By Ann Driscoll
Associate Editor

Berklee senior Lisa Forkish is on a mission to stop sexual violence, and bring a spirit of activism to the Berklee community. This past winter, Forkish started MASSIVE, Musicians against Sexual Violence, and the group has already organized seven campus-wide events, culminating in tonight’s Take Back The Night rally, an international march raising awareness about sexual violence.

Forkish describes MASSIVE as a “student initiative, not a club,” since the group consists of faculty and staff. The core leadership includes staff Laurel Kilbourne and Keppie Coutts, and students Rebecca Perkins and Bri Crawford.

Their events have been frequent and diverse, and always emphasize discussion. “The main goal of MASSIVE is to get people talking,” said Forkish, an Oregon native, who is a professional music major with a songwriting emphasis.

MASSIVE’s first event, Break the Silence was a benefit concert held on February 5 at a small chapel owned by Residence Life on Commonwealth Ave. The show featured Berklee musicians Julia Easterlin and Katerina Polemis, who catered their respective sets to the theme of social equality and ending sexual violence. Proceeds benefited the Elizabeth Stone House, a women’s shelter in Jamaica Plain.

This past Valentine’s Day, a 17-woman cast, comprised of faculty, students, and staff performed Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, organized and presented by MASSIVE.

The Cast of 'Vagina Monologues'

The internationally famous monologues packed the chapel, but prior to the production, Forkish met some raised eyebrows. “I got a little bit of ‘Oh, is that just a guy-bashing thing? Are guys allowed to come? Is it just a bunch of chicks standing around, talking about their vaginas?”

According to Forkish, the monologues, which are based on true stories, is about empowering women and empowering women’s bodies. “It’s definitely not a man-bashing show,” she said.

The performance raised money for BARC, the Boston Area Rape Crisis area as well as V-Day, a non-profit that attempts to end sexual violence globally.

MASSIVE presented two film screenings with subsequent discussions at the Media Center: V-Day: Until the Violence Stops and Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity. The latter film dealt with sexist media portrayals, a relevant topic to female musicians.

“As women in music, it’s a male-dominated industry; and all you have to do is turn on MTV to see a certain kind of sexual violence going on,” said Forkish. “I’ve seen so many music videos where women are actually being abused as part of the visual narrative. The way women are expected to look and dress and act definitely relates to the violence that goes. I don’t think any of that is disconnected in any way.”

MASSIVE has brought together many different entities at Berklee to put on events: the Media Center, the Office for Cultural Diversity, Counseling & Advising Center, Liberal Arts Department. Berklee counselors have attended the events to provide support for attendees affected by the frank content, which has dealt with rape and sexual abuse. 

Support from various Berklee institutions has helped MASSIVE overcome inherent disadvantages in staging events, namely the overwhelming male to female ratio and absence of a campus Women’s Center. “I’m not implying that Berklee is a sexist community, necessarily, but just the fact that there are less women than men means that the community of students at Berklee is already less inclined toward putting on these kinds of events and having these kinds of discussions just by nature of the numbers.”

Forkish’s efforts all culminate in the rally tonight. The first Take Back the Night was held in 1976 in Belgium, and now thousands of colleges and universities around the U.S. and the globe hold a march every year. “The idea is to get a lot of Berklee folks out, men and women. We want to make sure that men know that this is not just women marching. The more men, the better. This is a solidarity march.”

Gina Mamone of Riot Grrl Ink, a New York-based LGBTQ artist label, will be the guest speaker after having conducted a workshop this past week on building affecting business models for artists and activists. Though tonight will be the first year that an organization of Berklee students participates, Forkish hopes it’s not the last.

She hopes that her efforts will be replicated annually, much like the Latin Music celebration, which is a month of concerts and events put on every year by Berklee.

The energetic Forkish has bridged the gap between music and activism in her life, and hopes others do the same.

“Historically, musicians have been those who reflect on what’s going on in contemporary times, and represent cultural changes and revolution even. I believe that musicians have the responsibility to be socially aware and pay attention to the world around us.”

Take Back the Night rally will be tonight, Friday, March 26. MASSIVE will be meeting at the corner of Hereford and Commonwealth Ave at 7pm.

9:00AM Morning Refreshments and Check-in Lobby of 921 Boylston

Morning Presentations in DFRH

9:30AM Welcome, Regina Campbell, PT

9:40AM Performance and Practice Techniques, a Survey of 387 Berklee Student Instrumentalists and Vocalists, Neil Olmstead, MM

This is a report on the first survey of its kind at Berklee on instrument-related injury of our students. Conducted in spring of last year, 303 (78%) of the respondents reported pain while they practice. This has been a wake-up call for faculty.

10:00AM The Sport of Arts Medicine, Clay Miller, MD, MFA • Music medicine will be reviewed including common injuries, dystonia, and how principles of Sports/ Musculoskeletal medicine are used for treatment. This talk will include a discussion of how the American Academy of Sports Medicine sees music medicine as an extension of sports medicine.

10:45AM Training our Bodies for Musical Performance, Regina Campbell, PT • This session will explore the sports medicine model of training for the musician as an athlete. The four major aspects of fitness training—cardiovascular, flexibility, strength, and body awareness—will be reviewed. Specificity in how to train for musical performance will be addressed. Practice strategies and posture for peak performance will also be discussed.

11:15AM Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for the Performing Musician, Aline Benoit, BM, MA and Patricia Normand, MD, ABIHM • Based on the program developed at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society at the U. Mass. Medical Center, this presentation explores how MBSR develops mind/ body skills integral to performance. Topics will include:

Development of concentration and mental focus • Reduction of stress and anxiety • Increased body awareness and injury prevention • Cultivation of wellness through the individual’s ability for self care • Research findings in MBSR

12:15-1:15PM LUNCH  – Student Activities Center Lounge (b.good)

Afternoon Presentations in DFRH

1:00PM Strategies for the Prevention of Music-induced Hearing Disorders from Ensemble-based Instructional Activities, Kris Chesky, PhD  • Ensemble-based instructional activities offered in collegiate level schools of music are analogous to school sports in that the instructor/director determines and leads the type and pace of educational activities. However, unlike professionals trained in physical education, professionals directing ensemble-based instructional activities are often unaware of various health risks associated with learning music in an ensemble-based setting.

This session will describe recent educational and technical advances designed to empower individual instructors, students, and educational institutions to prevent music-induced hearing disorders This approach is being recognized by the NIOSH/NHCA Alliance through the 2010 Safe in Sound award for innovation in hearing conservation.

2:00PM Singing Strong: Training our Voices for the Rigors of Performance, Mary McDonald Klimek, MM, MS-CCC/SLP • Buzzwords in athletic training — power, strength, flexibility, range of motion, and agility — also apply to the singing voice. So do the terms “repetitive stress” and “strain”. How can singers train to develop and expand the dynamic capacity of the singing voice without injury? Learn general training guidelines as well as some specific “skills and drills” from this voice therapist who specializes in the rehabilitation of elite vocal athletes (established and aspiring professional singers).

Afternoon Breakout Sessions – 3:15PM-4:15PM in 921 and 939 Boylston Rooms

Vocal Techniques for Healthy Singing in Contemporary Styles, Jeannie Gagné, Assisted by PAMA member Mary McDonald Klimek, MM, MS-CCC/SLP • This workshop will present a holistic approach to singing including breathing techniques, healthy belting, visualization, mix placement, stress-free practice and performing strategies, and keeping up endurance for often demanding contemporary styles.  We will look at the whole body as the instrument, emphasizing a wellness and athletic approach to performing.

Piano Technique: Common Technical Problems and Their Solutions, Doug Johnson, Assisted by PAMA member Neil Olmstead, MM • In this workshop we will present many common technical issues that piano students deal with at Berklee College.  We will discuss solutions to these problems that I have found to be effective in my own studio.  Anatomy and Physiology, Body Mapping, Alexander Technique and the mechanics of the piano will be discussed.   We will explore how basic musical elements such as rhythm and phrasing have a direct analog in physical movement. There will be demonstrations at the piano and we will view video recordings of musicians playing a variety of styles

Guitar Injuries and the Faculty Learning Community on Instrumental/vocal Technique, Dave Tronzo, Jennifer Elowsky-Fox, Darcel Wilson, Assisted by PAMA member, Regina Campbell, PT • Dave Tronzo guitarist will discuss typical guitar injuries prevalent in college students. He will outline ideas for developing proper practice habits, strategies for injury prevention, post injury treatment and benefits of chi gong and yoga for injury prevention. Participants will have an opportunity to share their own experiences with holistic practices and effects on their instruments.

Three Berklee faculty will give a brief review of the topics discussed in the Faculty Learning Community of 2007-2009, entitled, “Healthy Instrumental Technique and Practice Habits”. Discussion will center on the benefits of alternate disciplines, such as yoga, tai chi, Feldenkrais, body-mapping and others, and their direct impact on instrumental/vocal technique and performance.

Woodwind Injuries, an Open Discussion, Wendy Rolfe, Assisted by PAMA member Vanessa Breault Mulvey, MM • Woodwind teachers, students, performers, and performance health care professionals are invited to share experiences. We will engage in a discussion of the gamut of approaches to preventing, understanding, diagnosing, developing attention to and mitigating performance injuries. Common woodwind injuries or health concerns like TMJ, challenges posed by wind instrument positions, potentially damaging practices developed in school band programs, hearing loss, will be discussed. Share your constructive approaches to developing “healthy practices”: Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Body Mapping – bring your thoughts, concerns, and “solutions”!

Strings: Playing Pain Free, Mimi Rabson, Assisted by PAMA member Peter Stein, DC • Mimi will discuss strategies to help violinists and violists play pain free for years to come. Among other numerous topics she will discuss physical posture, warm ups, stretches, and hand positions.

Injuries of Brass Players, Kris Chesky, PhD and Tom Plsek • Many embouchure and upper-body musculoskeletal problems among brass players can be traced to the biomechanical forces generated between the mouthpiece and lips.  Based on extensive research of mouthpieces forces using sophisticated computer-based sensor technologies, characteristics of mouth piece forces will be explored along with practical ideas to mediate the negative effects of high mouthpiece forces.

Percussion - Physical Training and Ergonomic Considerations for Pain-free Playing, Ricardo Monzon, Sara Collamore DPT, PAMA member, Clay Miller MD, PAMA member • In this session, types and causes of percussion injuries will be discussed. An open discussion about ergonomics, drum sticks, and stools will be facilitated. Attendees will be guided through Pilates based core strengthening exercises and stretches which will promote optimal posture and endurance for drumming.

Become a Better Musician Through Yoga, Mia Olson, Assisted by PAMA member Jean Rife • By integrating yoga into your practice routines, you will develop a more focused and concentrated mind for performance. You will be able to increase awareness of how you use your body to allow for proper posture and ease of movement while performing, helping you to avoid overuse injuries and play with greater expression. These concepts, exercises, and practice routines are taken from Mia’s new book, Musician’s Yoga: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Inspiration. Yoga is presented from the musicians’ perspective, focusing on the direct relationships between using yoga and creating music. 

You will learn to:

Practice meditation approaches, breathing techniques, and yoga postures that will help improve musicianship • Play using healthy posture and technique • Get more out of your practice through improved focus • Use your breath to improve your phrasing and also to ease performance anxiety • Play with deeper expression through inspiration

Alexander Technique for Instrumentalists and Vocalists, Betsy Polatin, Assisted by PAMA member Aline Benoit, BM, MA • Musical performance demands a high level of energy, coordination, and balance. But many musicians perform with excess effort and tension, and unwanted habits. These habits hinder breathing, musicality, and the intuitive sense of rhythm and timing and can exacerbate performance anxiety. The Alexander Technique teaches musicians to prevent injury, recover from overuse, decrease excess tension, and improve performance. Then one performs with a fluidity that allows body and mind to move freely and interpret the music. With a deep sense of unity and connection and freer muscles, the musician is able to play/sing with an economy of movement, which allows the music to unfold with ease and specificity, creating a truly satisfying performance. I will explain the technique with hands on demonstrations.  Bring your instruments.

Exploring the Mind-Body Connection for Musicians through the Feldenkrais Method, Olivia Cheever • The Feldenkrais Method is a somatic educational system designed by Moshé Feldenkrais (1904-1984). The Feldenkrais Method is designed to improve movement repertoire, aiming to expand and refine the use of the self through awareness, in order to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and promote general well-being. It is a form of somatic/movement education that integrates body, mind, and psyche. Students are guided into non-habitual movement sequences by the touch and or voice.

4:15-4:30PM Wrap Up and Evaluations – in DFRH

PAMA thanks Jane Stachowiak and the Student Wellness and Health Promotion Center for co-sponsoring this conference and the donation of the use of the David Friend Recital Hall and other Berklee facilities.

The LiveWell Program

LiveWell at Berklee College of Music is dedicated to providing a collection of health, fitness and wellness programs focussed on the Berklee student’s unique needs as a professional musician.

The mission of the LiveWell Program is to enhance students’ fitness and wellness through knowledge, personal skills, and enjoyment. Offices and departments such as Counseling and Advising Center, Student Activities, Student Affairs, Performance Division, Liberal Arts, Music Therapy and others collaborate with LiveWell promoting positive lifestyle behaviors and choices, encouraging a holistic philosophy, and combining a pro-active and balanced approach to healthy living through classes, workshops, programs, events, and services. 

Among programs offered are subsidized fitness memberships, yoga sessions, dance classes, meditation, workshops on sleep, nutrition, movement, breath, injury prevention, and more.

For Faculty and Staff —It’s Free –To register email Jane livewell@berklee.edu – There is a limit of 30 staff and faculty

For Students — It’s Free to Attend – You Must Register by emailing livewell@berklee.edu–There is a limit of 70 students.

Jane Stachowiak

Director, Student Wellness & Health Promotion / LiveWell

Berklee College of Music

Boston, MA

Phone:  617-747-2411

Office:  939 Boylston St – Student Activities, Room 207

Press Release by Nick Riebel
Event Coordinator

Berklee’s biggest event EVER is now completely unwrapped! Presented by the Student Activities Center, Rock Of Fame will replace Rock the Dock in 2010, giving the annual Spring Formal an entirely new look, feel and concept. No longer will the Spring Formal be a formal at all, but rather an interactive concert/dance experience consisting of five star entertainment, lighting and sound.

Rock of Fame is a concert/dance, consisting of a one-hour concert coupled with a unique and extravagant lighting and sound design specifically designed for Rock of Fame 2010. The hour concert will feature a combination of the past, then new and the future. Without giving away too much away, the concert is an arrangement of material that has never been performed at the college until know. With rehearsals already in previews for the event, reviewers have noted the concert as “epic”, “fierce” and “highly exciting!”  For the remainder of the the event, duo, Sonnymoon, comprised of Berklee students Dane Orr and Anna Wise will keep things moving supernaturally. After only being released on Christmas of last year, Golden Age, Sonnymoon’s debut record, has already received numerous accolades and praise from the industry’s top leading blogs.

In addition, Rock of Fame will give students the freedom to dress as they choose. Also, an enormous amount of catering will be provided with a full bar!

Rock Of Fame will take place on April 9, 2010 from 6PM-9PM at The Estate. Tickets are on sale now  at the Student Activities Center, which is located on the 3rd floor of 921. Tickets for the event are selling very quickly, therefore, be sure to buy your tickets before April 9! Berklee students and guests are invited.

Featured Performaces by:
Orlando Dixon
Mario Evon
Mario Jose
David Huddleston
Luis Figueroa-Roig
Karen Rodriguez
Samantha Schultz
Tierney Chamberlain
Courtney Knott

The duo of Sonnymoon will be keep the crowd alive, featuring collaborations with:
Tubby Love
Natalie Smith
KR
Mariletta
Kamal Ghammache-Mansour
& more!

Other Performers:
Katrina Bello
Mayreni Morel
Rika Ikeda
Maria Kowalski
Jazz Robertson
T.S. Desandies
Alex Csillag
David Wyatt
Courtney Williams
Kenneth Devon
Jon Golko
Sasha Naomi Taylor
Cynthia Pimentel
Tina Armstead
Matt Hines
Jemila Dunham
Jonathan Ong
Ryan Saranich
& more!

Event Coordinated by: Nick Riebel
Music Directed by: Hannah Juliano

Friend ROCK OF FAME on Facebook!
Profile name: Rock Fame
Event page: Rock of Fame 2010

To see all the behind-the-scenes photos, and get all the details about the event, visit:
www.myspace.com/rockoffame2010

To get the latest scoop about Rock Of Fame 2010, follow the event on Twitter!
www.twitter.com/rockoffame

Get a behind the scenes look at Rock Of Fame 2010 at:
www.youtube.com/rockoffame2010

Rock Of Fame 2010 will be presented by The Student Activities Center, with major aspects of the event facilitated by the student-employees of  the SAC.

Press Release Courtesy of Becca Perkins

This Thursday, Berklee is proud to host Gina Mamone, president and CEO of the largest queer record label in the world, Riot Grrrl Ink. Gina will be talking about the challenges and rewards of combining activism and music. Focusing on her label’s alternative business model she will outline what made her company successful financially as well as in its mission to support and produce Queer revolutionary art. Gina will discuss the realities of being a multi-media label along with Riot Grrrl Ink’s investment in several non-profit organizations. She will also discuss the journey that led her to found Riot Grrrl Ink and the current atmosphere for queer musicians in the industry. This panel is the culmination of the LGBT leadership fund project from 2009 award winner Becca Perkins who interned for Riot Grrrl Ink during the summer of 2009.

Riot Grrrl Ink (RGI)

The Riot Grrrl Ink roster is home to over 100 artists including Amy Ray, The Indigo Girls, Bitch, Alix Olson, Pamela Means, Athens Boys Choir, Stacey Ann Chin, the Sister Spit Rambling Road Show, God-des & She, Michelle Tea, The Guerrilla Girls and Nervous but Excited just to name a few. Their roster is also home to the Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women, With Literacy & Justice for All and HIPS: Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive. RGI runs on a radical capitalism business model where 100% of their profits go directly to their artists or back into the community through direct action. They are the only record label in the world that signs nonprofits and social justice organizations just like artists. RGI helps make queer art specifically at the intersection of politics and social change.

Gina Mamone

Gina Mamone has topped the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce’s Roll Call of who’s who in contemporary activism today, and has made Ms. Magazine’s “Real Hot 100 List of Important Women Activists” for two years running. Gina has produced music that has been featured on Showtime’s The L Word and Multiple Programming on MTV’s Logo Television Network. Her art and activism has been featured in Curve, Bust and Cherrie Magazine.

The event is Thursday, March 25, 7pm. 921 Boylston St, room 311

By Melissa Stoner
Peer Advisor

If you’re looking for a way to make a difference around Berklee, think about becoming a Peer Advisor. Do you remember the experience of first coming here? Excitement, chaos, anxiety, inspiration, fun, homesickness, whip-lash from all that running around… the list goes on! You most likely encountered issues you had no idea how to handle. The First-Year Student Advising Program (FYSAP) was created to help students transition to life at Berklee and in Boston by grouping entering students with both a Peer Advisor and a faculty/staff advisor. Beginning on a new path is one of the most amazing and important times in a person’s life, and the FYSAP team wants to make sure that the transition to Berklee is not only smooth but a positive experience as well. As a Peer Advisor, you can make a difference by aiding in that transition through guidance, shared experiences, and a lot of good times.

The FYSAP program, created in the spring of 2007, has made a measurable positive impact on entering students’ experiences. In a recent survey, 94% of entering students expressed some degree of anxiety before coming to Berklee, and 91% reported that they found their Peer Advisor helpful. The FYSAP program has been recognized by the President of the college, staff, faculty and fellow students as a positive and meaningful program.

So, what is Peer Advising really like? It’s fun, inspiring, educational, challenging, energizing, mind-opening, gratifying, and simply awesome! As a Peer Advisor, you will have the chance to provide guidance and support to a group of entering students. This position involves intensive leadership training, adding a new level to advisors’ resumes. Candidates must have a minimum of 2.8 GPA and be in good academic standing with at least two semesters completed at Berklee. Strong organizational and social skills are also required, and all ages are encouraged to apply. Peer Advisors work directly with the FYSAP office and are engaged in various activities throughout the semester. Meetings with advisees during the semester can range from coffee breaks to trips around town and everything in between. Applicants will be selected through an application and interview process. If selected, advisors will be required to attend a training session on April 24, 2010.

If you’re interested in becoming a Peer Advisor, look for our application online. The deadline to apply is March 22, 2010. Have questions? Stop by our FYSAP info sessions on Thursday, March 4 from 12:00-3pm in the Steve Heck Room. The FYSAP team will also be available from 12-2pm, Monday March 1 through Friday, March 5 in the Cafeteria. We look forward to seeing you there!

You are cordially invited to The Groove’s Official Launch Party!

It will be taking place this Monday, March 1st from 6-8PM in the Student Activities Center, 3rd floor of the Uchida Building @ 921 Boylston Street in Boston. We will have some fantastic catering, live music, a fun crowd, and a tutorial of the benefits of how to get the most out of the Berklee Groove online! Come see how it all works and have a look at our first print issue of the year, on stands now! Invite your friends and come join us in celebrating the Berklee student voice and what it’s all about!

You can RSVP your attendance to thegroove@berklee.edu. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you there!

Warm Regards,

The Groove Staff

ATTENTION SENIOR CLASS 2010

Interested in being in the Senior Video?

Here is your last chance!

Stop by any time for 10 minutes for an interview at these locations

Monday March 1 between 6-9pm @ 939 Red Room

Sunday March 7 between 10-2pm @ 1140 – 1A

We want to know what these past 4 years at Berklee meant to you & how your Berklee connections will help you in your musical career.

You can interview alone, with friends, in your native language (only if you can translate it) and also bring anything you would like to see in this video: pictures, videos, music etc.

Contact Nikki Hansen nhansen@berklee.edu for more information.