"Is Berklee Worth It?" Your Questions Answered

[TumisHumis]

If your parents can afford to send you, go. If they can't, don't. That's how college works. You won't pay a student loan with your degree in music, that's just the way things are.

[budadek]

I have some questions regarding the ear training in Berklee, any Berklee student here who would like to answer them? :)

[peaceshallnotbebroke]

Can you go to Berklee early? If I graduate high school early (before I turn eighteen) would they let me start there? Also, could I go to a community college to earn a 'typical' education for two years, then transfer to Berklee? I'm sorry if these are stupid questions, I'd just really like to know.

[sideburnsbob]

@peaceshallnotbebroke You certainly can! As long as you've graduated from high school you're eligible to apply. You can also transfer credits, though it's getting harder to do that - I'd check in with Berklee to see what you can and can't transfer.

[TheRealEllisGreen]

How much comes out of your pocket for it, and how do you get scholarships, and could you explain more in this field? I want to go to berklee but, the price sounds impossible under my circumstances, how far will a scholarship get me?

[sideburnsbob]

@TheRealEllisGreen It really depends on what scholarship you get - some people receive a few thousand dollars per semester, and some receive a full ride, meaning the whole thing is covered. I would recommend contacting Berklee's scholarship department at 617 747-8681

[sideburnsbob]

@kyiara17 My vocal coach at Berklee was an opera singer - the vocal professors are all from different disciplines, but there is at least a handful of teachers who are classically trained. Most of the training you receive as a starting vocalist is in the classical realm.

[Joseto238]

What are the two tunes played as a background for this video?

[joeyrockplayer]

So you have to pay first? to aply for a scolarship? or how is it?

[Orangemongoose1]

their website is worded terribly, and this may be a stupid question, but do you have to audition for ALL of the majors? I'm interested in the production major, but I'm not very experienced with that kind of thing. I play bass and guitar and know a bit of music theory, but I'm not very familiar with production engineering, so my chances would be pretty slim if I have to audition for production. Do they offer any 101 or beginner classes with that major? Thanks in advance.

[TheMrundeadfilms]

how the music therpy my girlfriend wants to go into music therpy can find more info on that and she can play violen and flute

[ChrisEditz]

Sorry about all the questions but it would be really awesome to get them answered.

I'm 15 and have really been getting into reasearching colleges for music, because its what I want to do.

1.The cost of tuition?

2.Would you recommend going to a summer program before making my final decision for going here?

3.i would major in guitar but does the school allow you to have connections in the music industry when you graduate?

4.What are the odds of getting paid a fair amount of money after graduating?

[tjbrownmusic]

@spacepatrolman dude. PUNCTUATION.

[YukoBizarra]

What are the chances of getting a full scholarship to a foreign student at Berklee?

[sideburnsbob]

@YukoBizarra Your chances are as good as your musical ability and attitude - everyone is in the same boat at Berklee when it comes to opportunities!

[inigoruizdgordejuela]

@sideburnsbob It depends if the board of admissions is interested in you. It´s not only music, your physical appearance, personality... etc will be judged. For example, I know many basists who play at a much higher level than S.Spalding, but she has had more oportunities because of being a young lady

[EricVera539]

soooo... how can i be chosen for a scholarship? where do i have to sign? can u help me with a step-by-step guide? jejeje cool vid anyway. (:

[sideburnsbob]

@EricVera539 To be chosen for a scholarship you first need to apply and be accepted to study at Berklee. Once you are at Berklee they have an entire office dedicated to helping you apply for scholarships!

[LichotaMusic]

@sideburnsbob So, as an accepted student, I can contact berklee about finding scholarships to attend? Great video by the way. Saw Alicia Lemke at the BPC at the open house I attended.

[sideburnsbob]

@NLforeva Yes, you can do a diploma at Berklee - I believe that it may only take you a couple of years to complete.

[scrollandkey]

everyone seems really young.. are there any age limits ?

[MsCellolad]

@scrollandkey yeah, because we have that in the US. No, of course not! There's one lady who's there who is like 60.

[MrMurens]

How much per year??

[sideburnsbob]

@MrMurens Between $40-50,000, depending on your circumstances, scholarships, etc.

[MetropolisFan]

Just one more question about the songwriting major... what's the course like? Like, what all do you study starting with freshman year; I only ask because some people have told me that you don't study a lot connected to your actual major in the first two years at berklee, instead you focus on music essentials and basics only.

[sideburnsbob]

@MetropolisFan That's fairly true - I waited 5 semesters to really get stuck into the songwriting courses, though most of that decision was due to the fact that I had specific teachers I wanted to learn from and had to wait for spaces in their classes.

[gsnaponfire]

Berklee was totally worth it, only had money for a semester, but I learned a lot!

[MetropolisFan]

Thanks again! Im doing the same thing, one original and one short prepared piece...will be using a looper pedal, should be fun!

[sideburnsbob]

@MetropolisFan Oh - they're going to love the pedal, trust me.

[MetropolisFan]

Hey, thanks for this great video! Really helpful stuff...just wanted to ask about the audition also. Dont know if youve already addressed this in an another video but how does berklee feel about people playing originals for the audtiion? My main instr is guitar though my original piece has singing in it...ill also be using a looper pedal to back myself up. Ive applied for professional music in the application but im actually considering songwriting as a major also. Auditions in 2 weeks!

[sideburnsbob]

@MetropolisFan This is a great question. When I auditioned I played a song of mine (mainly because I wanted them to be aware of my songwriting and performance), but I also played a short prepared guitar piece to showcase my abilities. Play whatever showcases you at your best and your most confident!

[TravisRHarkins]

Nice video! I have been thinking for the past year actually about attending and I have been accepted and everything. The only problem is the money and if I could I would just get a $23,000 loan. Really i know deep down that it will be worth it but I am still thinking it through and giving it a lot of thought.

[sideburnsbob]

@TravisRHarkins Have a good hunt around for scholarships. Berklee has a really large list of scholarships and you are automatically considered just by auditioning.

[quishaluvsrob14]

how do u get in?

[sideburnsbob]

@quishaluvsrob14 You need to go through an audition process and interview process. You'll find full details on their site, but you should first call them for information to make sure it fits what you need from a music school.

[kevinpdeanjr87]

do need to know how to read music to apply cuz a have a good ear for music tho

[sideburnsbob]

@kevinpdeanjr87 It's not necessary, but it helps. That being said, many people who start at Berklee don't read or, if they do, they are only a little proficient.

[spacitydrummer4JC]

Honestly, there is nothing Berklee couldn't teach you that A.I.M. or M.I. couldn't. Save your parents the money.

[spacepatrolman]

@spacitydrummer4JC they used to call it GIT its a one year crash course before that was the grove school of music both were trying to be a west coast berklee [ grove had corresponce courses like berklee] grove wanted to have it so students could go to a junior college on the side and get a degree but it didnt work out

[viniciuslennon]

HEY, PLEASE, CAN YOU MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT HOW DOES A AUDITION TO GET IN TO BERKLEE WORKS? thanks

[nexusvision]

Just for the Experience of other more than average intense musicians...!! Berklee is worth it...

[neochase1]

cool vid, i liked it ! thanks !

[maucardinali]

Christ! Thank you guys SO MUCH for uploading this video. I'm currently a music student at the federal university of Pelotas in the south of Brazil and I am DYING to move to Berklee. The way you guys talk in the video made me jealous, you seem so free to work and study the genre you want to. They don't let me study anything here that's not at least from a century ago! And I can't sing anything! Their system is totally robotic! You have no idea! They'd rather discuss music than play music.

[Drucef]

Imagine (or relive I'm sure) this scenario:

You're in a music store, trying out a new guitar and amplifier. Then Douchy McDouchebag comes in, picks up a guitar, plugs it in, cranks the amp next to you 10x louder than yours, drowning you out, playing something with the look of "WIN" on his face. We've all seen it before. THAT'S Berklee (x1000).

[MovieMusicNerd1]

Hey nice vid!! I twelve I wanna score films as a career, is berklee good for that??

[sideburnsbob]

@MovieMusicNerd1 Absolutely! They have a dedicated film scoring major at Berklee.

[TheBeatlesCom]

@sideburnsbob How about a teaching job? Or Bussiness?

[sideburnsbob]

@TheBeatlesCom There are specific majors for Education and Business too! The business department is really happening, and I've found that the skills I learned have enabled me to become an effective teacher.

[spacepatrolman]

@MovieMusicNerd1 your never going to get a job doing that unless you have a father that is the president of warner brothers or you let a queer record biz exec blow you

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman david lee roths father is a beverly hills doctor do you want more examples

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman andre previn does film scoring and he will tell you that your music sucks and his is great cause he is jewish even though he aint that grat a composer

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman john williams did a seminar at berklee but you dont want to get involved with him and speilburg they will chop yer head off with a helicopter a musician from the new york philharmonic said williams is a sloppy uncoardinated condutor and an unoriginal composer

[jordanrule]

Lee Berk the founder, anyway I think your video is a little biased. I went for 2 1/2 years, that chick was lucky she saved her money and got out after 3 semesters. The Trad harm and counterpoint classes are joke, I learned more in the first 3 weeks about classical composition than I did in Trad harm 1, 2 and counterpoint put together.

It's a very slow paced school, why you may ask... so you get it down concretely never to be forgotten? NO, its because they want your money, that is all.

[spacepatrolman]

@jordanrule there is no draft so colleges are hurting for students the teachers could end up flipping hamburgers

[jordanrule]

deerrrrr Lee Berk the founder

[ShareefAddo]

haha I got accepted =D

[Allissy47]

@ShareefAddo was the audition and everything hard?

[ShareefAddo]

@Allissy47 Well I wouldn't say it's hard, but it is nerve-wracking! Everything they say they will do on the website is exactly what they would do haha. It Goes By kinda quickly. But if you are going to audition, be confident in your piece and your abilities!

[Frostflwr]

Oooh! Thank You! I thought I was way Losin Touch for a moment turns out I was completely Out of touch, Didn't even know there was a Berklee. Sounds pretty awsome though! ;)

[Frostflwr]

Why do you spell it Berklee? I would hope that coming out of University you would be able to spell the name of it, right? Maybe berklee is more Coooool than Berekley?

[sideburnsbob]

@Frostflwr Because they're two distinctly different schools. UC Berkeley is in California, Berklee College of Music is in Massachusetts.

[mhazani]

@sideburnsbob and Berklee is named after the founder's son, Lee Berk. It's a joke, I guess.

[spacepatrolman]

@mhazani yea its joke berk wanted to call it the berklee college of jazz but he was a fraid parents wouldnt give the money for their kid to become a dope addict like miles davis

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman the army told david amram if you dont renilst and try to become a jazz musician you will be a dope addict like woody hermans sax section

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman larry berk originally called it the schillenger school cause he studied the schillenger system like glen miller and quincy jones [ quincy jones is the biggest thing that ever happened in the music biz they make a big thing out of the fact that he went to berklee but he was already in the music biz]

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman later robert share ran the place he wrote the berklee correspondence course also famous for kicking keith jarett out of berklee for being a wiseass [ i know a guy that knows jarrett and sez he is a wiseass]

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman jack peterson started the guitar department at berklee in the 50s and wrote a book of transcribed guitar solos published by down beat one of them was by pat metheney who went to berklee and taught at berklee peterson did a jamey abersold play along with the record book then went to texas next was william leavett who wrote a song that was recorded by les paul sheet music was issued and he wrote 4 guitar books published by berklee

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman the number 2 man in the music biz that went to berklee after quincy jones is gary macfarland the adult prodigy who never played an instrument as a child but studied vibes as an adult was on the cover of downbeat at the newport jazz festival had his own record company skye records did jazz records commercials and the soundtrack to slaves with dionne warwick who went to the university of hartford has a phd and more number 1 records than anyone but elvis

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman while still a student at berklee gary had a record issued on the berklee label jazz in the classroom with gabor szabo [ it comes with the scores] there is a gary macfarland discography at listentomusic.stumbleupon also a quincy jones discography

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman the number 3 man in the music biz that went to berklee is graham collier who wrote a book on jazz and a large amount of experimental compositions and records the number 4 man in the music biz that went to berklee is mike gibbs who did his own records and other peoples like john mcglaclins

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman the number 5 man in the music biz that went to berklee is gary burton who played newport and all over he world and taught at berklee

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman The number 1 man in the music biz who went to berklee is quincy jones he had his own jazz orchestra worked with ray charles and frank sinatra count basie wrote music for movie soundtracks and tv shows produced tv shows and movies was a record biz exec produced jazz records and rock records...

[spacepatrolman]

@sideburnsbob berklee has nothing to do with californis except they had a few seminars somewhere in california

[jasperwoods]

@Frostflwr lol retard

[Paulsoriginals97]

How Does Julliard Compare To Berklee?

[StephenDrummer]

@Paulsoriginals97 They are two different styles, julliard is classical, Berklee is jazz based

[spacepatrolman]

@StephenDrummer both jewyard and the manhattan school of music had a condescending attitude towards jazz and rock and guitar i went along for the ride for an interview with a guy at manhattan school of music he was jewish so he thought the interviewer should bow down to him all i did was mention i play guitar and she flipped out and said we dont recognise the guitar as an instrument [now they do cause they were going out of business ]

[spacepatrolman]

@spacepatrolman I said i invented a new avante gaurd classical style of guitar playing influenced by picasso where i beat the strings of the guitar with my penis the other guy said to her if you dont play the atonal compositions of frank zappa you are not much of a musician

[lllcccrrr]

@Paulsoriginals97 I am not affiliated with the posters of this video, except for that I know the majority of them and I am a 5th semester guitar principle, dual majoring in professional music, and music production and engineering at Berklee. My girlfriend's mother went to Juliard, and all I ever hear her say is how she wishes she had gone to Berklee. I also know plenty of people who have transferred here from Miami, because they hated Miami in comparison. Berklee is amazing all around!

[totaltranquility]

That sweater is horrid!! But Michael Hazani is sexy :) and Benjamin Hicks is so doable.

[Akiachrounoumena]

how about you ask the work study how many alumni don't want anything to do with the school when they call them about donations ... unless you're a virtuoso or like a psychotic ego star who's in the center of the universe don't waste your time and most importantly the money. biggest stress of my entire life was when I got the statements for the loans that I have to pay. A musical future is non existent once you start. No one gives a fuck about you in this school. you can ask me all about it

[xaviervandepoll]

Hey man, nice video!

I'm 16 years old, I live in the Netherlands, and I know I want to study music at a conservatory (don't know which one yet), but is Berklee worth it for violin students? And can I study film scoring and violin at the same time, and get a degree for those two?

Thanks you in advance!

[Akiachrounoumena]

@xaviervandepoll you can study violin on your own free time (with much more success and efficiency) the film scoring department is fantastic however you won't work as a film scorer unless you either get lucky or go to film scoring grad schools which are spread out across the US particularly in CA and NY ... I have a friend who dropped out and he had 1 year to go because he saw that there was no perspective for him as a film scoring major... save the money and time man....

[agonaa]

such an inspiring video, so cool :)

[katyschirard]

yeah, i never would have been a secret international rap sensation if i never went to berklee, seriously.

[WillMakarRedLine]

@knoxrox167 Berklee offers more of that than anything lol you just have to work hard and make it happen, like any other job.

[sideburnsbob]

@grotonhomie I believe that they're referencing jazz harmony as opposed to traditional harmony, though the former is obviously founded, and evolved out of, traditional or 'common practice' harmony.

[grotonhomie]

@sideburnsbob oh alright. i was just confused because earlier in the video some people implied that jazz was not contemporary music. But thank you very much for this video. It helps a lot.

[spacepatrolman]

@grotonhomie the word contemporary is an adjective contemporary jazz contemporary rock contemporary furniture contemporary architecture people that think contemporary is a style of music are in kindergarden

[spacepatrolman]

@sideburnsbob kreneck wrote a book on atonal counterpoint which will totaly scramble yer brain everything you know is wrong like a woody allen movie

[knoxrox167]

what about opportunity? i want to enter in with either a songwriting or music engineering and production major, but my parents are very very skeptical that either majors will give much opportunity for a job once i'm out.

[newbienomsfewds1]

@knoxrox167 If you go on their website, you'll see that they actually have many opportunities for you to do things like playing gigs, collaborating, getting yourself heard... Honestly, you'll have more chance at Berklee than you would on your own, it seems.

[spacepatrolman]

@knoxrox167 I know a girl that went to berklee that became a recording engineer but she is a jewish hippie that gives blowjobs if yer a guy then youd better be burt bacharachs son

[shilantheman]

Nice job, Rob and all the contributors!

[BaerchenprinzBln]

Cool video. Very interesting. I like it. Keep it up. Thanks for sharing. Cheers André ☺

[alexjestermusic]

Wonderful video. Cheers!

[spacepatrolman]

@alexjestermusic leo feist john sebastians crooked publisher gave a commencement address at berklee where he said elitism is the most important thing in music meanwhile john sebastian was living in a cardboard house after having number 1 hits