by Matt Baamonde.

Matt Baamonde

Since I’ve gotten to pick my classes and times this semester, I’ve had an easier time preparing and studying for the exams, which went surprisingly well. I’ve survived through five tests, though the two others were long-term projects.

I started the week with Traditional Harmony, which consisted of a two page test on proper voice leading and the ‘rules’ of Bach chorale styles (such as no parallel octaves/fifths and proper progression guidelines). Not the most exciting test in the world, but it was relatively easy and I was glad to have it out of the way.

On Tuesday I had the melodic sight-reading portion of my Guitar Styles Skills class, which was exactly like the previous class last semester. Essentially it was a “wake-up call” test to make sure I was getting prepared for the final. There was no grade, but I think I came away knowing what I needed to work on. Two hours later came my Arranging exam, which consisted of song-form construction, bass and drum writing, and some musical grammar sections.

Wednesday, my Music Production and Engineering (MPE) class was assigned a project, which is due in a few weeks based on listening to albums by the same producer and noting common themes in the production. I’m going with Todd Rundgren who, besides being a famous artist/guitarist in his own right, is the producer behind Meat Loaf, and a million other very successful bands (see his album An Elpee's Worth of Productions for a fair overview), since he is one of the people I would like to model my career after. He established himself with several bands and as a solo artist, and then began producing many other artists. He also has his own recording studio. And he is very technically oriented and a great role model for someone like me. Plus he married a Playboy Playmate and raised Liv Tyler!

Following that I had my dreaded Ear Training mid-term. I had been practicing for the past two weeks to prepare for it, and though I don’t think I did my best I pulled off a decent grade. I was only left with my Harmony 3 mid-term, which was simply analyzing a Coltrane piece and writing chord scales, and the Chord sight-reading part of my Guitar Styles Skills mid-term.

My lyric writing class was assigned a small project based on finding “lyrics” in an issue of the Boston Herald and writing a verse and chorus to accompany it.

My roommate and I both agreed that we are less stressed this semester. We believe it is because we now know what to expect and are experienced enough to get through it. For instance, if you would have told me before Berklee that I would be singing alone in front of a whole class of other critiquing musicians I would have cringed in horror! But now I’m so used to its actually exciting and fun.

It’s nice having my break, but there’s a lot to look forward to once I get back. I’m awaiting the results of my application into my major, Music Production and Engineering (again, I am still interested in Performance as a double major, but MPE is difficult to get into), as well as choosing classes for next semester. (Is it that time already?) I’ve also got to apply for housing again next semester and hope to get a low number in the lottery in order to stay (there is only room for 40% of the students in the dorms). I’m already missing friends and looking forward to getting back into the grind.

So, academics aside, things have been getting interesting. There is so much to do at Berklee and in Boston. Club life has been getting difficult for you partygoers. If you are under 21 you are no longer allowed in most bars, clubs and pubs in Boston due to a newly passed law. Fortunately, Berklee parties have been becoming more frequent to compensate. Large parties are rare in the dorms, since many have stringent security regulations and are limited to Berklee students, so most end up out in apartments usually centered on Heminway and Westland right around the corner from Berklee, or out in Allston.

I have a third roommate now. We’ve named him Steve Mouse, after the ever-popular Steve Morse from Kansas/Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs, (so clever, although Danger Mouse and Eek a Mouse occurred to us…we had to go with the guitarist!) It should be noted that in all of Berklee’s dorms mice do occasionally shuffle about. It's inevitable considering this is an urban environment. They’re harmless and usually rare, but will make an entrance if food is left around.

I’ve been asked to comment on the teaching staff at Berklee, considering that’s one of the primary reasons that one would choose this school.

I can definitely say that in terms of skill and musical talent every teacher is incredibly top-notch. When speaking of which teachers to choose, it really comes down to your own style preferences. Many teachers will push you to extremes, pile on homework and can be downright ruthless in terms of testing and performances, but at the same time you will be forced to learn more and excel until you master the material. Other teachers will be easier and even let you out of class early with nothing more than a short worksheet to do, but you simply won’t learn as much or really know the material cold.

The truth is both are necessary in doses. Obviously, easy teachers won’t teach you as much and you won’t get your money’s worth, but you simply can’t have a full schedule of demanding teachers…you just won’t have the time or energy to do everything. When you first start Berklee, you are automatically assigned a teacher and schedule for all of your core classes. For new students, I recommend giving your teachers a week grace period for the classes that meet two or three times a week, and the others a two or three week period before deciding to drop or change classes.

So I’ve compiled a list of noteworthy teachers I know of, have had, or have had experience with at Berklee and a small description of each. Each month I will add three or four to my column to give you insight into my experiences with these teachers.

Paul Stiller – Ear Training 2 – A Berklee grad, Paul is an amazing teacher, pure and simple. A vocalist and pianist, he has really kept me strong in Ear Training this semester and kept the class fun and exciting. He is a difficult teacher, but he really shows you what you need to do to be ready by demonstrating and individually assisting with examples. Highly recommended to everyone, but especially those students who feel Ear Training is not their strongest suit and need extra help.

Scott Fessler – Traditional Harmony and Composition – A very knowledgeable musician/pianist, Scott knows how to handle and explain a very complicated and confusing class. With an extensive background in classical theory and masters from the New England Conservatory of Music, Scott is recommended to students in at least their second semester at Berklee with an extensive bit of prior music theory under their belt, as Scott jumps right into the middle of it in the first day of class.

Daniel Ian Smith – Harmony 3 – A saxophonist and a pianist, Daniel is a very lively and energetic professor. He starts every class by playing an unknown piece of music and then dives right into the daily lessons. He is a lot of fun, and explains the material very concisely and clearly, but moves at a very fast pace. If harmony is not your strong suit I recommend not taking him for your earlier harmony classes. If you feel relatively confident and knowledgeable in your abilities then he is an excellent teacher, and highly recommended.

Andy Maness – Guitar Skills – One of the most fun teachers you can have at Berklee, if you get his sarcastic humor. Having played professionally for over forty years, Andy is the leader of his band, Four Guys in Tuxes. He is a very gifted teacher who focuses on melodic and chordal sight-reading and expanding your knowledge of guitar theory and fret board wizardry. Highly recommended to guitarists who do not have a background in jazz theory.

My role as a columnist here at Modern Guitars magazine is to let you know what it's like to eXperience the Berklee College of Music starting with the application process, and the evolution, as a student and as a musician. I also get some opportunities to hone my communication and guitar skills by interviewing notable guitarists, developing the interview from researching the artists’ bio, developing a series of questions from the perspective of an aspiring musician, conducting interviews and then writing them up for our Features Editor to review and fine tune.

One thing I've discovered is that there is a lot of interest in my Berklee eXperience and some areas of interest that I might not cover. Fortunately, many of you haven’t hesitated to ask questions that have made me think, and that have also helped me to better appreciate the school, my new college friends, and all types of music.

I've been asked a few recurring questions, so thought I'd compile a "Frequently Asked Questions" sidebar for those of you interested in the Berklee eXperience, especially those considering coming up to Berklee to become students.

You'll find the Berklee X FAQs at the right hand side of my column. I'll keep adding more info to the group as we go along!

Other notes...

... I just completed an interview with guitarist Michael Fath, which should be out soon. I feel it is an important interview, as Michael is a noted authority on guitar, with over 40 years playing, 20+ solo albums and 15 or so others with different bands. His multifaceted career includes playing a stunning variety of music, while teaching, producing other artists, creating training books and videos, career consulting, and more. Any aspiring guitarist should read this and learn a lot about the history of rock guitar as a career choice from someone who has lived it, the current state of the industry, and get a lot of (very) sobering and practical advice for the future. I am very proud of how this came out.

Also, the Grammy Awards! If any of you caught the 2007 Grammy’s, you should know that Berklee is the place to go if you want to thrive in the music industry. 26 Berklee alumni were nominated in 36 different categories. Natalie Maines (The Dixie Chicks) walked away with 5 alone, in all the major categories (including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year) and John Mayer took home two, as well (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album). That brings Berklee’s total number of Grammy’s over the years to a whopping 154! John Mayer also played on the show. (Read more here:).

…And don’t forget that Melissa Etheridge won the Academy Award for Best Song in a motion picture. Not a bad showing this year for Berklee alumni.

(That’s why I’m here...)

Again, if you have questions or comments please email me. I have a digital camera now, so I will be adding more pictures as we progress.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next month!

Hoping this helps you in your musical journey,

Matthew Baamonde
“Baazar”