The Boston Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music, announced on June 25th 2015 that were exploring a merger that could take effect as soon as next year. This could make for some massive changes in the current program.
The combination of Berklee’s world renowned music education curriculum and tech resources with the Boston Conservatory’s dramatic arts and dance programs would be an unrivalled stack of talent and support.
The two programs already have begun mixing at the student level. Acting, Dance, and Music all go hand in hand.
There are already many music students providing the backing tracks to many dance recitals and performances put on by the Boston Conservatory. The actors need music sound tracks. The musicians need actors and dancers for performances and music videos. This is a merger that can help artists collaborate on a very high level.
Berklee and Boston Conservatory Explore MergerIn support of Berklee’s vision for 2025 to “transform the future of music education,” our two institutions will work together to reimagine 21st century music and performing arts education, and to create the best possible educational environment to prepare our students to succeed in their careers.
Agreed to in the MOU is that the name of the combined institution, should we finalize the merger, would be “Berklee,” with the conservatory known as “The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.” My role would be to serve as president of the combined institution.
Conservatory President Richard Ortner is a trusted friend and colleague whom I’ve known since he first welcomed me as president of Berklee in 2004. With our neighboring institutions and shared commitment to music and arts education, we continually look for ways to collaborate.
For example, Conservatory and Berklee students share dining facilities, a number of faculty teach at both institutions, students regularly perform together in concerts and ensembles, and the institutions share campus security operations. The college and the conservatory also have a shared history as founding members of the ProArts Consortium and the Boston Arts Academy, and through the consortium, students can cross-register for classes. This MOU serves as a way to explore deeper collaboration.
The Boston Conservatory was founded in 1867—making it the oldest performing arts conservatory in the country—and has divisions in music, dance, and theater. The dance program was recently ranked number one in the country in contemporary dance, and number four overall, by OnStage.
Alumni of the Musical Theater Department have received dozens of Tony Award nominations, and in 2013, a Conservatory alumni was a cast member in nearly every Tony-nominated production. And the Music Department has established itself as a leader in new classical music composition.
Leading up to the MOU, a number of constituencies and individuals were engaged to share their knowledge and insight.
Among these were Conservatory program directors; Berklee’s deans and members of the chair group who have conservatory background, including Arnold Friedman, Kim Perlak, and David Wallace; Berklee AFT Chapter President Jackson Schultz; selected faculty—some of whom teach at both institutions—including Prince Charles Alexander, Marti Epstein, Jonathan Holland, Gus Sebring, and Eric Stern; and membership from leadership teams and boards at both institutions.
Under discussion was how this partnership could create a unique 21st century educational experience that would prepare students for successful careers.
The overwhelming opinion is that Conservatory students would benefit from access to Berklee’s stylistic diversity, music technology, and entrepreneurship and business programs, while Berklee students’ access to dance, movement, theater, and conservatory training would expand their educational experience in key areas.
All students would benefit from the shared community, comprehensive curriculum, and our deep music and performing arts culture.
The key word here is “explore.” While the team who formed the MOU sees enormous educational benefits for students, there are clearly many questions about what a combined institution will look like.
We’ve got big news to share–here’s the @BostonGlobe with the scoop! #berklee @bosconservatory #bostonarts https://t.co/9dRwLZK9Q5
— Berklee College (@BerkleeCollege) June 25, 2015
As a community, we will take the next several months to explore, debate, and consider all the possibilities and complexities of merged operations.
To accomplish this, steering committees with representatives from both institutions will be formed to study the academic and operational implications. These committees will include a master steering committee chaired by David Mash with leadership from each institution, as well as committees focused on academic strategy, administrative strategy, enrollment, communications, advancement, creative collaboration, and cultural integration.
As these are formed, we will engage our entire community for participation.
We will hold a town hall meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 29 at the Berklee Performance Center. I hope you can join me as we begin our exploration.
Personally, I feel this is a tremendous opportunity for Berklee to take leadership in the creation of a new model of education for the 21st century musician and performing artist, and I am energized to do the hard work to envision and realize this for our current and future students. Via berklee.edu
A. R. Rahman, Berklee Indian Ensemble (Cover)
Rahman by the Berklee Indian Ensemble in gratitude for his immense contribution to our lives through his inspiring music and journey. Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and philanthropist. In a notable career spanning two decades, he has garnered particular acclaim for redefining contemporary Indian film music, and putting Indian music on the global map, in a way that no other Indian composer/performer has achieved.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Via youtube.comA. R. Rahman, "Jiya Jale" (Dil Se): Berklee Indian Ensemble (Cover)
Charlie Puth ’13: From Berklee to Billboard | Berklee College of Music
The song also carries the current record for the most streamed plays in a day on Spotify, hitting 4.2 million streams on April 13, 2015. Puth knew from day one at Berklee that there wasn’t a second to be wasted. In fact, on his first day on campus in 2010, he set up his computer and created a YouTube presence that featured him covering popular songs. Via berklee.edu
