Studying Music Online

Mark Hopkins is a Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. He finished his studies at Berklee College of Music, as a Guitarist/Songwriting Major, in 2009. Mark is a regular gigging musician who has toured extensively and released 6 albums in the past 10 years. You can hear some of Mark’s music at www.markhopkinsmusic.com.

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As a student advisor this is a question I get asked often. Students are quite perplexed by how online courses work; I am here (as a guitarist and Guitar Master Certificate holder) to clear up all those gray areas for you!

The main argument is… “why shouldn’t I just invest my money into a private instructor?” Well, you definitely could go that route, but writing this blog as a guitarist of 22 years I can attest to the fact that great teachers are few and far between. I have spent mucho dinero on private instruction that got me in a room with a bunch of great players, who mostly like to talk about themselves. Before you know it your hour, or worse – half hour- is done. For me, as a life long student of music, I need a raging fire under me to motivate and push me to the next level! Private instruction doesn’t really deliver on that 100% of the time, but our online courses do.

I went through the guitar program at the main campus and after finishing up at Berklee I got a job here at Berkleemusic! Taking advantage of the amazing guitar curriculum we offer, I jumped into the Master Guitar Certificate right away. I was simply looking to maintain and juice up my chops- ya know, get in that shed and start chopping wood! I can say, with all honesty, it delivered… and then some. Every week I was challenged with 1-2 assignments where I was responsible for performing with a backing track and submitting it to my teacher. I love this format! It pushed me to up the ante on each assignment during the 12 week courses. Even courses like Chords and Scales 101 were absolutely amazing in helping revisit my fundamentals and technique. After completing all 8 courses involved in the Master Certificate I am an even better player than when I left the main campus. I noticed a huge difference in my playing and musicality. Not only do I feel intensely more comfortable on my neck, but I am hearing things at a deeper level than I was before.

With a bigger set of ears, my musical communication with my Trio has vastly expanded. I have now reached the point where I finally feel comfortable and understand how to craft my guitar tone the way I always heard it. With classes like Getting Your Guitar Sound you get to unleash the inner gear nerd from within and explore amps and effects like never before with the software Amplitube. If you are a tone nut (like me) and want to learn more about how your gear works, while also improving yourself as a player you will dig on that class hard. I got to play through amp mods that I have always dreamed of: Orange, Marshall, Vox and even old Fender Blackface amps. I have a 71 Twin Reverb that I mic’d and A/B’d with the vintage Fender amps in Amplitube… you cannot tell the difference. In fact, I have used a bunch of these amps on my latest tracks because they are so convincing! Not to mention I can come back to a guitar solo 3 days later and the tone is dialed in exactly the same so punches aren’t an issue at all. Y’all gotta check that class out it was one of my faves!

I genuinely believe in the education we offer here at Berkleemusic and I continue to take classes online whenever I can. It’s a great investment that you will never regret, and it’s a gift that you will cherish your whole life and a guitarist. I don’t think I’ll ever stop seeking out education, knowing more about my guitar makes it that much more enjoyable to sit down and play every day.

See ya guys soon, I’m off to the wood shed.

Mark Hopkins
www.markhopkinsmusic.com

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Berkleemusic’s next term begins on April 2nd, 2012.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Leigh McLaren is a Senior Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. She has a bachelors in Music Business, and Masters in Higher Education. Leigh is a vocalist, who has concentrated primarily in Jazz and Musical Theater.

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Here we are in week four, and you are starting to get into the real fun stuff in your course.
However, the Berkleemusic site and the “My Home” page might still be a bit of a mystery to you. There are so many great resources within Berkleemusic that students never even take advantage of. As advisors we want to make sure that our students get the most out of their Berkleemusic experience. This blog post is about the resources that you may not have even known about, but will undoubtedly help your music education, and even your music career!

The Berklee Music Network
If you haven’t already, definitely make sure that you set up a profile on the network. You can access the network by mousing over the “Go to” heading on the top right hand corner of your “My Home” and selecting the network. From there you can upload pictures, music, photos, videos, as well as browse the jobs in your area. You can also view all of the different groups within the network and other students’ network activities. This is a great network that Berklee and Berkleemusic have set up to help students meet each other, collaborate, and find the gig of their dreams! This site is also really important if you want to apply for a scholarship in the future because you will need a really awesome profile page that showcases your talents and skills.

Berklee Partner Deals
If you are interested in purchasing software, for your course, or just to learn more about it, check out this link. There are discounts on Ableton, Sonar, Finale, as well as magazines, and gear!

Berklee College of Music Stan Getz Library
The library resource can be found inside your course, under the “resources” link, directly below the search bar. The library, which is also used by the main campus students contains several academic resources, articles, streaming audio, and even an “ask a librarian” feature, which can help you find exactly what you are looking for. This is great for doing research for class, or just taking your music knowledge to the next level.

Technical Assistance
With the online courses, you may have a few questions pertaining to the content, gear, or even just posting your assignments. Don’t worry, we have many students who ask these questions, and the technical assistance link is a great place to help you find answers to those questions, and many more, like finding and accessing the chat, course materials etc.
This can be found under the school links heading on your “My Home” page.

Academic Policies
Maybe not as much fun as the other links, but equally important is the academic policies link. If you have questions about grading, certificates, substitutions or transfers, this is a great page to familiarize yourself with.

So start setting up a profile if you haven’t already, or check out the Stan Getz library, and make the most of your Berkleemusic education! And of course, as always, don’t hesitate to contact your advisor if you have any questions.

Leigh McLaren

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Berkleemusic’s next term begins on April 2nd, 2012.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Michael Moyes is a Senior Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. He finished his studies at Baylor University, where he studied Piano Performance and Business. Michael has performed Piano as a soloist, in combos, and accompanied by full Orchestra. He holds Master Certificate in Arranging and Orchestration from Berkleemusic. You can hear some of Michael’s music on the Berklee Music Network and on Soundcloud.

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“Learning licks and expecting to know how to improvise is akin to memorizing phrases in a French book and expecting to know how to speak French. One can only truly learn language by conversing with other people”

This paraphrased quote showcases the ‘vibe’ (sorry) that Gary Burton gave off throughout our conversation about his new Gary Burton: Jazz Improvisation course. Gary taught his style of improvisation here at The Berklee College of Music for over 20 years while at the same time playing with Chick Correa, George Shearing, Stan Getz, and other world renowned improvisers.

Every song has a story to tell and it is our job as improvisers to provide our own unique accent, inflection, timing, etc. Simply playing mixolydian runs every time we see a dominant 7th chord or dorian arpeggios over ii chords is missing the point of improvisation. True improvisers should be fine tuning ideas and giving them emotional content as they perform much like you would do with words when having a verbal conversation.

Gary stressed the importance of knowing what you are going to say and planning how you will say it before opening your mouth, striking the keys, or lifting your mallets. When a president gives a speech, they have some ideas prepared: an introduction, main points, and a conclusion perhaps. Without having an idea of what you are going to say you might sound like this…

“Hello, my name is President Burton and um, today I’m going to talk about some very important things…like the errr…economy and…global warming…”

Sure, the speaker hit some points: the economy, global warming, etc. but failed to tell us a story. As listeners, we are left craving more information, hopefully from a better speaker. As a former transcriber of Jazz solos, I have fallen into the trap of parroting others styles and licks without really saying much of anything. Lucky for me and many of you, Gary is sharing his extensive wisdom with us so that we can form our ideas and communicate on much higher levels. See you in class.

Michael Moyes

*(this class filled up almost immediately last term so we recommend getting in early)

Check out this video of Gary for more…

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Berkleemusic’s next term begins on April 2nd, 2012.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Brian John is a Student Advisor at berkleemusic.com. He has a Bachelors in Piano Performance from Miami University of Ohio, and a Masters in Composition from Longy School of Music. Brian’s background is primarily in Classical music, but a 4 year stint in a home-grown jam band gives him a unique perspective on both genres. He continues to compose and perform for people across the US.

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With our next term just around the corner, I thought I would take a moment to share a few ‘survival tips’ for jumping back into the learning environment.

Most of our students here at Berkleemusic are adults with active careers, whether in music or in another field. I was in the same boat as many of you not long ago. I experienced my ‘term of firsts’ last fall: my first online class, my first Berkleemusic class, and my first time back at school since attaining my degree. Through my experience, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to get the most out of these courses, so I thought I would share a few of them here.

1) Read early and often. As our veteran students know, and our new students will discover, there is a lot of material to absorb each week. Many students (myself included!) bolt through the lesson reading and get to the assignments as quickly as possible. While this may seem time-effective and efficient, you are really doing yourself (and your education) a disservice. I had this realization when I got to my first quiz at the end of my first week – I had read through the material, but I found that I had not absorbed nearly as much as I had hoped! Thus, I recommend reading the lessons at least twice: once before your major weekly assignment, and once after you have completed it. This will allow you to revisit the concepts you were introduced to with new insight, whether it was gained through your own assignment, or through viewing your fellow classmate’s assignments.

2) Be active within the course! Berkleemusic has designed these courses so that you don’t have to be online at any given point in time. However, it does not excuse you from being online! The network, and these courses, have been created with the intent that students will be learning as a community, and making connections within the learning environment. This is the purpose of having assignments viewable by every student within your specific course section. I know it’s sometimes intimidating to look at other assignments, and realize that perhaps others in the course have more experience and expertise than you. In my fist course, even in lesson one, I realized that most students had more experience, equipment, and knowledge than I. Use this to your advantage – ask questions, post feedback, or start a forum thread. Where else will you have the opportunity to learn not only from your instructor, but also from colleagues around the world?

3) Stay in touch. This applies to everyone within the Berkleemusic community. You can create contacts within the network, you can send a message to your instructor, and you can call your advisor. Instructors within our online courses are teaching because they enjoy sharing their knowledge with students around the world! They are there for you if you need clarification on an assignment, or on feedback that they have given. Take the time to get to know your instructors, as they are taking the time to get to know you and your work. Also, take advantage of your Berkleemusic Advisors! We are here as your resource, whether you have questions about technology, academic policies, or the next steps within your educational journey.

These are just a few techniques that I picked up during my first course, and I have been using them to survive and thrive ever since. I hope our new students find this helpful, and can’t wait to hear feedback from our veteran students as to what has worked for them! I look forward to working with you all this Summer, and participating with you as I continue my own academic journey.

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Berkleemusic’s online summer term begins June 27, 2011.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Brian John is a Student Advisor at berkleemusic.com. He has a Bachelors in Piano Performance from Miami University of Ohio, and a Masters in Composition from Longy School of Music. Brian’s background is primarily in Classical music, but a 4 year stint in a home-grown jam band gives him a unique perspective on both genres. He continues to compose and perform for people across the US.

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“Collaboration” is a scary word. It doesn’t matter if it’s a complete stranger or your best friend, when someone asks to collaborate, it raises all sorts of red flags. In many ways, collaborating with someone is like taking them on as a ‘significant other.’ It’s a very intimate, exposing, and delicate relationship that takes work and faith to develop. It can either go very right, or very, very wrong. In this post, I endeavor to relate a ‘best practices’ that have helped me keep my collaborations, if not sparklingly amazing, at least on an even keel and successful.

1. Agree on a goal: Having a well-defined goal is crucial to any collaboration. Whether you are forming a band, working with a lyricist, or hiring a publicist, everyone involved must be working towards the same vision. Before the collaboration begins, you yourself should have in place a solid idea of what you want to accomplish. Going into a collaboration with an unformed idea leaves you open to being hijacked by your partner(s) and their interpretation of your request. They may not realize that they are doing it, and you might not catch it at first, but nothing kills a collaboration quicker than realizing the project you end up working on is not the one you started out wanting to do.

2. Establish ground rules: How long should this project last? How should profits or proceeds be distributed? How should the division of responsibilities be handled? Should any additional people be recruited to help and, if so, who decides when/how they are brought on-board? The list of potentially contestable issues that could arise is too long to be published here, and I would most likely miss many important points. The thing to take away from this step is to think ahead, and anticipate conflict. I’m not saying you need a formal contract, but by agreeing to ground rules, you set yourself and your collaborators up for a successful and open relationship. Also, by discussing and establishing these ground rules, you learn a lot more about your partner(s) than you would otherwise—you may get to this step and realize that the person you are talking with is not the right one for your project. That’s ok! It’s better to find this out now and keep looking then to try and force things along with the wrong people. I liken it to putting one square tire on a hotrod—it ruins the entire machine. This brings us to step three:

3. Pick the right partner(s): This is, perhaps, the most difficult step in the collaborative process. I must admit, my first instinct is to reach out to my immediate circle of friends when I get a new idea, need a second point of view, or need someone with a particular skill set. This is self-defeating in two very major ways. The first is that you have a pre-existing relationship. This makes establishing ground rules and agreeing on a goal particularly difficult, as you are more likely to compromise your vision. Think about how many times a friend has talked you into doing something that you’re not entirely comfortable with. Now imagine that, instead of that extra drink at the bar, you’ve agreed to alter a portion of your project that can affect your entire musical career. Secondly, by recruiting your immediate friends and acquaintances, you limit your connections. The music business is all about fostering relationships, and meeting new people. Collaborations are one of the best ways to self-promote, but it does no good to show off your skills, ingenuity, and drive to the people who already know you! Ask your social network, reach out to friends of friends, join a local musician’s group—any of these options will allow you to meet new people and make new connections.

4. Begin: I know, this one is obvious. However, I can count on both hands the truly successful collaborations that I have completed. These are exactly equal to the number of collaborations that I have started. On the flip side, I have a drawer full of ideas half-formed and filed away for “another time”. I have logged hundreds of hours discussing potential projects with potential collaborators. All of your work on steps one through three are for naught if you and your group never take the first step. It’s scary, it’s nerve-wracking, but by following these steps you give yourselves a much higher percentage of success. You have a shared vision, you have a structured working environment, you have the right people by your side—now get out there and start doing what you love!

Julia Polanco is a Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. A Berklee College of Music graduate (Professional Music major and Voice principal), Julia has worked as a vocal coach in Los Angeles with Interscope Records, and as a lead and background singer, voiceover artist, and vocal coach in the US and Europe. Now in Boston, Julia currently performs as a lead singer with a high profile cover band, teaches voice privately, and writes and performs with an original band. Check out her website at juliasimonemusic.com.

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Ah, networking. We hear about it all the time but what is it really? The world wide web tells us that networking is just communicating. Could it be that simple? It really is!

As musicians, producers, performers, songwriters, or composers, it doesn’t matter how amazing you are, you need to know how to promote yourselves and how to network! The old days of having to be signed by a label to be heard beyond your own city’s limits are long gone. Things are different now. The tools are out there for independent artists to use, and most of them are free.

If it is viral—it will spread! I’m stating the obvious here, but instead of thinking about it in the figurative sense, apply this concept to your career. The internet has made networking very easy to do. It doesn’t matter where you are anymore, now you can reach out to pretty much anyone around the world.

I would start by recommending the obvious: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and MyspaceMusic. Many people use these sites for personal (and sometimes overly dramatic) content, but you can use it in a smart, original, and professional way. Major record labels use interns 24/7 to update statuses, post comments, reach out to fans, and tweet on behalf of their artists. You can approach it in the same way, no matter how “big” you are.

Here are great examples of how other musicians are making the most of these free social media sites:

YouTube: Karmin is engaging fans in a smart and original way with quality homemade videos of their original songs and covers. The perk with YouTube searches is that fans of the artists that you cover will find your videos while searching for their favorite tunes. Once captivated by the cover, the audience will then get to know your original music! Karmin’s latest video post already had over 13,000 views just over a week! http://www.youtube.com/karmintube

Twitter: Debbie and Friends – Debbie tweets about her concerts, radio shows, new videos, blog posts, and collaborations. Twitter is a professional, concise, and a perfect way to get your fans’ attention, let them know you, and expose them to all other media that you use on the web. http://twitter.com/DebbieCavalier

Myspace: Midatlantic uses MyspaceMusic to its fullest. On one page, you have an actual press kit with videos, music, bio, reviews, upcoming shows, contact information, and pictures. You can also see their fan base and buy their music, too. It’s ideal for musicians! http://www.myspace.com/midatlantictheband

Facebook: Dear Havannah plays it smart on Facebook. They make it personal yet keep it professional. Their wall is completely dedicated to their fans. Each post lets you know them as a band and as individual musicians. It’s a smart way to keep your fans engaged in what you do and to stay approachable. http://www.facebook.com/DearHavanah

Basically no matter what you do, keep it real, simple and network as much as possible. If you can think of a reference in regards to online networking or if you want to share your own don’t hesitate to post your comments below!

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You can follow @BerkleeJulia on Twitter, and become a fan of Berkleemusic on Facebook.

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Brian John is a Student Advisor at berkleemusic.com. He has a Bachelors in Piano Performance from Miami University of Ohio, and a Masters in Composition from Longy School of Music. Brian’s background is primarily in Classical music, but a 4 year stint in a home-grown jam band gives him a unique perspective on both genres. He continues to compose and perform for people across the US.

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Alright, it’s time to come clean—we all feel the same way about music theory: who wants to study a bunch of stuffy old dead-guy music to learn what people did 200 years ago? There are so many other things to study that are more interesting, helpful, and fun, right? Well, not exactly. Even if you don’t find music theory fun, it’s our history, our tradition, and in essence, the platform upon which all of what we do is built.

Whether we realize it or not, music theory is essential to being a successful musician. It is all around us, built into the core of the Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Classical styles. What makes these styles distinguishable is how they utilize the basic elements of theory. What would Blues be without the 12 bar form? What would Classical be without the big V-I cadence? Our culture is steeped in these traditions, and our ears have been trained to listen for, and even expect, music that follows these rules.

Now, here is why I think music theory is fun, and even exciting (yes, yes I know—bear with me). Because our music follows these rules, and even casual listeners unconsciously expect these conventions, we can create a unique musical experience by messing with the rules. Musicians playing with, stretching, and even breaking musical convention goes back to those stuffy old dead-guys. (If you don’t believe me, check out Haydn’s Surprise Symphony—the guy had a sense of humor!) They realized that keeping the audience engaged was important, and since they did not have fancy flashing lights, background projectors, or fireworks, they used theory.

The clever songwriter, composer, and even soloist learns the rules and conventions of music so that, at the precise moment, they can break the rules and do something so surprising, so unexpected, that they command immediate attention. It doesn’t matter if the audience realizes that the artist threw in a tri-tone substitute dominant, or switched modes, or even just pulled a deceptive cadence—they just know that, instead of the same old patterns, something new just happened. That, my fellow musicians, is the beauty of music theory.

So, the next time you listen to your favorite artist, whether it’s B.B. King, the Beatles, or even Franz Joseph Haydn, think about the moments that really catch your ear and draw you in. Odds are that it’s no accident—that surprising, unexpected, attention-grabbing moment that is the crux of every classic piece has its genesis in music theory.

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Berkleemusic’s online summer term begins June 28, 2010.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Watch a short video with our Student Advisors discussing Berkleemusic’s Certificate Programs. These multi-course online programs provide students with:

• Solid qualifications and marketable skills for success
• 1-3 years of extensive training with Berklee faculty
• Berklee-certified credentials for their resumes

Browse Berkleemusic’s Certificates

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Berkleemusic’s online spring term begins April 5, 2010.

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:
1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Mark Hopkins is a Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. He finished his studies at Berklee College of Music, as a Guitarist/Songwriting Major, in 2009. Mark is a regular gigging musician who has toured extensively and released 6 albums in the past 10 years. You can hear some of Mark’s music on myspace.com/markhopkinsmusic

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So, you’re in the midst of the dreaded college application process. The stress is on and you’re freaked out because all you really want to do is play music. Here are the thoughts that are running through your mind… (I know, because I had ‘em too).

“What do I do?”

“Where do I begin?”

“Where can I study music?”

“What the heck can I do with a career in music?”

Well, if you’re on this page, you are already 3/4 of the way there.

Berklee College of Music is the place to study contemporary music styles in the world… no, I take that back… the Universe. So, what’s the process? A lot of prospective students freak out to find that there is a live audition process to be accepted into the college. I am here to tell you the best way to approach that audition, and to cut down on that looming dark cloud of stress.

1) Be Yourself! You are who you are. Everyone that is applying and auditioning comes from different walks of life and different skill levels. The coolest thing about Berklee is how diverse it is. You are there for you, not Bob or Susan in the next room over.

2) That being said, remember what the website says, “Put your best foot forward”. That means do what you do best. If you are an amazing shred guitarist, or classical pianist, don’t walk in to your audition thinking you have to prepare a Jazz piece. Berklee has become more and more all styles than ever in the past few years; all genres are welcome! Concentrate on your strengths and really let that shine in your prepared piece.

3) Make sure you read the Audition Guidelines on Berklee’s site. That will show you exactly what you will be asked to do in your 15 minute audition. That’s right, 15 minutes! It goes by in a flash. I am sure you’ll find that there are some things you are unsure about (concerning your skills). If we were all musical geniuses we wouldn’t need to be auditioning for Berklee. The faculty members that will be proctoring your audition understand that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and they want to see how well rounded you are as a musician. For instance, some people are great sight-readers, but struggle with improvisation, and vice versa. Once again, see # 2.

4) Lastly, go in calm. Remember you are there because you love music! Don’t let one audition get in the way of that. A lot of people are crushed if they don’t get in to Berklee. It’s not the end of the world; you can always re-audition the following year. If you do end up re-auditioning think about how much further ahead in the game you would be than the first timers shaking in their boots.

All-in-all, I found my Berklee Audition to be a thrilling experience. It was a blast! Plus the faculty are great at making you feel at ease and you get to jam with them. Go in there with your head held high and do your thing with confidence and a smile on your face.

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Berkleemusic, Berklee’s online school, offers a number of online courses to prepare you for the physical school in Boston. You can build a solid foundation by studying the core curriculum prior to arriving at the school, and even earn college credit. Check out these online preparatory courses here.

Berkleemusic’s online spring term begins April 5, 2010.
Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:
1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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Student Advisor Amy H answers one of our most commonly asked questions, and explains how students interact with their instructors and classmates online.

Berkleemusic’s online winter term begins January 11, 2010. Find out more at berkleemusic.com.

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Contact a Berkleemusic Student Advisor
1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

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