of 2020, the college taught classes remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[58] The college then moved to a hybrid model learning system in the spring semester of 2021.

In August of 2021, The Berklee College of Music announced it would begin offering a Bachelor of Arts program in Music Industry Leadership and Innovation starting in the fall of 2022. The program will be the first undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree to be available in the college’s history.[59]

In November 2017, the Boston Globe reported a culture of sexual harassment exists on the campus with at least three male professors allowed to quietly leave the school last 2008 after student reports of sexual misconduct with teachers. Berklee's administrators released a statement saying, in part, that the college has rigorous policies and procedures in place to deal with claims of sexual harassment.[60]

On November 13, students staged a silent protest and class walkout to address the allegations of sexual harassment by teachers and staff.[61]

Also on November 13, college president, Roger Brown addressed over 1,200 students and apologized to the affected students and pledged to "root out abusive behavior". He also stated that the school has terminated eleven faculty members in the past thirteen years due to sexual harassment and sexual assault.[62]

The college has worked to strengthen policies to prevent sexual harassment and abuse and has taken a number of measures to create a better and safer environment, including instituting "training courses, creating a working group, and diversifying leadership".[63]

Recently, in 2021, Berklee opened a campus in NYC titled "BerkleeNYC" where they offer a 10 month MA program with a "Master's in Arts Master of Arts in Creative Media and Technology". (https://nyc.berklee.edu). This campus is located at the PowerStation recording studio.

Berklee's campus in València regularly offers unique programs in contemporary music. These include clinics, workshops, and seminars as well as short, concentrated sessions in areas such as performance, flamenco, film scoring, music business, technology and production, and education.[88]

It also offers a two-week summer performance program in addition to the five-week program in Boston.[89]

In October 2013, the online school began accepting applications for its 120-credit online degree in two majors: Bachelor of Professional Studies in Music Production[101] and Bachelor of Professional Studies in Music Business.[102] In November 2014, Berklee Online added three new degree majors to its Bachelor of Professional Studies program: Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games, and Interdisciplinary Music Studies, a major that allows students to build their own program based on their musical interests and goals.[103][104] Since then, the college has continued to expand its online bachelor's degree major offerings, adding Guitar, Songwriting, and Songwriting and Producing Music to the roster. The college is reportedly the first nonprofit music institution to offer regionally accredited bachelor's degrees online.[105]

Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including rock, hip hop, reggae, salsa, heavy metal and bluegrass. Berklee alumni have won 310 Grammy Awards, more than any other college, and 108 Latin Grammy Awards.