Professional Writing and Music Technology Division

10/18/2022

Current Composition and EPD students, please join us for the Comp/EPD collaborative residency this year, featuring the SPLICE ensemble. Write a new piece for ensemble and electronics, with a performance and recording in the Spring of 2023. Informational meeting Monday October 24th at 6pm in the William Davis Room!

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11/17/2016

Explore the Music and Instruments of Japan!

In this Spring 2017 course, students will discover Japan’s unique sound colors, rhythms, scales, melody, and concepts of time. Demonstrations of selected instruments. Music of Buddhism, Shinto, royalty, and theater. Folk and popular music, video game music and electronica. The class will examine Chinese and other Asian influence on early Japanese music, as well as
later Japanese influence on music in the United States and Europe. Upon completion of this course the student will have knowledge of Japan’s musical traditions, instruments, tone and rhythm systems, and concepts of time and space.
JAPANESE MUSIC and INSTRUMENTS - - MLAN-243
- - T. Allen LeVines, Professor ([email protected], 617-747-8256)

09/12/2016

Leo is working at the desk today

04/05/2016

The Professional Writing and Music Technology Division Awards Concert is tonight!!
The Professional Writing and Music Technology Division Awards Concert is a musical celebration of student compositions. The concert features award-winning student compositions from the division’s eight departments: Film Scoring, Jazz Composition, Harmony, Contemporary Writing and Production, Electronic Production and Design, Composition, Songwriting, and Music Production and Engineering. This eclectic annual event includes film scores as well as pieces for orchestra, jazz band, electronics, and rock band. The compositions are in a variety of styles including jazz, singer-songwriter, contemporary, classical, and Latin.
When: Tonight at 8PM
Where: BPC
Tickets: $4 for students

12/01/2015

The BIRN and Scullers Jazz are proud to give you an opportunity to win tickets to see The Baylor Project, featuring Marcus and Jean Baylor, live at Scullers on Thursday, December 10 at 8:00 p.m. Marcus has toured and recorded with Kenny Garrett, John Scofield, Cassandra Wilson, and the Grammy-winning Yellowjackets. Jean has recorded and toured with Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, the Yellowjackets, and the legendary Buster Williams. The band also features Sullivan Fortner (piano), Eric Wheeler (bass), and Keith Loftis (tenor and soprano sax). To enter to win a pair of tickets, email your name and phone number to [email protected]. There are four pairs of tickets to win, and the deadline to enter is Tuesday, December 8 at 11:59 p.m. Good Luck!

09/30/2015

Scullers Jazz Club and The BIRN are excited to offer a limited number of comp tickets (2 tickets per person limit) to see Jose James’ 10pm show this evening.

To claim a ticket or a pair of tickets email,

[email protected] with Jose James in the subject and please indicate if you want 1 or 2 tickets.

Jose's latest album, Yesterday I Had The Blues, The Music Of Billie Holiday was produced by Blue Note president Don Was, and features an amazing band including pianist Jason Moran, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Eric Harland.

Doors to the club open at 9:30pm and students must present their student ID at the door.

09/22/2015

Howard Shore '69 and the Berklee Alumni Composer Consortium

Friday / September 25, 2015 / 8:00 p.m. @ the Berklee Performance Center

Berklee’s Professional Writing and Technology Division in conjunction with the Berklee Alumni Composer Consortium (BACC) presents a concert of contemporary art music featuring the concert music of alumnus Howard Shore '69. The program will include three pieces by Shore as well as compositions by Kari Juusela, dean of the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division; Frank E. Warren, president of the BACC; and Helen Sherrah-Davies, assistant professor in the Harmony Department.

Guest artists include mezzo-soprano Krista River, cellist Arnold Friedman, violinist Mimi Rabson, violinists David Wallace and Melissa Howe, pianist Joe Mulholland, and the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra led by Greg Hopkins. The music will be performed by ensembles ranging from string ensemble to a jazz big band.

Admission: $8 in advance / $12 day of show

02/05/2015

On Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 7:30 PM in DFRH the Harmony Department will present New Works For Jazz Orchestra V. The 17–piece Big Band is comprised of Harmony faculty members and guests. This program of new work, original compositions and arrangements by Harmony faculty members Charles Cassara, Jeff Claassen, Winnie Dahlgren, David Harris, Tom Hojnacki, Darrell Katz and Nicholas Urie is bold, eclectic and exciting music!

01/21/2015

12/08/2014

Millican Scholarship Composition Contest

The Millican Scholarship Composition Contest is open to all students. The winner will receive $980 in scholarship funds, and have their piece performed in the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division Awards Concert.

More Info:

The Millican Scholarship Endowed Fund is an annual award ($980) established in 1990 by James T. Millican. Its purpose is to recognize compositional achievement by a student who is continuing the Gershwin style and tradition of combining and blending jazz and classical idioms.

Procedure: interested students will submit at least 2 minutes excerpt of the proposed piece (fully scored) in PDF format along with an MP3 demo to Kari Juusela ([email protected]), the Dean of the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division, by February 2, 2015. A panel of judges from the PWMTD will choose the winner. The winning piece will be performed at the Professional Writing and Music Technology Awards Concert on Monday, March 30, 2015 at the BPC. (Dress rehearsal will be on Sunday, March 29.)

Guidelines:

Length: four to eight minutes

Compositions may be for orchestra, solo instrument, voice and accompaniment, jazz band or a a small ensemble. (Orchestral submissions are limited to the instrumentation listed below.)

Maximum Orchestral Instrumentation: Small chamber orchestra (Strings: 6 4 2 2 1;

Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 1 basson; Brass: 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba. Percussion: timpani and 3 others max.) Additional instruments may include saxophones, guitar, drumset, and piano.. No more than 40 performers in total.

If you have any questions about the above info, please contact Dean Kari Juusela ([email protected]).