By Melissa Blasek
Contributing Writer

donnamcelroy.com

Donna McElroy has toured as a background singer for Amy Grant, Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, and Crystal Gayle. As an arranger/background vocalist she worked on the platinum hits “Why Haven’t I Heard From You?” by Reba McIntyre, “We Shall Be Free” by Garth Brooks, and “House of Love” by Amy Grant. Her solo album, Bigger World with Warner Brothers, was nominated for a Grammy and in 1993 she was awarded Best Actress for her lead role in “Nunsense” by the Circle Players. Today she is a Professor of Voice at Berklee College of Music

MB: Fly To Forever is comprised of your original jazz compositions. What’s your writing process?

DE: It takes several different forms. I’ll come up with all the lyrics, melody, and I’ll think about what the chords should be- but since I’m not a harmonist, I can only come up with the bass. Then I’ll sit down with someone who will fill that in. The other way I’ll write is I’ll sit down with my very rudimentary chord skills, and write a song that is very nice and pleasant sounding. I write really well for myself when I write a little pop number. Then the third way I write is someone will give me a track and say, “Listen to this and if you want to write some lyrics or melody, you do that.”

MB: As far as selecting covers to perform, what makes a song special enough for you to sing it?

DE: Well I try to steer away from the word “cover” because when I think of a cover, I think of a hit that’s current and on the radio, and when you get up there to sing it, it better be as close to the original as possible or don’t even come. I sing standards though. I look for a song that has a lyric that I can relate to personality-wise, or a song where the melody and the harmony are so intricate that it’s exciting for me to say, “I can sing that song!” Or I’ll have a specific composer’s work that I really like and I’ll look for obscure tunes by that person.

MB: You had a run as a solo recording artist in the late 80s. What did you take from the experience?

DE: The most important thing I took is to have a plan because I did not have a plan. Have a style you want to sing in and be comfortable with it because if your record hits, even if it doesn’t, you will be singing that style. My mistake was that I didn’t pick a style. My CD said, “Look how versatile I am!” [The record label] tried to advise me. They said, “We cannot market this record.” But I was thirty-two and you couldn’t tell me anything. I had been out on the road, I had sung on many records, and I had done a ton of jingles. I didn’t understand at all what was expected of me as an artist because all the years I’d been singing background. I was only looking at the concert end of the artists I was singing with. I wasn’t examining the records and song choices. Naturally, on the road, one gets the opportunity to stretch and do lots of different styles if he or she wants to. But you gotta have the band and singers to support those directions. I was part of bands that were all great and versatile musicians. But those musicians weren’t always used on the album/cd, and the album/cd was usually a group of songs which all sounded pretty close to the singles which were released to sell the project. I came into the artist realm not understanding this, and a little too arrogant for my own good, so when they signed me I told them, “You pulled me away from my gig where I was making a lot of money. I did not ask for you to sign me. I expect that you will supplement my income.”

MB: You spent years touring as a background singer for such stars as Amy Grant and Garth Brooks. What’s the hardest aspect of being on the road?

DE: There was nothing hard about being on the road. I liked the travel, the food, and the hotels. Even when I first started out with Amy [Grant], we would get two rooms at a Motel 6, one for the girls in the band and one for the guys in the band, and we would just wash up and then pile back on the bus. And then her records started to do well and by the time I left her we were staying at the Four Seasons and I had a room for myself. I liked it and I liked the luxury of it.

MB: What was the most difficult aspect of dealing with the business end of the music industry?

DE: For me it was not understanding what the record industry was. The first question [the record company] asked me was, “Who is your demographic?” I did not know what the word “demographic” meant. I was like, “I’m singing to everyone!” The fact that I did not understand how the industry worked, worked to [the record company’s] advantage. They will sign you, spend a shit load of money on you, use it as a tax write off, and then shelve your record. You will sit around for years wondering what you did wrong. But you didn’t do anything wrong, you just didn’t know what to do in the first place. You’re being moved around, as an artist, like a pawn on a chessboard.

MB: What advice would give a singer looking to enter the recording industry?

DE: My advice would be to take my recording lab to get the technical end of the job under your belt. Then learn as much about Internet technology as possible. Do it yourself. If you do it yourself and you never get the major deal, you are still your own person, you still have your natural breasts (chuckle), your privacy has not been invaded, and you are a decent person. You’re not as rich, but you can still have a fan base, work with great musicians, and develop yourself as a songwriter. You can just be responsible for representing you and your music and not getting up on that stage and representing so many other people.

By Ann Driscoll
Associate Editor

If I were a music publisher, I would snatch up Alicia Lemke in a heartbeat. She has TV and film placement potentially virtually embedded into her earthy, wistful folk-pop debut Shades of Motion. To begin with, the five-song EP is exquisitely produced and performed by Lemke, a Berklee freshman, and her team of recent alumni: Josh Fobare, Alvaro Kapaz, Pablo Eluchans, and Ryan Gleason. Lemke’s pretty, conversational vocals are clear as a bell, occasionally accompanied by soft harmonies. A steady interplay between piano and acoustic guitar form the harmonic texture of most of the tracks. The arrangements compliment the songs without being obtrusive — from the upright bass on “Wave to Nowhere” to the organ on “The Break-Up Song” to the hand claps on “I’m Here to Stay.” Recorded and mixed by Gerry Putnam at Cedar House Sound in New Hampshire, the music is sonically ready- as crisp and well-performed as any Ingrid Michaelson or Colbie Caillat record.

The 22-year old Lemke has a knack for straightforward, unpretentious lyrical nuggets: “I miss you as much as anyone can miss what’s done- done are the days of ever after,” she sings with resignation on opener, “Wave to Nowhere.” Lemke graduated from Swarthmore with a degree in Theater and a minor in Biology, and spent a summer, conducting environmental science field research in Australia. She contemplates the physical world with impressionistic observations in the title track. “Purple light frames the highway/Spinning past yellow dotted lines/Counting signs.” Lemke remains even-keeled and earnest throughout her recounting of bad breakups. She sings, “You screwed me once and you screwed me twice” and completes the couplet with “My problem is I haven’t taken my own lame advice.”

On closing track “I’m Here To Stay,” Lemke showcases more pop than folk with “Come On Eileen”-esque melody soaring above multi-tracked handclaps and jumpy piano. You could easily hear it in a Target ad or a Grey’s Anatomy episode. In this day and age where sync licenses earn artists more money than record sales, there may be no better compliment to pay Shades of Motion’s industry potential.

Shades of Motion is available now on iTunes and physical copies will be available at Alicia Lemke shows.

Press Release Courtesy of Margot Edwards

Berklee’s student-run label Jazz Revelation Records (JRR) celebrates the release of its seventh compilation CD, Birds of a Feather, with a concert at the Berklee Performance Center on Thursday, April 22. The concert will feature seven of the label’s most exciting student artists: Christoph Huber, Tom Kain, Utar Dundarartun, Kazuyo Kuriya, Lihi Haruvi, Nathan Cepelinski, and Roy Guzman.

Birds of a Feather features original compositions by 11 Berklee student bandleaders. The scope of the CD is wide-ranging, with artists performing styles including traditional and contemporary jazz, nu-jazz, fusion, and jazz with experimental, classical, world, electronica, ambient, and funk influences.

Jazz Revelations is a showcase for some of Berklee’s top jazz players from around the world, with artists hailing from Turkey, Puerto Rico, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Japan, India, Israel, Greece, and the United States, each bringing a unique perspective to their compositions. Says Kevin McCluskey, faculty advisor and executive producer for Jazz Revelation Records, “Our bands are young and incredibly vital, yet there is something ancient in the wisdom of their musings. They are both students and masters of their craft, and as such will always be on the cusp of the new, the exciting, and the authentic.”

JRR is operated by Berklee students who possess a keen desire to discover, record, promote, and market fantastic jazz musicians. The JRR team is responsible for choosing the artists; producing, engineering, and promoting the album; and designing its artwork. Birds of a Feather will be available at the concert and on CDBaby and iTunes. All proceeds go towards maintaining the label and recording next year’s project.

Jazz Revelation Records was founded in 2003 by Berklee College of Music students deeply involved in original jazz composition and performance. With the help of the college’s Professional Music Department, the ensuing years have seen the release of six full-length compilation CDs: Rebirth, Two, Ars Nova, The New Old School, Common Ground, and Dedication. To support the students, visit JRR’s page at cdbaby.com.

About the artists on Birds of a Feather:

Nikolas Anadolis, a Berklee Presidential Scholar hailing from Thessaloniki, Greece, started playing piano and improvising at age 4. His father, a professional drummer, encouraged him to pursue music and has been a guiding force in his development. Before arriving at Berklee, Anadolis attended the Music School of Thessaloniki, studied with Margarita Efremidou at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and took private lessons in jazz piano. Anadolis’s primary interests are classical and jazz piano styles, and musical expression and creation.

Tom Kain is a jazz pianist, composer, and producer from Moorestown, New Jersey. Kain, a music production & engineering and performance major at Berklee, has worked on both sides of the glass to encourage inspired performances. He has studied with top jazz educators, including Joanne Brackeen, Ray Santisi, and Victor Mendoza. Kain performs with the Mark Hadley Group and Chloe Bean & the Spills, and also volunteered at JRR, overseeing the label’s 2009 CD and concert. Says Kain of his tune “Glenn’s Caliper”—written by his brother Will—”The song is about a struggle. You begin a project, get stuck, take a step back, and iterate until a solution launches you to the next step. Glenn and his caliper are that catch that forces you to stop and reevaluate your work.”

Lihi Haruvi

Lihi Haruvi, from Gan Yavne, Israel, studies at Berklee on a full-tuition scholarship. She picked up the saxophone at 10 and soon realized it was more than a hobby. Says Haruvi, “The ability to explore and express things in music was really magical and fascinating to me.” She enrolled in Tel Aviv’s Thelma Yellin High School for the Performing Arts, where she met pianist Ronen Shmueli. Haruvi and Shmueli then served together in the Israeli army orchestra where they developed a close camaraderie with bassist Tamir Shmerling. Haruvi came to Berklee in 2009, and Shmueli and Shmerling soon followed. Drummer Eran Fink, who is also from Israel, completes the group. Haruvi has performed with Jeff “Tain” Watts and Joel Frahm, and was chosen to represent Israel around the world during her army service.

Christoph Huber, from Aarau, Switzerland, grew up in a musical environment, inspired by his father Felix, a professional pianist, composer, and arranger. He began drum lessons at age 8, tenor saxophone at 9, and improvising at 11. Huber studied saxophone with former Berklee faculty member Fritz Renold for five years. From 2005 to 2009 he participated in the Jazzaar festival—which he attends again in April—where he performed with Randy Brecker, Donny McCaslin, Tierney Sutton, Tia Fuller, Steve Reid, and others. Says Huber, “I’ve gotten a lot of motivation to become a professional musician from collaborating with all those great musicians.” Huber, who attends Berklee on scholarship, is also developing his skills as a composer and arranger.

Nathan Cepelinski, a saxophonist and composer from Ottawa, Canada, is studying at Berklee on a full-tuition scholarship. He picked up the saxophone at age 12 and soon built a reputation as a strong and versatile player. Cepelinski has been praised for his technical proficiency, melodic maturity, and deep understanding of the jazz language. He studied with Billy Robinson, who had performed with Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, and Freddie Hubbard, before Robinson’s death in 2005. Cepelinski received five Down Beat student awards in high school, played in the Clifford Brown-Stan Getz Fellowship All-Star Band, and was awarded the Yamaha Kando Scholarship by Musicfest Canada.

Enrico de Trizio, from Molfetta, Italy, started playing piano at age 10. He studied at N. Piccinni music conservatory in Bari, where he formed his first electric jazz trio. In 2006, de Trizio attended Berklee clinics at the Umbria Jazz Festival, where he received a scholarship to study in Boston. He earned numerous accolades at Berklee, including the Technics Endowed Scholarship ‘09 and the BT Production Award ‘10, and graduated this year with a degree in electronic production and design. De Trizio has performed with Mitch Applebaum, Winston Maccow, Kenwood Dennard, Fred Wesley, and Joe Lovano. In addition to performing solo and with his trio, he also plays with French singer Violette De Bartillat, hip-hop band RE-UP, and the Global Sonification Network Ensemble directed by Neil Leonard.

Kazuyo Kuriya is a flautist and pianist from Kumamoto, Japan, home of Mount Aso, a volcano with the largest caldera in the world. She earned a degree from Tokyo’s Musashino Academia Musicae before coming to Berklee on scholarship to study jazz. Kuriya performed with Maria Schneider and McCoy Tyner as a member of the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra. She has also performed with Cesar Camargo Mariano, Eddie Gomez, and Kazumi Watanabe, and led her group, Ceu do Brasil, on a tour of Japan. Kuriya hopes listeners feel a mother of living things when hearing her song “Rain Dance.” She explains, “Rain becomes rivers, river becomes the sea. Ancient civilizations were generated near the rivers, so rain is one of the mothers of humans and animals.”

Italo Cunha, a 17-year-old jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, student, and teacher from Brasilia, Brazil, attends Berklee on a scholarship. He started playing piano at age 4, guitar at 9, and was performing professionally by 12. Cunha was chosen by the Escola de Musica de Brasilia to play for Brazil’s Minister of Education as part of Young Artist Revelation. He received a contemporary musical education degree from the Toque de Classe Institute in 2007—becoming the youngest recipient ever. Relating his song to the album title, Cunha says, “I think Birds of a Feather means friendship. My song reflects that. ‘Stories’ is about good times and memories with my friends, that’s how I got the inspiration. Friendship is one of the most valuable things we have in life.”

Aditya Balani from Delhi, India leads the Aditya Balani Group, a Boston-based world/jazz ensemble that brings together talented musicians from around the world, including Spain, Serbia, Chile, and the U.S. Drawing from their ethnic roots, each musician adds a unique color to the band’s sound: an exciting blend of the spontaneity and harmonic interplay of jazz, with the sheer intensity of melodies and rhythms of Indian classical/folk music. The group—featuring Berklee students Balani on guitar, Aaron Bahr on trumpet, Will Cafaro on bass, Tarun Balani on drums, and Sharik Hasan on piano—recently completed its second tour of the Indian sub-continent.

Utar Dundarartun is a composer, arranger, and pianist from Ankara, Turkey, who studies film scoring and jazz composition at Berklee on scholarship. He graduated from Hacettepe University State Conservatory in classical percussion. Dundarartun has performed at many festivals in Turkey, including the 12th International Ankara Jazz Festival, the 7th Eskisehir Jazz Festival, and the International Bursa Music Festival. He has composed and arranged over 30 pieces for symphony orchestra, and 50 pieces for brass and big band. He is currently recording an album with his band Betone. Says Dundarartun, “Human creativity and imagination really impressed my scope about music and history. To create something to [give to] humanity is considerable reason for improvement.”

Roy Guzman is a guitarist and composer hailing from Cupey, Puerto Rico. He studied classical guitar at the Pablo Casals Conservatoire of Puerto Rico, later transferring to Berklee on scholarship. He is the recipient of the Billboard Endowed Scholarship at Berklee and was a semifinalist in the Gibson Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition in Switzerland. He currently leads the Roy Guzman Quintet, a group that performed at George Wein’s Jazz Festival 55 in Newport, Rhode Island; the Duke Ellington Jazz Fest in Washington, D.C.; and Lincoln Center in New York. Guzman has also recorded two albums with the Orbits Quintet.

The seventh annual Jazz Revelation Records CD Release Concert is $10 ($5 for seniors) and begins at 8:15 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. For more information, call 617 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com. The BPC is wheelchair-accessible.

By Colin Ramsay
Contributing Writer

I recently read an article in the April issue of Modern Drummer by managing editor Mike Dawson entitled “Know No Limits,” and a particular line stuck out to me. In reminiscing about excuses he used as a teenager he remembers the thought that “I’ll never be able to play like Vinnie Colaiuta. I’m more a groove drummer.” While Dawson’s purpose was to illustrate the danger of self-imposed limitations, what resonated with me was this idea of chops and technical facility versus groove.

I find that many drummers draw a distinction between chops and groove; You’re either a chops player, or a groove player. The common perception seems to be that they’re two different approaches. Under the “chops” category one might put Weckl, and Vinnie among others. The so-called technicians of drums. On the other hand, groove drummers might include Steve Jordan and the likes. However, I believe such classifications are inherently flawed. The problem is the idea that technical ability and the ability to groove are two separate and distinct entities. I would argue that on the contrary, they’re extremely related and almost inseparable. Of course, this is all personal opinion as is everything in any artistic field, but allow me to wax philosophical for a moment.

Chops are a tool with which to construct a groove, and by groove I don’t mean a beat, but rather a groove. To use a piece of hip drummer lingo, something with a pocket. This is because chops are a quantitative skill while groove is a qualitative skill. The word “chops” brings to mind bpm and numbers, essentially how fast or accurately you’re able to play something, but groove revolves around an unquantifiable feeling. It’s why pocket is one of the most difficult things to teach a drummer. How do you teach someone to make a groove feel good? Some would say pocket is sitting on the back of the beat, but in reality it’s a stylistic choice and playing on top of the beat can feel just as good. This distinction between the nature of chops and groove is the exact reason why the former facilitates the latter. Much like a building that relies on a strong foundation, chops provide the technical foundation upon which to establish a sense of groove.

I think it’s important to mention here that I believe part of the problem is that the labels “chops drummer” and “groove drummer” are somewhat misnomers. We tend to write off technically flashy drummers as the chops guys, while calling more simplistic drummers groovers. Groove, however, is not synonymous with simplicity as chops are not synonymous with a technical playing style. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who is willing to argue that Weckl can’t groove, and while it may not be readily apparent in his playing style, I’d be amazed to find that Steve Jordan doesn’t posses a certain level of chops. The difference is stylistic appropriateness. Fusion calls for more involved, denser drumming so to speak, whereas Jordan’s seat behind John Mayer dictates a straight-ahead, open groove.

Regardless of what a certain style calls for, chops are a drummer’s backbone from which to artistically express themselves. Just as we must learn words before we can verbally express ourselves, we must possess the chops to express ourselves musically – to establish the groove we’re seeking. With that in mind, I encourage all drummers to pursue both chops and groove, and I think you’ll find yourself a more effective drummer, whatever your musical preference.

Cato, Carter, and Cleveland visit their alma mater.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

Last Friday in the Steve Heck Room, three NYC-based Berklee alumni spoke to a room full of current students who were interested in making the move to the big apple. Les Cleveland (’05) is a drummer and bass player, who has performed with artists such as Roberta Flack and Prince. Louis Cato (’04) is also a drummer and bass player (although he seems to play everything), who has performed with Stevie Wonder, Marcus Miller, and is close with Cleveland as both a friend and colleague. Matt Carter (’03) is the general manager of acclaimed MSR Studios, and has overseen projects that have won Grammys, and many other records that have done platinum and gold.

All three alumni talked about how their careers first started in the professional world, and how it led them to the big apple. “It’s hard to build a scene in Boston,” Carter said in regards to his decision to move to New York after finishing his MP&E Degree. “I was playing three to five nights a week at Wally’s, only making $50 a gig,” Cato said in concurrence. “Make sure you save a lot of money before you go,” Cleveland added.

The three alumni talked in detail about the importance of networking. “Don’t call someone and just say ‘Hey—you got a gig for me?’ Go to the movies, go shoot some pool, or play cards,” said Cleveland, who lives in a house full of musicians in Brooklyn. “Pay attention now to the people you go to school with,” said Carter.

“Even more than who knows you, it’s who likes you.”

Berklee students soak in the advice. Photos by Karen Bell.

Many students and even some parents asked questions with regards to how Berklee helped them, how they paid rent, and other aspects of their lives. “There’s no way you know what you’re getting into,” said Carter. It was a highly informative session, which closed with Cato articulating the crucial entrepreneurial mindset: “Be ready to be tired, be ready to hustle, and always be ready to put yourself out there.”

By Jehad Choate
Contributing Writer

Photo Courtesy of Artist

In a time when society is detached from an over abundance of reality; taking refuge in the anti-personal, over-produced circus of crap music, one voice shines through to give hope to the world’s weathered ears.  Sammy Witness. This Seattle-based female folk singer crosses boundaries of style as well as emotions with her raw talent, and sincere words. Always pushing her voice to different intensities, and writing music that transcends beyond genre, she never loses her folk roots of great story telling. Her new EP, The Winter Sessions, is a sincere and emotional story of one person’s journey of growing up into an imperfect world where she playfully and at times brutally calls out the strengths and weaknesses of everyone, including herself.  Everything about this EP is genuine, from honest lyrical content to dynamic music that flows behind each story told.  This not something you just pop in while you pass the time between train stops, this is music that walks with you when you are lonely, pushes you when you are lazy, and carries you when you feel like you can’t go on.

But who is this siren that is leading the modern day listener’s ego to ship wreck? I sat down with her via Skype, to have a cross-country discussion of epic proportions:

Jehad Choate: So, Sammy it’s great to have a bit of your time, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Sammy Witness: Well, I am a singer-songwriter from South Florida, just got established in Seattle.

JC: How is Seattle treating you?

SW: Seattle has reached out to me with open arms personally and musically.

JC: How would you best describe your music?

SW: [laughs] folk music with a grr! … I would say brutally honest. I have always been eager to write popular songs that aren’t repetitive or cliché’ as far as the lyrics are concerned. You’ll never catch me using words like ‘Baby’ or ‘Tonight’, and I don’t sugar coat anything.

JC: Do you have a particular message that you hope to provide with the songs that you write?

SW: I never really think about delivering messages… I just write songs in hopes that someone will relate.

JC: Tell me about some of your influences.

SW: Well, I’d watch Sheryl Crow music videos as a kid, and I tried to base my life around her songs. But I am a big Counting Crows fan because their songwriting is flawless, and I love some Alanis Morrisette and all the chick rock that follows in her footsteps. I also love Joane Osbourne for her relentless raunchiness and raw sound.

JC: I sense a hint of Maria Taylor in some of your style.

SW: Actually she is not one of my influences, great music, but we are just oddly familiar.

JC: I see you also play guitar, any influences there?

SW: Not really, I started playing classical guitar in middle school, so I listening to Paco De Lucia.

JC: Tell us about the Winter Sessions.

SW: The Winter Sessions EP was recorded in Boston, and on a side note it was the first time I ever saw snow… I recorded it in Mad Scientist Studios outside of Harvard Square. There were two blizzards and an Ice Storm while I was there, and we worked on it while snowed in. I was living off ramen and everyone else was living on ham for a week. Brian Hauver co/produced the album and Jason Dunn engineered. A lot of the songs were previously written before getting there, but we reconstructed to whole album the night before recording, and then knocked it out the second week.

JC: All the music came out great on the EP, but there was one song in particular that truly struck a chord with me, what is ‘Only Human’ about?

SW: It’s about religion. At the time it was written, I was walking around Gainesville, Florida, and passed a guy preaching fanatically. A couple girls walked past him wearing shorts, and he screamed at them about how they were going to hell. I just thought of the ridiculousness of being religious and being so hateful, and wrote about such a contradiction.

JC: Who were your session musicians on the album?

SW: I recorded all the acoustic parts, and Jason Dunn did the electric.

JC: Any Berklee kids?

SW: Our drummer, Steven Foster, is a Berklee alumnus, and we coerced him to brave the terrible snow and be locked up with us, with only a mere offer of great music and a six-pack of winter ale [laughs].

JC: Any song off of the album that has particular significance to you?

SW: ‘Therapist’ was one of the hardest songs to write. It stems from a situation when I was signed to a label at 15, and the music producer truly left a negative impact on my life. I locked myself in my closet for 48 hours to get the situation down on paper.

JC: [laughs]… In a closet?

SW: [laughs] Yeah! In the early days I would write and record all my music in a closet… so I wouldn’t disturb anyone, and they wouldn’t disturb me. I find the whole thing suitable since my fan base is made up of men, lesbians, and metal heads…. The metal heads came along when I had a reoccurring opening gig at a Metal bar in Orlando, Florida called The Haven.

JC: Any upcoming events or shows lined up for you?

SW: Aside from usual gigs, I am playing a festival called ‘Free Fall Festival’ in Santa Fe on October 2 and 3. There will be over thirty bands performing. Scott Huttin, who owns six Santa Fe radio stations puts on a fall festival of this caliber annually, so I will be getting airplay on his radio stations.

JC: Where can the public give your music a listen?

SW: You can find the EP on ITunes, and if you go myspace.com/sammywitness or sammywitness.com, it will have information on where to obtain CDs.

JC: Well Sammy, there are plenty of folk musicians circulating through Boston from a lot of the local shows I’ve hit. Before we go our separate ways, do you, as a successful folk artist on both coasts, have anything to say to aspiring folk artists out there?

SW: Make it happen! The world doesn’t owe you anything so kick ass and make it yourself. Practice. When some people get me down, it doesn’t stop me, it just becomes fuel to the fire, and it should be the same for you too.

By Liz Turner

The Boston Ballet’s production of Coppélia is truly a magical performance the entire family can enjoy. This ballet tells the comedic story of a doll that comes to life, and results as a love conflict throughout the villagers of the town. This ballet based on the book Der Sandmann by Charles Nuitter and E.T.A Hoffman, and was first premiered by the New York City Ballet in 1974. Since then, the Boston Ballet is the third company in the world to perform this classic, making its debut this spring for the Boston Ballet.

Coppélia’s beautiful choreography was created by the legendary George Balanchine, which the Boston Ballet creates an excellent performance of replicating his exact choreography.

The music of Coppélia by French Composer Leo Delibes (1836-1891) is performed by a 50-piece orchestra, which carries out the romantic style of the 19th century. Delibes was known for writing great operas and ballet’s and was considered a “Dancer’s composer” for inspiring movement with his music.

Coppélia is presented by the Boston Ballet, which is performed by more than one hundred incredible dancers from around the world, along with local children who are studying ballet.

Coppélia leaves you with a warm and magical feeling that you don’t want to end. If you have never been to a Boston Ballet Performance before, you do not want to miss this! Coppélia is playing at the renowned Boston Opera House, located at 539 Washington St.

The Ballet is being performed now until April 18, tickets can be purchased through www.bostonballet.org or at the Box office at the Boston Opera House, which is opened M-F 10 to Curtain, and on weekends 11-curtain. Tickets range from $25 to $140, and is well worth it for this inspiring Ballet.

Press Release Courtesy of Brian Grzelak

If you are thinking of moving to Los Angeles, don’t miss this information session. Peter Gordon, Director of the Berklee Center in LA, will offer his insights gained from 30+ years of experience in the music industry centered in LA. He is a wealth of knowledge on making a living as a musician in LA. If LA is your choice destination, this is one session you can’t do without.

Making the Move to Los Angeles
Friday, April 30, 2010
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Berklee College of Music
1140 Boylston St., Steve Heck Room
Boston, MA

Berklee LA Internship Program Coordinator Justine Taormino ‘06 will be speaking with students and alumni about making the move to LA and LA based internships. Justine is also our alumni chapter leader for Los Angeles, so she is a great person to get to know whether you will be involved in the internship program or not. She made the move within the last handful of years and can offer great insight into what you really need to do to set yourself up properly.

Don’t miss it!