Ariel Ramos, Berklee graduate and Software Writer for mDecks Music, is the mind behind the creative development of the Mapping Tonal Harmony app and workbook series. Just browsing through mDeck Music’s webpage, you’ll find an impressive list of products and their compatible devices. The mDecks series boasts a wide range of products including: technique workbooks, jazz piano voicings books, rhythmic training apps, and practice tutorials. In this review, we’ll be focusing on just one of the products listed above. Even though we cover a broad overview of what the app is generally capable of, we barely scratch the surface of the unexposed iceberg of functionality this app provides.

The website states that, “The main objective of these books is to provide students, teachers, composers and songwriters with a tool that will aid them in hearing, analyzing, foreseeing, and composing harmonic progressions without struggle, in all keys alike.” We found, however, that this app far surpasses those aforementioned general descriptions. The Mapping Tonal Harmony (Pro 5 version) app is essentially all about developing your ear to guide your creative inspiration and understanding of chords. It visually displays otherwise complex and confusing relationships between chords in a digestible manner, granted you do breach the initial learning curve. Once you figure out the layout and can easily maneuver the layered menu systems, this app is actually a breeze to use. Upon initial impressions, this app admittedly seems daunting and more effort than it’s worth; however, I implore anyone who has an eagerness for grasping new material to give it a chance to expand their mind.

What we like about the app is that it can dually function as a supplement to harmonic ear training, allowing you to develop a familiarity to hearing the relationships between chords and their harmonic functions within certain contexts. It features so many programmable algorithms that enable you to learn voicing variations, quickly transpose keys, adapt voice leading, and even load preset progressions with their analysis and cadences already included.

The coolest feature of this versatile app is its ability to decode and analyze relationships between chord progressions real-time in actual songs. You can load a song and watch the app seamlessly give accurate visual representations of root motions, cadences, modulations, and so much more. If that sounds interesting to you, we definitely recommend checking out mdecks.com/mapharmony.html, where you’ll be sure to find dozens of YouTube tutorial videos and practice examples for using the app effectively.

Whether you’re seeking additional auxiliary material for studying, or you’re looking for a stronger handle on chord progressions for writing music, Mapping Tonal Harmony will certainly assist you in those pursuits. Best of all, if you’re really seeking that perfectionist’s A⁺ or you’re just extremely proactive in learning a new skill, there is an optional collection of tonal harmony workbooks available for purchase here. This app wins our strongest recommendation for an app so far.

Related Posts:

• Favorite Music Apps, #2

By Lisa Occhino

If you’ve read any of our past alumni profiles, you know that many of them tend to feature successful performers. But when The Groove was invited to attend the Blue Man Group College Media Night, we were shocked to find out just how many Blue Men – both musicians and employees – were Berklee alumni. We were fortunate enough to score an interview with Jonathan Screnci, Blue Man Group’s general manager (and former drummer/band captain), in between his insanely busy schedule. Below, Jonathan tells us about the journey that led him to where he is today, what it takes to be hired in the entertainment industry, and gives us an inside look at what his day-to-day as a manager of a bunch of blue people is like (which, as it turns out, is anything but routine).

Berklee Groove: How did your time at Berklee impact the direction your career path took?
Jonathan Screnci: I did my undergraduate work at a state university in their music business program and enjoyed it, but at that point in my career, I really wanted to expand my capabilities as a performer – specifically jazz…. Berklee to me, at that point in time, was the obvious place I needed to be. I attended for a couple of semesters and really enjoyed my time there. I ended up leaving prematurely before completing my program, drawn away by an opportunity to pursue life as a recording/touring musician in a rock band. Sometimes you evaluate the opportunities presented to you and make the best decisions you can at the time. I am glad that I pursued an opportunity and simultaneously regretful of not being able to spend more time becoming a jazz musician. Life’s all about choices.

BG: How did you get involved with the Blue Man Group?
JS: I was playing drums with a band at a local club and one of the members of the Blue Man Group band was in the audience. After the show, he came up to me and mentioned that Blue Man Group was holding auditions the next day and that I should come down and give it a go…. I think it was part random opportunity, part reputation and part people/musical associations that got me to the audition. Having not seen the show, I went into the audition cold because it was such short notice. Some pretty challenging and unorthodox drum parts were presented to me, which I gamely tried to replicate. That evening, I saw the show and was completely blown away by the entire experience – particularly, the drumming…. At that point, I realized I had to be a part of it! I played drums in the show for several years, was band captain for a while, moved into the role of Company Manager, and then General Manager. I became very interested in understanding the operations and found the people and the whole company and culture really fascinating and fun. My background in music and business was a good match for the challenge…. After 800 or so shows performing as a drummer… I feel it was a real asset [to carry] forward that experience and perspective as a performer into a wider role.

“I am inspired every day by the passion, creativity, discipline, and commitment of my colleagues.”

BG: What is a typical workday like for you as General Manager?
JS: The best thing about my typical workday is the sheer variety. There is, of course, the primary responsibility of ensuring that each show goes up as scheduled and that the performance and the overall quality of the experience for the audience is the absolute best it can be. But as the GM, I oversee and collaborate with an amazing team of artists, technicians, business people, and customer service representatives. This team does an incredible amount of work ensuring that each performance is a blissful experience – artistically, experientially, and financially. This includes rehearsals, maintenance work , finance and accounting , sales and marketing initiatives, community relations, and PR. My job is to be a facilitator in each of these areas and ensure that individuals and teams have the appropriate amount of support to achieve their objectives and help ensure that their efforts are aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. This could involve participating in a 2 PM meeting with the local direction team to discuss the creative for an outside appearance, followed by a 3 PM marketing team meeting to develop our annual plan, followed by a 4 PM production meeting with our stage managers and crew supervisors to review tech notes and project planning. Variety is the spice of my day, but that variety is also grounded in the daily rhythm of putting up a show successfully each evening. [It’s] the constant, underlying ostinato, as it were!

Berklee Groove Editor-in-Chief, Lisa Occhino (left) and Promotional Director, Alyssa McCord (right) at Blue Man Group College Media Night.

BG: What do you find to be the most rewarding about your job?
JS: The people. I am inspired every day by the passion, creativity, discipline, and commitment of my colleagues. It’s very rewarding being involved in helping shape an environment; sometimes leading, sometimes gently guiding (and sometimes getting out of the way, honestly!), that encourages passionate engagement, allows creativity and inspiration to flourish, enables great ideas, and implements them successfully. Watching that output and energy connect with an audience who is moved by the experience is the final payoff – and knowing that we have done it well enough after 500 shows to do it all again next year!

BG: Any fun facts you can tell us about the Blue Man Group that people would not expect?
JS: As successful as the show is, there remains a powerful artistic impulse to create and evolve and connect with audiences in fresh ways. Blue Men actually speak in real life and have hair (most of them anyway). And the band members, although they appear as such, are not really shaman like apparitions that hover over the stage. Lastly, a willingness, if not an insatiable passion to dance is required to get the into the band.

BG: The Blue Man Group has obviously proved to be extremely successful. What do you think it is about the show that keeps people coming back for more?
JS: That’s a great question. Amidst the eclecticism of the show’s elements and throughout its many iterations, there is a through line that’s grounded in the Blue Man character, and that’s connectivity – realized through play, curiosity, discovery, and humor, which are some of the great joys of being human! The show, for kids, is an embracing of these qualities that are very prescient for them, and for some adults, maybe a reawakening or reminder, and always an invitation to engage those sensibilities with the performers and fellow audience members. The fact that this very human exchange or connectivity takes place makes each show experienced feel unique, fresh, and special in its own way.

“If you have an unshakeable desire to be involved in music or the arts, pursue it with passion and purpose.”

BG: The live music is such an integral aspect of the performance, and the band is always incredible. What does it take to earn a spot in the band?
JS: I think what distinguishes musicians who excel in this show is an openness to embrace the Blue Man Group musical approach, coupled with prowess as true ensemble players. The instruments are unorthodox, the way they are played is unorthodox; it’s a highly stylized, idiosyncratic music. The music is not written down, but there are specific parts. You’ll need to learn it through demonstration and listening. Improvisation is part of it, but developing a vocabulary of appropriate choices, or more a mindset or musical vernacular that enables you to make choices that fit within the style, is necessary. These improvisational choices will often be precipitated by the action that is taking place on stage and in the audience, which can vary performance to performance. You will be required to play instruments… in unique ways. You’ll need to sometimes suspend your sense of what role your instrument plays in the musical hierarchy, and embrace moments of stretching beyond what you might normally be called on to play. Technical ability is important to a certain degree, but more important is overall musicianship and a passion for embracing all of the above and owning it!

BG: Any advice for our readers who are looking to break into the music/entertainment industry?
JS: I am not sure if this is entertainment-specific, but building a career in the arts is challenging. There are often no obvious ladders to climb or linear ways to pursue your aim. I am not big on giving advice, but happy to share some inspiration and a personal insight or two. There’s a great quote from Joseph Campbell: “Follow your bliss.” If you have an unshakeable desire to be involved in music or the arts, and that’s what you love doing, pursue it with passion and purpose. The path you start down might not always be the one you end up on or intended, but that’s all part of the journey. The more keenly in touch you are with what motivates you and makes your work NOT feel like work, but something essential or part of your life’s purpose, (and that may change and evolve over the course of your career), you will be fortified with the ability to evaluate each opportunity and choice through that lens, and be more likely to place yourself in situations where you are best positioned to succeed and find rewarding.

BG: Where can people find out more about the Blue Man Group?
JS: Come see the show at the Charles Playhouse – no better way than experiencing it. You can also visit blueman.com.

Related Posts:

• Alum Profile: Rebecca Loebe ‘04
• [INTERVIEW] Karmin Wins Rolling Stone’s Women Who Rock Contest
• Boston Calling: Boston’s First Major Music Festival (Q&A With Co-Founder Brian Appel)
• Alum Profile: Wayne Krantz ‘79
• Q&A with Family of the Year

Photo credit: Sooz Photography

By Caleb Hsu

The future looks bright for Boston rock quartet The Lights Out, comprised of Berklee graduate Rishava Green, Matt King, Jesse James, and Adam Ritchie. Since 2005, the band has showcased at music conferences from CMJ Music Marathon to MidPoint, released three albums and three EPs, placed songs on MTV, and filled the Carrier Dome. We love when Berklee alumni share their post-college experiences with us and offer advice to current students, so we’re excited to share our Q&A with Rishava Green, who gives us a real-world overview of how his musical career has adapted from Berklee.

—

Berklee Groove: Could you give us advice for students looking to start their careers/establish their bands?
Rishava Green: Throw yourself into it as hard as you dare, then push yourself a little further the next time. Go out to shows and just have a good time. The best parts in music feel like they are discovered rather than composed, so listen and find parts instead of working to write them. Thinking isn’t everything; if you’re working with good people, you’re bound to butt heads once in a while. When you do, fight fair but insist on your way if you feel that passionately about it. Keep learning how to do your own thing better — it never stops.

BG: What’s changing in the music business from your perspective and how does it affect your work?
RG: I think platforms are always secondary to content. That being said, Facebook, Twitter, and Bandcamp certainly make it a lot easier to reach many people quickly. It is important to have a presence through these platforms, but of course everyone else is shouting in the same space, so it’s still up to you to be as sticky as possible in every communication in order to separate yourself from the pack.

BG: The Lights Out has been quite active with music conferences, releasing multiple albums, TV work, sessions, etc. Do you feel that any one of these take precedence over others in terms of what’s most beneficial for the band?
RG: They all kind of feed off one another so if, for example, you’re active on the festival circuit, it makes it easier to book shows in town and raises your profile beyond your own city as well. At a certain point, if you can raise your profile high enough, you might also start seeing placements in ads and such because of your name. Even before you get to that point, you can still place your music if you understand where it can fit well. It can be weird listening to a year of your hard work pouring your heart into a record having it reduced to 15 seconds of reality TV underscores, while they do the big reveal whether he was cheating on her or not. However, six months after, a check comes in equal to what you might have made in seven or eight live shows, and you get over it. That capital furthers the dream and affords you studio time to do it again, you know.

BG: What’s the best part of performing a live show?
RG: Losing myself in the moment. There is a point usually right around the middle of the second or third song of the set when I can feel the band sinking into the zone, and then it’s on! Sometimes I’ll see someone singing along and that is always gratifying, knowing we got something across. I still enjoy the element of surprise when we’re in a new place – that moment when the bartender kind of just wanders over to the end of his station, absentmindedly drying a glass while his face slowly lights up and he starts slowly nodding his head to our music. Those guys have seen everything. If you can manage to impress the sound guy or the bouncer or the server, congratulate yourself on having arrived at professional level!

BG: Could you talk about connecting with your fanbase – what’s most important in maintaining a relationship with your devoted fans?
RG: There is still no substitute for a band email list that you touch base with your fans every two or three weeks, or when you have something decent to share. Either they know you and love you and signed the list, or they saw you and loved you enough to sign the list. In both cases, it is a higher level of commitment than clicking “like” before moving onto the next item in your newsfeed. Also, if reality TV has taught us nothing else, by now we should all know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we all want to live vicariously through one another. Let your fans into your world and build your own mythology. Take a picture of yourself in shades floating in the pool on the inflatable zebra with your spare backup guitar and post it while you’re on tour. Most people do not have these experiences, and they want you to have them and share them. Who doesn’t love a good story? We maintain a blog, and every so often I’ll opine about this or that and just try to impart something of the experience.

BG: Having been featured on Jersey Shore, the CMJ Showcase, and headline commercial features, what’s next?
RG: More of the same but better, because it will be the next draft. We are hip deep in writing new material as well as evolving our live experience to a new place. We will continue to expand our catalog for television and online placements. And, uh, we’re doing this show down in Austin in March.

–

Want more info? Check out the links below:
Official Band Site
Facebook Page
Myspace Page

The Lights Out will be performing Friday, March 15, at Berklee’s eighth SXSW Party in Austin, TX.
Also be sure to check out Berklee’s upcoming SXSW Party Sampler with streaming and free downloads at bandcamp.com.
Berklee’s SXSW Day Party will be at Brush Square Park and is open to SXSW badge holders. The public can email sxswrsvp@berklee.edu to attend free of charge.

Related Posts:

• Alum Profile: Jonathan Screnci (General Manager, Blue Man Group)
• Q&A with Family of the Year
• Boston Calling: Boston’s First Major Music Festival (Q&A With Co-Founder Brian Appel)
• Berklee Students Dominate the 15th Annual John Lennon Scholarship Songwriting Competition; Q&A with 1st Place Winner, Lisa Occhino
• Q&A with Berklee’s Own Viral YouTube Sensation: Charlie Puth

© Jesse Ruben

By Caleb Hsu

Jesse Ruben is one of those artists who epitomizes what it means to be humble. With record labels exhausting the importance of the correlation between money and success, it’s beyond refreshing to see artists who aren’t solely interested in widening their wallets. Success can be viewed on many different levels and judged based on an unending plethora of criteria. However, the avenue of success I’m most respectful of is that which is brought on by individual efforts to initiate positive change and create something that’s collectively meaningful. Through the pairing of heartfelt lyrics with accessible melodies, Jesse does just that. Jesse’s songs aren’t meant to be one hit wonders, they’re meant to inspire (and that they do). Find out where his inspiration comes from and what life can be like as a singer-songwriter from Berklee.

Berklee Groove: How did you originally get started in music?
Jesse Ruben: My dad is a musician, his father was a musician, and his father was a musician. I first started playing guitar when I was 16 and a year later, I told my parents I wanted to go to Berklee to write. It was the only school I applied to and I was lucky enough to have parents who supported that decision. Once I got to Berklee, I just started playing as much as I could. It was an interesting experience for me as a guitar principle, being  surrounded by other guitar principles and having to solo with them when I didn’t have the performing experience many of them had.

BG: What inspired you pursue music as a career?
JR: The first time I ever held an acoustic guitar was the first time my life ever made sense. I spent most of my time with music and some people called me crazy. That’s how you know you’re doing the right thing – when other people tell you you’re crazy. A huge part of being a singer-songwriter is gaining the ability to move forward and deal with the unknown. You have to learn to be confident in your ability and sometimes people will tell you you’re crazy for it.

BG: Do you have a specific process you go through when you write?
JR: I never have any idea where my next song is going to come from. It sneaks up on you when you’re not paying attention and least expecting it. The goal is to get your brain in a place where you can pay attention to it. You have to put real life on hold so you can pay attention to the other things. Sometimes inspiration comes from waking up at night, walking down the street, having a session or anything really. The great thing about writing about is that you have no idea where it comes from. While I was at Berklee, I learned that you write with your heart until you hit a wall, then you use your brain to keep going. You find where you are musically and then figure out where you were going with it. It’s about finding a balance between the technical and emotional aspects of writing.

BG: Could you explain how social media is important and how you use it to connect with people?
JR: It’s all you – managing, PR, booking & finance stuff. Social media is huge. I spend multiple hours a day on it. Just don’t focus on the numbers (i.e. YouTube hits, MySpace connections, profile views, etc.). When you start focusing on the numbers, it’ll ruin you. Focus on what social media is actually useful for – connecting with people who inspire you.

BG: It looks like you’re really active with the Christopher Reeve Foundation – how did you get involved with them?
JR: I had to watch my best friend go through significant psychological and physical changes due to a horrible accident he had. It was pretty intense. While I was at school, I wrote a song about it called “Song for Zack” and sent it to the foundation. They loved it. It’s one of my proudest achievements because it took something so horrible and it summed it up into a four minute thought. I started playing at their events and in 2010 was asked if I wanted to run a marathon. I’ve done the NYC Marathon for the past three years. I’ve helped raise thousands of dollars and people have written to me who’ve been inspired by me, it’s all just really amazing.

BG: Your song “We Can” has really touched a lot of people. What’s the story behind the song?
JR: Seeing messages from people thanking me inspired a huge part of it. The great thing about social media is that it makes it so easy to connect with people. Jen Turner said her school was using my song as their theme song. The project idea came about because I wanted to inspire students to choose their “I Can” and make it a reality.

BG: What was the biggest thing you took away from your trip to Canada (inspired by “We Can”)?
JR: I performed two of the biggest shows of my life there. I was on the front page of the paper, on radio/news programs, and filmed an entire music video there. It was so amazing to have a whole community involved in something. It wasn’t about me – it was all about the “I Can” Project. It became this huge thing where the kids were all that mattered. There’s no way for me to fully describe the feeling.

BG: What can we expect from you in 2013? What would be your “I Can” statement now?
JR: I’m excited to go back to Canada. I’m trying to get the project initiative out to other schools. I’m talking to a bunch of teachers and setting up a blog that will feature a forum for pictures/videos from schools and directions to get set up to begin the process. I plan on continuing running marathons. I would love to play on the Ellen Degeneres Show, and I’d like to find a manager. I’m doing my first headlining tour this month and I hope to play as many shows as possible and continue to reach as a many people as possible. My first “I Can” statement was “I can run a marathon.” Now that I’ve done that, I just want to inspire people, sell out Madison Square Garden someday, and bring the initiative to 1,000 schools. I want kids to know that they can follow their craziest dreams.

BG: Do you have any advice for our readers and other aspiring singer-songwriters?
JR:

• Play as many shows as possible at Berklee so when you leave, you have a foundation to fall back on. Don’t wait until after you’re done to start performing seriously.
• Learn how to deal with the unknown. All of your friends who have “real jobs” are collecting actual paychecks. Us musicians don’t know where our money is going to come from. Accept that having to dealing with uncertainty will never go away. I never know where I’m going to be the next month or where the next month’s rent is coming from.
• Don’t always listen to other people; don’t let people change who you are or what you have to say. You know what’s right for you.
• Build something while you’re in school outside of the Berklee community. Once you leave Berklee, no one notices your rank within the singer-songwriter showcase. The real world doesn’t care about that stuff.
• Write as much as you can while you’re in school and have the time to. Grow as much as you can as a writer. You lose the luxury of having ample time to work on songs once you graduate.
• Believe that the amazing things you get to do make it worth. All of the struggles you face are worth it.

As a songwriting major, I really struggled with some classes. I’d play a song that I poured my heart out over and then hear 25 things wrong with it that needed to be changed. For me, you have to do the work you’re super proud of. If your work doesn’t move you, then you’re not done yet. If you’re still the same person at the end of the writing process, then you still have work to do. The songs I’ve written have saved my life as much as they’ve helped other people.

–

Bring a date and see Jesse live on Valentine’s Day at Café 939: www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=9d987a7af96e2f588b183ae022b12b43
Listen: jesseruben.com/jesseruben/music
Buy: itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jesse-ruben/id269249439
Definitely check out the official video filmed while Jesse was in Canada: Jesse Ruben – “We Can”

Related Posts:

• Ron Pope to Kick Off Tour at The Middle East on 4/19
• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
• Artist of the Month: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag)
• Femi Kuti is Coming to Town [Interview]
• Berklee Singer/Songwriter Arielle Vakni Brings Soulful Folk to All Asia [REVIEW]

©WilliumSnyder

By Caleb Hsu

Being able to perform well is no longer the only thing you need to sustain a career in the music industry. After graduating Berklee as a performance major, Will Snyder went on to co-produce Graham Detcher’s (guitarist for Michael Bublé) album, Takin’ It There, which was number one in jazz albums for two weeks in the U.S. Will talks about utilizing skills other than performing to get gigs post graduation and how to stay active as a current day musician.

Berklee Groove: What was your major at Berklee and the most valuable thing you took away from it?
Will Snyder: My major at Berklee was Bass Performance and I completed my credits in 2006 but stayed longer to take additional harmony and arranging courses – courses that turned out to be the some of the most valuable courses I took at Berklee. Of course it’s hard to say, since you have to go through all the preliminary courses (i.e. four semesters of Ear Training & Harmony) to be able to understand some of the courses I took, but the ones in particular that I’m referring to are Reharmonization Techniques taught by Randy Felts, and Chord Scales for Arranging taught by Jackson Schultz.

The course Randy taught, accompanied by his fantastic book, opened my mind and ears to all kinds of techniques. He simplified the concepts in such a way that once the core concepts were learned, I became so overflowing with ideas and excitement that I would sit at the piano and arrange songs right out of the Real Book using those very techniques. One of the greatest techniques I learned from the class, one that really opens up a whole new world of reharmonization, is based on the relationship the melody note has with the harmony. The course Jackson taught was so valuable because it got me playing the soli parts on piano, which are reminiscent of George Shearing and a lot of musicians take note of that and have called me for gigs when they want something like that. It’s one of the coolest classes taught at Berklee; Jackson is an amazing and supportive teacher.

That’s just the ‘music’ part of arranging. The actual performance stuff came from the unbelievable bass department at Berklee. The bass department is the most supportive group of the most incredible players who know how to push students in the right direction and get incredible results. One professor in particular, Danny Morris, had an incredible vibe, passion, energy and super hip style of muted bass that was highly emulated by so many of the students, myself included. Whit Browne is another, with his enormous experience and knowledge of jazz and honest opinions. Lastly, Anthony Vitti was the most outwardly honest teacher I ever had who helped me develop technique and significantly build my chops up.

BG: Describe the transition from being in college to actual work in the real world with high-profile artists.
WS: The transition from college life to work life can be a challenge. It took some getting used to figuring out what to do. I ended up playing bass on a cruise ship for a while and then hopped on another one after that. There are three pieces of advice I can give on this matter:

1. Do all you can. Unless your plan is to master one instrument and make a name for yourself exclusively focusing on just that, which is super admirable, then you should learn as many skills as possible. Play bass one night, play piano another, teach kids the next day, and figure out how to use Pro Tools and Logic so you can record your friend the day after that. Fill your schedule with as much as possible and eventually you’ll be the one handing gigs over to people because you are all booked up. I front a jazz band four days a week and it’s helped my musicianship tremendously.

2. Help as many people as you can in the business. What goes around comes around. Clubs will call me looking for bands or acts because someone backed out or they forgot to book, and I’ve gone way out of my way to try and help them out several times. Call all your contacts and try to help them out; this goes a very long way. If not, just to be a nice person. You’re setting yourself up for people to want to help you back. Plus, it’s a good way to make friends and meet new people.

3. When beginning to work with high-profile artists, stand up for yourself and what you know you deserve (i.e. credit, money or whatever it happens to be), even if it means confrontation. While this can be very harrowing and uncomfortable at first, and it really is, it’s the only way to move forward. The artist or person you’re working with may get upset or frustrated and wonder why you are not ‘just happy to have this opportunity’. They’ll storm out of the room, call their manager, and you’ll call yours to make sure you didn’t make a giant mistake. Both managers will calm everyone down and a mutual respect happens. Those artists will see you have confidence, gain confidence in you, and in turn want you on the next project.

BG: What do you look for in an album – any key features?
WS: I think it’s important to understand that every album is different and it really depends on the genre. What I would look for in a jazz record is most likely different than in a pop record. For example, in a pop record I’m honestly listening for cool production and engineering tricks that people are using, or other cool transitional effects or interesting drum sounds. The mixes are fantastic on a lot of pop records, so I’m listening to them and enjoying their high fidelity. In a jazz record, depending on what kind of jazz it is, I’m listening for cool arrangement ideas mostly. After I’ve listened for that, I’ll focus in on the soloists and what they have to say. For me, it’s all about the arrangement. I’d rather hear the best arrangement I’ve ever heard than the best solo I’ve ever heard. 

BG: In your own words, what makes Takin’ It There unique?
WS: Takin’ It There is unique because it’s a young talent – Graham Dechter – playing a style of music that I just don’t hear most people playing (i.e. hard swing, reminiscent of Oscar Peterson arrangements with guitar). It takes an incredible skill level, yet the actual skill hardly ever calls attention to itself. Instead, it just makes your body move and groove. It’s unique to me because hardly anyone out there is touching this style of music with the same focus, dedication, or passion that Graham has for the music, as well as the other players on the record – Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and Tamir Hendlemann.

BG: How do you define a modern producer?
WS: To me, two of the most important qualities for a modern producer are a love and understanding for technology, along with a complete respect for the mix and how very important it is. I love technology. It doesn’t matter what style of music, people are always looking for high fidelity these days. My younger sister liked a song she heard somewhere, so she bought it on iTunes and we were listening in the car. When I asked her why she didn’t buy the original cut from 30 years ago, she said the more recent version had better sound quality. The younger generation coming up is used to hearing big kicks with a lot of snap, crystal clear vocals and very deep bass, and don’t have any patience for sounds that are irritating or not beefy enough. It’s important to take note of the younger generation because they’re the future and market for many styles of music.

I remember working with a rap artist and he said, “Everyone wants that ‘good’ sound.” Everyone knows right away what’s a good sound. So for me, being a good producer means understanding what makes a good mix – both musically speaking and engineering wise. My advice: learn Pro Tools! Mix your friends’ songs and study engineering. There are so many technological devices available today to make music sound better. The more you know about mixing, the more cool techniques you can do while tracking instruments so the mix engineer can take it into the stratosphere and come up with mixes that are just unbelievable. Many people don’t know the difference between a bad song and a bad mix, so that’s something to keep in mind. Get the mix right or you risk your beautiful music being snubbed.

BG: What are your future projects/goals?
WS: I’ve got a couple things coming up. I will be mixing Angie Aparo’s next record in a bit. He wrote the song “Cry,” which was the winning song of The Voice this season. Coming up in March, Graham and I are getting together to come up with music ideas for his next record – Party Time – which is gonna be a blast! I’m also in the process of finishing my pop record, Life Could be Grand, with one of my favorite musicians and producers, Kyle Patrick (former singer of the band The Click Five who is now developing a successful solo career along with his video “Go for Gold” which will hopefully be released in the next few months).

–

Keep an eye out for Will’s upcoming album! williumsnyder.com/
Get your copy of Takin’ It There: itunes.apple.com/us/album/takin-it-there/id552742769

Related Posts:

• Artist of the Month: Caitlin Timmins
• NPR Music and WBGO Present The Checkout – Live at Berklee with Jaleel Shaw
• Interview with Grammy-Nominated Berklee Alumnus Seth Glier
• Berklee Alumnus Damian Hagger Discusses New SixString App
• Celebrity Series of Boston presents: Chucho Valdes Quintet, 11/29 at the BPC

Tom Moore ©2012

By Caleb Hsu

It’s difficult to imagine yourself transitioning from being an opening act to a featured artist performing annual gigs. Seth Glier experienced this transformation and discusses how Berklee helped him establish himself as a Grammy-nominated songwriter in the following interview.

Berklee Groove: In what ways did Berklee benefit you the most?
Seth Glier: Berklee provided me with the information I needed to help communicate my music vision to other musicians, whether it was writing charts, hearing changes with my own ears, or just general collaboration experiences I had there.

“Berklee provided me with the information I needed to help communicate my music vision to other musicians.”

BG: What is the biggest challenge in having such a multitude of annual performances and what do you do to combat the challenge(s)?
SG: I feel pretty blessed to work as much as I do. As you know, if you do what you love you never work. One of the challenges is staying fresh. Honestly, there is a fine line between being in the zone and being asleep at the wheel. Every show is both a rehearsal and collaboration with the audience in front of you. A great performer is just as much a participant as they are a leader in the experience an audience is having. The hard part is staying in tune with that over 200 plus performances a year. For me, the lyrics are my ultimate combat tool to fight falling into autopilot on stage. When I’m taking care of the emotional sentiment of the lyrics, I am taking care of my performance and my audience.

BG: How did you build your fan base and continue to connect with them?
SG: I toured my a** off. I took every show I could for years and years. Booked myself 250 shows a year for three years and built relationships not just with my fans, but with promoters who have since thrown me great opportunities along the way. As my mentor, friend, and former teacher at Berklee Livingston Taylor put it, “The world does not belong to the talented and gifted, it belongs to the hard working and tenacious.”

“The world does not belong to the talented and gifted, it belongs to the hard working & tenacious.” – Livingston Taylor

BG: What was the inspiration behind your Grammy-nominated sophomore record, The Next Right Thing?
SG: I wrote much of that album on the road right as things started gaining a bit of traction for me. I could go to a new city for the first time and find 30 or 40 people at a show. I realized that I wasn’t in this alone. I was a part of a beautiful community of fans and friends that kept growing and growing. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of. I also started becoming much more socially active in my touring. I mean, I was lucky enough to be handed a microphone every night, so I felt like part of my job wasn’t just to amplify my voice, but also the voices of others that could use some additional volume. On one tour I donated my time before each show to play a song from room to room at VA hospitals, HIV clinics, and children’s hospitals. Boy, does that get the juices flowing more than a dozen cups of coffee! I am now a spokesperson for Autism Speaks and use my music as tool to gain awareness and support for the causes that are near and dear to my heart.

BG: Any advice for current students or recent graduates of Berklee in terms of making the transition from school to a professional career?
SG: It’s nice to be important but it’s important to be nice.

BG: What are your current goals/future plans? 
SG: As a writer, I’m out hunting for big game. I want to push limits. I want to conquer big ideas: sex, love, fear, anger, joy. Oh, and I’m still working on being able to sell out Radio City Music Hall.

BG: What’s most rewarding about being a musician for a career?
SG: Like most things, a reward comes with a great deal of responsibility. I take great pride in knowing that I’m leaving the world within my reach a better place, even if it’s just for a few hours a night. When someone comes up to you after a show and says, “You made me feel less alone, your song got me through.” The responsibility lies in saying “thank you” and knowing that it is not you who takes care of them, but rather them who take care of you.

–

Don’t miss Seth’s new album release show at Club Passim on Feb 15th! Get your tickets now: www.clubpassim.org/club/seth-glier-cd-release-special-guest-allie-farris-annalise-emerick-opens

Things I Should Let You Know is now available on iTunes. Check it out here: itunes.apple.com/us/album/things-i-should-let-you-know/id588868379

Related Posts:

• Artist of the Month: Caitlin Timmins
• Q&A with Berklee Grad Rishava Green, Frontman of The Lights Out
• Q&A + Career Advice From Berklee Alumnus Will Snyder
• Celebrity Series of Boston presents: Chucho Valdes Quintet, 11/29 at the BPC
• Who I Am: An Evening with The Who’s Pete Townshend [REVIEW]

Damian Hagger is a ’98 Music Business/Contemporary Writing & Production Berklee graduate who became co-founder and marketing representative for the newly released SixString app for guitarists. SixString offers guitar players the first fully integrated social networking app featuring interactive video, audio recording, text and image sharing. The app has earned attention from CNBC, top performers such as guitarist Gary Hoey, and will be featured in the upcoming NAMM Convention. In the following segment, Damian discusses how the product came to life and discloses plans for future development.

Berklee Groove: Where was the idea behind SixString born?
Damian Hagger: My business partners and I share the same passions for technology, design, and… guitar! We were discussing one day how posting our guitar-related content to our social networks was cumbersome. We had Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other forums that we posted to. However, our posts were read by people who didn’t play guitar or they were not as passionate about guitar music as we were. We thought it would be a worthy venture to start a social network dedicated to guitarists — and SixString was born. We also believed that since most users would want to have the network in their pocket, to be used when the need or inspiration arose, the best interface would be a mobile app.

BG: Why choose to make the app free?
DH: Our focus is building community, and we want no barriers for users to join in. That being said, we have many premium features we will be unveiling in upcoming versions that we think will be incredibly useful to our community.

BG: Any future plans for additional apps/features?
DH: We have BIG plans for updates to the app, however we also want to engage the audience to see where they would like us to take it. From that standpoint, we are VERY customer focused — after all, that is what a social network platform should be about. We encourage our users to give constructive criticism so we can focus on making the SixString experience stronger. The app is in its early stages, but early adopters are really helping us define what they want the experience to be.

BG: What is the goal for your app — is there a targeted audience or do you want to design apps for anyone anywhere?
DH: SixString is a social network for guitarists. Our goal is to connect all guitarists around the world and allow them to share their passion. Building the community and making it easy for them to share their guitar-related audio, images, video and text is our main goal right now. We plan to continuously evolve the app to make for stronger connections between guitar players.

–

Though not a guitar player myself, the idea behind this app is still really exciting. Social media is constantly becoming more accessible and increasingly universal. For those of you who do live in the land of callused fingertips and tab chords, I seriously recommend downloading this app! For more information about SixString and updates on future product development, check out sixstring.com/.

Available for free download for iPhones here: bit.ly/sixstringtheapp.

Related Posts:

• Alum Profile: Jonathan Screnci (General Manager, Blue Man Group)
• Q&A with Family of the Year
• Bonobo on The North Borders [Interview with Simon Green]
• Q&A with Jamie N Commons
• Boston Calling: Boston’s First Major Music Festival (Q&A With Co-Founder Brian Appel)

Photo credit: Peter Larson.

By Robbie Simmons

A series of changed plans found me in the back seat of Brooklyn-based indie quintet Lucius’ tour van, listening to Spirit Kid’s song “You Lit Up For Me,” and discussing the many changes in the area around Berklee College of Music since the band themselves had been students. They reminisced over their favorite places to eat (“Is Crazy Dough’s still there? How about that Indian buffet?” Wow, Little Stevie’s got a makeover!”) before we made a U-turn of questionable legality across Boylston Street and headed towards Cambridge for their show at the Middle East Downstairs with Pearl and the Beard and You Won’t.

Having seen Lucius once live and listened to their four-song EP (available on iTunes) an embarrassing number of times, I was experiencing a certain amount of fan-boy reverence as I climbed into their Ford Econoline. But upon entering the (surprisingly clean) van, I realized that this is simply a group of hard-working musicians doing what many (myself included) would refer to as “living the dream.” Sometimes groups like this can come off as “over it” or underwhelmed or bitter in some way, but not an ounce of negativity came out of Lucius during the hour or so I spent with them.

And so, after helping them load their gear into the venue, Lucius – which consists of co-lead vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, guitarists Pete Lalish and Andy Burri, and percussionist Danny Molad – and I sat down in the dressing room (Indian-style, on the floor, in a circle) and discussed the past, present and future of the band.

Berklee Groove: Tell me a little about the history of the group.

Jess Wolfe: Holly [Laessig] and I met at Berklee, and actually Danny [Molad] and Pete [Lalish] met at Berklee as well, but several years before us; none of us really knew each other. But, Holly and I started writing together like, junior year or senior year in school, and then decided to move to New York together. We lived in this big house with about eight other musician friends and started writing our first record there. After having written that record – I mean, it was our first attempt at any type of release or anything public- we just really wanted to start doing stuff that, honestly, was more fun, more exciting. And being in New York, you’re obviously inspired by everything going on around you… so we were really influenced by a lot of the artists that were in our community (or were not in our community but just that we were being exposed to) and we met these guys [in the band] just by living in the same neighborhood.  Holly and I were ready to record – I don’t even know if you’d call it a new record, but at the time we were just like, “Let’s record, let’s experiment, let’s see what happens.” There was no plan for anything and Danny had just parted ways with the band that he was in, and he wanted to record us. He was sort of the anchor in the experimentation process, and through that process brought in some of his friends, including Pete, to record with us. We weren’t really a band before the record was finished. And Andy went to Berklee as well, but only joined the band, like, seven months ago…. And really, after the first time we all played together, it was like, “Okay, well this is too good to be true.” It just makes total sense, and our first show together was really in May, so officially as this group it’s been about seven months. It’s been a long process getting there, but we’re really excited.

BG: So, how did going to Berklee prepare you for what you’re doing now?

JW: I think more than anything, it’s the people that you meet.  And I think anyone who went to Berklee, whether you hate it or love it, will say the same thing. It’s all about the relationships that you make, and that is certainly something that Berklee is the best at.

Andy Burri: It also just gets you used to being in those environments where you’re always meeting new people, new musicians, making the connection…it just gets you more comfortable with those kinds of environments.

Pete Lalish: It’s like, once you start touring, every week probably you’re going to meet a new band, or two or three bands per month and you start to make your friends that way. But school is kind of a big, heavy dose of, “Oh! Everybody’s doing the same thing.” We were all probably secluded students in high school before that, so now, you move to a major city and you see half of your school.

Holly Laessig: I always thought it was like the Blind Melon video [“No Rain”] where she finds all her other bees. That’s how I always felt.

PL: And then, after school, you realize that music is not a competition. Eventually, you lose that [feeling] the school is pushing all the time, for you to get better and better and better and then eventually you realize it’s not about that. But it’s a great place to really just focus on that.

BG: The configuration of your drums is not something that you see all the time. How did that come about?

DM: Well, it sort of grew out of two things. One, there is a part of me that always wants the “less is more” approach to everything. And then, we did a blog [performance] or a rehearsal and we said, “Why don’t we just do the show like that?” and then it evolved out of that, but now it’s really a full drum kit on stage spread amongst five people. But [we like to do] anything that brings an element of rethinking the conventionalism of pop songwriting, and [we try] to arrange things slightly differently. It’s not like we’re re-inventing the wheel or anything, it’s just trying to take a new approach to doing something.

JW: And to have fun, and to try to make it exciting for people.

BG: When I saw you in October, I caught Jess at the merch booth and asked about a full-length release coming out. You seemed a little unsure about saying next spring.

JW: Well, the goal is the spring, but we’re just waiting to finish the record, and then see how we’re going to release it. So, hopefully by then, but maybe early summer.

BG:And have you found that touring is delaying things?

HL: No, we’ve just been seeing how things are going and developing relationships, and kind of moving along naturally.

PL: Yeah, patience is an amazing thing. Putting the record out at the right time is one of the most important things.

BG: Visually speaking, your image has changed a lot from your first record to now. How has that evolved? I get the ‘60s girl group thing.

JW: I think we wanted to feel like we were being put in a certain place in time when we got onstage and have it be a reflection of what we’re doing musically, and not separate from what we are.

PL: And image is such an easy thing for bands to not realize, but such an easy thing to do. A band like Polyphonic Spree, all they do is wear a robe. It’s not a very complicated thing, but it leaves an impression in your mind and it changes the effect.

DM: And then you go back and listen to the record, and you picture that.  Then all of the sudden, it’s like, “Well, how does that relate to the lyric and the melody and all of it?” It’s all tied together.

BG: So what’s on the agenda for 2013, other than the new album?

JW: Touring.

HL: World domination.

PL: But, seriously, once the record comes out, it’s just promoting as much as possible.

JW: We’d love to be doing something in Europe, too.

AB: And South America!

HL: Everywhere.

Related Posts:

• Alum Profile: Wayne Krantz ‘79
• Alum Profile: Rebecca Loebe ‘04
• [INTERVIEW] Karmin Wins Rolling Stone’s Women Who Rock Contest
• From Berklee to the Billboard Charts: Quickie Q&A with Karmin
• Alum Profile: Jonathan Screnci (General Manager, Blue Man Group)