It’s so weird to go from running around 24/7 for four months to being home in Connecticut and finally taking a break – a real break. To be honest, I had almost forgotten what relaxing feels like. As much as I enjoy being productive, I know that I can very easily overwork myself if I don’t throw some occasional lazy days into my life.

This semester in particular was the busiest I’ve ever had, but also the most exciting and rewarding. Besides being a member of six clubs at Berklee and attending every clinic, seminar, and concert that I could fit into my schedule (not to mention squeezing in a social life on the weekends), I also had to take on three people’s jobs at The Groove since most of the staff graduated in May. Up until a couple of weeks ago, the entire Groove staff consisted of Elisa Lomazzo and me. While juggling everything else in my life, I was maxing out on my Student Employment hours writing articles every week, planning promotional events, launching contests and giveaways, and doing everything I could to raise the reputation and awareness of our school publication. Over the course of the semester, we’ve transformed The Groove into much more than just an online school newspaper. In addition to reporting on campus and alumni news, we’ve also been striving to report on local, national, and international news that we think our readers find interesting and relevant. We’ve also managed to score some incredible interviews with legendary artists and bands such as Dream Theater, The Spin Doctors, and Tommy Lee (of Motley Crue), as well as Dashboard Confessional, Jack’s Mannequin, Will Dailey, and the Top 3 contestants of NBC’s “The Voice,” Season One.

It’s been extremely exciting for me to see The Groove’s momentum pick up so much over the last semester, and it’s even more exciting to know that this is only the beginning. In October, Roland Bough, the Editor of The Groove back in 1999, was telling me about all of the politics they had to deal with back then to get the administration to take them seriously. In his words, they finally succeeded in turning The Groove from “a once-a-semester rag to a weekly publication.” He was amazed at how far we’ve come since then.

I’m also happy to announce that we’ve officially hired a full staff! It was a grueling process that took much longer than expected (like, months longer) because we had so many qualified applicants, but we’ve finally got our solid five. Our team now consists of Elisa Lomazzo (Staff Writer), Julian Weisser (Staff Writer), Alyssa McCord (Promotional Director), Carmine Mattia (Assistant Promotional Director/Staff Writer), and myself (Editor-in-Chief/Webmaster). I’m so thrilled and honored to be working with such a talented and motivated group of people. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far, but I can guarantee you that you’re going to see some incredible things come out of The Groove in 2012.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year! No matter where you are or whom you’re with for the holidays, please make sure you savor every moment of it. The same thing goes for your time at Berklee. Don’t take any of it for granted, because it really does fly by. The worst feeling in the world is looking back and feeling like you didn’t fully take advantage of every opportunity while you still had the chance. There will be no other time in your life like your college years, so work as hard as you can, but laugh harder and don’t take yourself too seriously. Enjoy your life, family, and friends. Hell, enjoy your enemies. When your career is music and music is your passion, you can’t help but be ridiculously happy every single day. I know I am.

So, with that, have a great winter break, and I can’t WAIT to see everyone again in the spring semester!

-Lisa

Dearest Readers,

The winter break is over. While our tiny staff of two decided to take a vacation, the world kept spinning. Tons of snow coated the nation. Political Figures were shot. A new astrological sign was introduced, Russian airports were attacked, and smokers were casted 25 feet away from our school walls like lepers. While this was going on, I was in sunny Florida. The only state out of fifty states (including Hawaii) to not have snow. Nothing says ‘welcome back to school’ like a few good old-fashioned winter storms. Tuesday’s first day of school was a scene right out of the Three Stooges, with many kids slipping and sliding between Hynes T Station and 921 Boylston. But we all happily made it to our classes, nose runny, clothes drenched in melting ice. This semester is going to be rough, but if we all work together, I think we can make some beautiful music. With that being said, Your friendly neighborhood Groove is back in business, and we will stop at nothing to bring you news of the best, the brightest, and the absurd. Welcome back, Berklee! We missed you.

Love,

The Editors


How Berklee got its Groove Back

Written By: Jehad Choate

This is the last day of the fall semester, and we survived! We can finally spend our time productively writing songs about love affairs and political extravaganzas and not sing about the tedium of studying coupled with the stress of getting work done. You should feel very proud of yourselves, Berklee. I know I am. With that excruciating load off all of our backs, I think it’s time we all take a vacation. Some of us are going to go back home for the holidays, others will be braving the cold Boston Weather for the month we have off. The point is, we at the Groove, want to fondly wish all of you a happy time no matter where you are, because you deserve it! I know we do.

Be prepared for a brand spanking’ new attitude from your friendly neighborhood Groove writers, starting January. We are in a transitional period. Actually, we have been in one since we started writing in ones and zeros and not our traditional print. With a strong supportive team, we kept this center of information a float for the last couple semesters, but now it’s time to bring us into the light. Expect a lot more from The Groove starting January, because social functions, propaganda, and thought provoking articles are not the only things we have planned. With a sad farewell to our Editor and other Staff Writer, Andrew and Naomi, who are no doubt running about doing bigger and better things, Me and Christine are dedicating our final semesters at Berklee, to not only keeping you informed of the world around you, but involved as well, because the Berklee Community starts here. So enjoy you’re break, my fellow musicians. We will. When spring semester christens the new year of musical hustling, we guarantee you the Groove will be there to celebrate you in all your achievements.

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Jehad and Christine

Co-chief Editors

Hello and thank you for visiting BerkleeGroove.com, the home of Berklee’s online newspaper and student voice, The Groove. My name is Andrew Slotnick and I am the new managing editor of this publication. Christine, Jehad, Raphael, Naomi and I could not be more excited to continue the commitment to quality that has characterized The Groove since its inception in 1997. We would like to thank Zac Taylor, Ann Driscoll, Paul Jefferson, and all the other former employees who have made this paper what it is today. Special thanks to Zac and Paul for fleeing the slow death of print journalism and moving to an online format; BerkleeGroove.com is an excellent site and we have plenty of room to grow.

We at The Groove promise to provide you the readers with content that is informational, entertaining, and relevant to the Berklee community. But our five-person team can’t do it alone; submissions from Berklee students, alumni, and employees are what keep this newspaper alive. So let us know about your band’s show this weekend, your friend’s new album, the coolest basement party in Allston, or what’s happening on-campus. Whether you have a finished piece to be published, a comment regarding today’s cafeteria lunch choices, or you just want to know why CampusCruiser is down again, send an email to thegroove@berklee.edu and it will be answered.

In this spirit of community involvement, I am proud to announce a new feature for the site: Facebook Connect. We are still working out a few bugs, but now you can leave comments on BerkleeGroove.com using your Facebook identity without having to create a new account. At the log in screen, simply click on the “Connect to Facebook” button and you will be prompted to give our application permission to log you in. This permission can be revoked at any time by visiting your Facebook application settings, and your password is never revealed. Additionally, any user without a Facebook page can still easily create an account on our website by providing a berklee.net email address. Facebook Connect is a useful service due to Facebook’s popularity among Berklee students, however all users should look carefully at how their information is being shared online and use caution when posting anything to the Internet using a real name.

Please check back often for updates to the site and let us know what you think. Keep your finger on the pulse of Summer 2010 with BerkleeGroove.com and get into The Groove!

Andrew C. Slotnick
Managing Editor

Papa's got a brand new Groove.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

You see these beautiful people in this picture? They’re your new snooty music journalists! Get to know them. From left to right, we have Naomi Gingold, Ann Driscoll, Andrew Slotnick, yours truly, Paul Jefferson, Jehad Choate, Christine Occhino, and Rafael Sanchez.

Paul, Annie, and I are off to other endeavors; namely, places like New York City and Los Angeles. But we’re leaving you in good hands. Andrew is taking over the reigns as managing editor, Rafael is our new web/graphics guru, and Naomi and Jehad are the new staff writers. And they would like to a) be your friend, b) know what’s cool about music from your point of view, and c) listen to your ideas about how to make the Groove as beneficial to us students as possible.

So that’s about it for me, boys and girls. I’ll probably submit a handful more articles, help the new folks get acclimated, and steal any free pizza that happens to find itself available around campus.

It has been an awful lot of fun writing about all of you, and you have all inspired me in countless ways. This is a fun place, yeah? I’m going to leave you with my graduation speech submission that didn’t quite get the go-ahead for Saturday (I’m sure Jack will do an awesome job); but it’s from the heart and I hope you enjoy it. Hit me up in the meantime if you need some help writing your bio or press release; I’d be happy to help.

Oh, I almost forgot–Come to my CD Release Show tonight (5/6) at Cafe 939!!

“Listen Hard”

You know that feeling music gives you? When the hair stands up on your arms. When those chills surge up and down your body. What is that thing?

When I was ten, I used to listen to Nirvana and Beatles CDs on a Discman (it’s what we listened to before iPods). I didn’t know what harmony meant, or how a groove was supposed to work, or even really notice that there were patterns called verses and choruses. All that mattered was that feeling those sounds gave me.  That thing.

If there’s one thing I have learned at Berklee, it’s that music does different things for different people. It fulfills different needs. Maybe you need a big fat beat to bob your head to. Maybe it’s a catchy pop-country tune. Maybe it’s that first note Jimi Hendrix plays in the solo from “Machine Gun.”

But here, depending on your major, it could be getting the reverb on the snare drum to sound just right. Or planning a twenty-five city tour for an artist that you manage. Or helping a patient recover with some soothing acoustic guitar. Or blogging about Lady Gaga’s dress, or lack thereof.

Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t matter what your thing is, why you have it, or how you came to have it. All that matters is THAT you have it. That it’s yours, and that it resonates with you. And Berklee didn’t give you that thing—you had it long before you got here. What’s cool about Berklee is that it can give you a blueprint of how to stir it up and bottle it.

A blueprint to help you find that special place where your muse hangs out. Where she takes her tea, and what kind of honey she puts in it. You learn how to listen to her, in her language. An Arab speaks Arabic; a Frenchman speaks French; I suppose your muse speaks music. Our hope is to one day be able to access this special place freely and readily; but remember—Luke Skywalker wasn’t always a master of the force, and Neo didn’t make his first jump in the Matrix.  But that didn’t stop them.

During my first semester here, guitar phenom Steve Vai said at a clinic: ‘Find out what you’re good at, and the rest is gravy.’ He was talking about that thing that gives you that feeling.

You don’t have to be famous or on TV to have that thing on overdrive. Most people here know that fame has more to do with money and body curves than anything remotely associated with a passion for music.

I bet you all have a friend that has looked at a famous musician and said, ‘I could play better than him.’ I know I have…But at t his stage in the game, we’re finding out that it’s not about who’s the best guitarist, best singer, best songwriter, or best sousaphone player. Technique can be perfected, but art cannot. The artists that can move you are the ones that A) have that thing spinning real hard for them, and B) also know how to show it to you. I’ve been moved as many times from a performance in a class, coffeehouse, or even subway platform than I have from watching whoever’s on TV.

You walk around these halls, and you see the jazz kids’ brains frolicking through the deepest jungles of harmony. You hear the gospel kids scatting the most ridiculous vocal runs. You see the synth kids chopping up sine waves into a galaxy of otherworldly sounds. You watch the singer-songwriters sending out text messages to get people out to Club Passim. Everyone is frantically pacing around this place in search of the keys to that code to his or her own special thing.

Now here we are in 2010. Ticket sales are way up. Record sales are way down. You have people becoming rock stars on game shows. You have video games with plastic guitars and drums. You have Ashlee Simpson. What does it all mean?

It may seem dire for those of us with a real passion for real music.

But we all have hope—more hope than can be measured. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here today. Sitting next to each other. Making plans for later today, next week, next year. Hey—let’s hang out and listen to that record.

Music is a communal experience.  And of course, us music nerds can sit around a jaw about the EQ of a bass amp, or the lyrical arc of a song, which is all fine and dandy. But real people (non-musicians) need that communal experience, too. You don’t have to know about music to love it, the same way you don’t have to be a cardiologist to know your heart makes you feel good things and bad things. But the cardiologist doesn’t regulate his treatment only to other doctors; he heals real people, the same way musicians have a healing power, and a duty to use it. And any Berklee professor will tell you: if you make music for musicians, you will STARVE.

The young artists who get ahead in today’s industry know about the power of community. You see the amateur MCs free-styling in a group. You see a jazz TRIO trading fours at Wally’s. You see the Monkey Rock Writer’s Circle at All Asia every Wednesday to hang out and play songs for each other.  We’re on the same team.

Some of us will be luckier than others. Some are better connected. Some will just plain work harder.  And the competition is as fierce as it’s ever been. But for the ones with real passion for real music, community will always triumph over competition.

Think of the people you’ve met in Harmony class. The kids you’ve sat next to at Crazy Dough’s. Your humble student newspaper. Of course they’re your friends, but it goes beyond the g-chatting, the Myspace top-friending and the Twitter following. They are your fellow soldiers in this insane industry. They are the ears that will hear your first rough cut. They are the hands that will help you lift that Marshall stack into the back of a Volvo. They are the honest critics who will see you on TV and tell you, ‘You know, the camera really does add about ten lbs.’ They are the ones who will be at your house in sixty years to tell your grandchildren about the time you were in a band together, and you had to lug your drums around on the subway in Manhattan.

Matthews Knowles, music biz heavyweight and father and manager of Beyonce, spoke at David Friend Recital Hall last year. At the end of his conference, he asked all of the singers in the room to stand up. Then the songwriters. Then the drummers. Then the producers. Then the videographers, and so on. Then he said: ‘everyone you need to succeed is right in this room.’

And so it is: everyone, and everything, you need is right here all around you. We’re all on the same team.

Good luck, listen hard, and don’t ever let that mysterious feeling music gives you fade away.

iSight? On the 1 Bus? Why not.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

I’m writing this from the back of the 1 Bus from Harvard Square to Hynes. People are looking at me funny. So what else is new…

The next couple weeks are typically the most fun of the year: turning in all the assignments you’ve missed, cramming for proficiencies (which is typically reserved for this upcoming Sunday), and for us graduates, figuring out what we’re going to do on Monday, May 10.

My time (or reign, if you will) as managing editor of your humble student newspaper is coming to an end; and I like to think I left it better than I found it. For instance—you see how you’re reading this on a screen and not on paper? Still a pretty new thing. And have you notice the new content uploaded everyday? Pretty nifty, right?

I have been interviewing for an entire new staff (with the exception of our Promo Director Christine), and I think you all will be very pleased with the new batch; unlike Saved by The Bell: The New Class. While it has been enriching and inspiring to write about my fellow musicians, it has often been a pickle to swap out my journalist hat for my musician hat and back again. I’m indeed looking forward to having my hands on a guitar and microphone more than a Macbook and mouse.

Speaking of which, I’m releasing my first record, Salesman, next Thursday May 6 at Café 939. My friends Nini + Ben and Kris Roche will be opening up the show, and all of our parents will be in town for graduation. So I guess it’s kind of my senior recital, too (Mainly because I forgot to book 1A in 1140 in time…).

We’ll chat once more before I sign off for good. In the meantime—get those melodic minor runs together, or the terrorists win.

P.S. John Mayer’s not really coming back to Berklee. Gotcha.

The other day, I got to the Central Square bus stop just in time to the CT-1 pull away.  It was sunny and warm for a November day in Boston, so I decided to walk to school. I passed by the Middle East and got a noseful of fresh hummus and pita bread. Then came the rack of dainty dress shirt and clay pots for sale at the Salvation Army. And of course, All Asia’s corner window full of posters of local bands, most of whom I know personally. As I neared MIT, another bus passed that I would have caught had I waited back at Central; but I knew where I was heading, and I got there just the same.

Maybe the Do-It-Yourself approach to being a musician is similar to strategizing how to get around Boston on the T. Maybe you don’t need a record label or major distributor if you find a way to do it all yourself. You’d save money, and you would get to relish the details of the journey—that is—if you have an idea of where you’re heading. And you get to experience whatever the music industry equivalent is of the walk across the Harvard Bridge over the Charles River, and see the rugby shirt-clad sailors fight the wind in their catamarans.

We’re at a time when the industry has such ebb and flow to it that you don’t know if catching a bus to where you’re going is a good idea. Maybe stepping on it means you’re a sell-out, and you’ve just surrendered all your control to the bus driver, who answers to the MBTA. But maybe trying to walk somewhere with your own two feet lugging your own bags will leave your body tired, and your spirit fatigued. There’s no way of knowing. But I guess if you have an idea of where you’re going—either way will suffice.

If you have any shows coming up or a new record you want to promote, please let us know. Then we can publish something like, for example, Zac Taylor and Johnny Nicholson are opening up for Nini & Ben’s CD Release show this Saturday at the Lily Pad. You see? It’s easy!

Have a great week.

Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

Greetings from the Bolt Bus. As if I didn’t spend enough time on the Internet, they have wifi on the bus now. I played at the Bitter End last night in Manhattan, and before my slot, some youngsters played a set. The first was this mini Tori Amos-esque pixie named Jen, who had just turned 16, and after her was a supposed 15-year-old Jason Mraz-in-training who didn’t look a day over 12. At any rate—they were both exceptional. Nice chord changes, emotive voices, interesting lyrics, and solid time—and they haven’t even been to a prom yet. Could you imagine if you had all your songwriting credentials under your belt during those pimpled and awkward years of your life? You’d have a whole John Hughes soundtrack on your hands!

A poster in the john. Why not.

I love New York City. I would love to live there—but I’m speculating as to whether or not it would be a good move right out of the gate. On one hand—opportunity abounds and the pizza rules, but on the other—it’s full of thousands of mediocre bands that think they’re the next Kings of Leon (and have the denim, hair, and swagger to prove it). Also—rent is not terribly musician-friendly, which makes me lean towards somewhere like Nashville. Do you want to move somewhere you can live, and then focus on your career—or do you want to go somewhere to focus on your career, and just figure out a way to scrape by when you get there? Heads, Nashville. Tails, New York…

Thoughts like these make midterms seem trivial in a way—but then again, this is what we signed up for. Figuring out how to study for that exam in between rehearsals and gigs will soon become figuring out how to pay rent after you just splurged on those new speakers. But let’s face it: you needed those speakers, and the landlord’s a pushover anyway

Good luck, study hard, and bundle up.

Zac Taylor
Managing Editor