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Topic: Mando before steel..maybe but, banjo?! (Berklee) |
AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Dec 2005 1:08 pm |
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Article on Berklee Music in Boston.
Mike Ihde any chance you might get a steel major going?
Edited by Brad Bechtel to shorten the URL.[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 29 December 2005 at 09:14 AM.] |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 28 Dec 2005 5:54 pm
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All I can say is A-FREAKING-MEN!
"The oppressed became the oppressor." Unfortunatly, this is human nature, and almost always the case with just about anything. I love Del's advice, though. Do your thing, and just strive to be great at it. Probably the music I like the least is rap, but... I recognize artistry in ANY genre when I hear it, and know when I hear something that's really well done. But, it's hard to keep an open mind sometimes, I will admit.
Great to see they're finally opening their minds on some things at Berklee.
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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 28 Dec 2005 6:22 pm
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| Forumite John McGann is Berklee's first-ever Mandolin instructor. Mike Ihde has been preaching he lap steel gospel at Berklee for a few years now. [This message was edited by Andy Volk on 28 December 2005 at 06:23 PM.] |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Dec 2005 6:54 pm
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which is why I wish steel would have been first Andy.I believe the difference is that John, August Watters and Matt Glazer are on staff and maybe that's what did the pushing?? Who knows. Hopefully, it's a beginning.
For the record I never opressed while at Berklee. I was too busy trying to keep up with the likes of Delfeo Marsalis..like I ever could!  |
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Mike Ihde
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 12:22 am
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A few years ago, a fellow forumite, Dave Yannuzzi was the first Pedal Steel Major at Berklee. He had to take his final exams on pedal steel and play things like Bb Harmonic minor from the 4th degree for 2 octaves in length, or 3 voicings for a F7 #5,b9 chord or a 3 octave diminished scale. He passed with flying colors.
John McGann was my student back in the old days and worked out "Jesu, Joy of Mans desiring" in the E9th neck. I've taught many pedal players over the years, including Marc Muller who's been with Shania for quite a while. Buddy gave me his 9 & 10 axe that he used in '77 so the school could have one the kids could learn on.
I never had a Pedal Steel class because there just weren't enough players there at one time to fill it. You need at least 5. That's why I've been doing Lap Steel for the past 10 years. All the student needs is a nut raiser and he's all set.
Students who want to learn Country or Bluegrass have always had a place to play at Berklee but recently the school is getting more PC about it and showing it off. It used to be the black sheep and kind of kept in the closet. I've been running a performing Country Music Ensemble there for more than 25 years. A few of the players that have gone on to greater things are Hiro Arita (National Bluegrass Banjo Champ), Pete Huttlinger (National Fingerpicking Champ) Susan Tedeschi who decided blues was what she wanted rather than country, and many, many more. |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 12:55 pm
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Mike,
I of course knew about what you had been doing. I saw steels in your office many times. Although, I was not int eh country enesemble I did play in the performance verison of that with Bob Stanton. I was also in your country ensemble (terrible student at the time with all of life's hells)
I meant why wasn't it a recognized major like the other two? More interest in banjo..hmm
I venture to say there could be people interested in the acoustic as well as electric version if it were promoted as a majot. I am glad Berklee finally got more PC though. Hopefully people like Ben Harper, Robert Randolph, Harry Manx and Jerry Douglas will help turn the tide towards Berklee letting steel in as well. It's a valid major in a TN University from what i hear. Just on the record Mike, I think you did an awesome job keeping the styles alive at Berklee.[This message was edited by AJ Azure on 29 December 2005 at 12:59 PM.] |
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Mike Ihde
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 3:10 pm
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Just to show you how Berklee has been behind the times in the area of Country music, when kids come in to audition, we fill out a form where we can check off the kind of music they've been into before they arrived as well as what style they'd like to study now that they're here. It listed everything BUT country. I had to fight for years to get them to list it as an option.
Last September, when my student country ensemble opened up for Trace Adkins, they finally did a bunch of PR for us.
Most of the new look at Berklee is not coming from new classes or faculty but from the PR people they have working for them. The "Berklee Today" magazine, the catalog etc are all very slick because of the graphics people they hired and Berklee Press is putting out more books then ever with DVDs and on-line classes etc.
They've also made some good contacts over the years with Nashville people and they're exploting that as well.
I'm just glad that country, bluegrass, western swing etc. is finally getting some press. Maybe we'll get some more good pickers up here. |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 4:51 pm
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I'd love to see some Hawaiian too
For that matter why isn't DJango stlye studied more? He was glossed over in my Guitar performance classes but, other than that I had to find out about the style myself and what about Hot Jazz?.why does the invention of be-bop effectively kill anything before it?
The styles are becoming hot again. In my mind it behooves Berklee to be a more ethnomusicological and all encompassing in its'curriculum.
re: the PR yeah it started when i was finishing up in '97 but, with all the new buildings and online courses they had to go heavy on coprorate PR. I was invovled with the content head of Berklee press in an online music ed brainstorming seminar.This was way before Berklee Press turned into what it is now. They had maybe 8 books on their page at the time.PR wasn't remotely where it is now.
I just hope Berklee keeps up the momentum in becoming a total MUSIC school. |
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John McGann
From:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 5:41 pm
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AJ- I teach a Django Styles Lab as well as Gypsy Jazz Ensemble at Berklee (also a Celtic Ensemble, Bluegrass Lab as well as mandolin and guitar private lessons).
I play Louis Armstrong for my students interested in jazz. I teach them that triads aren't a sign of musical immaturity
Mike does a great job at Berklee; when I was his pedal steel student there, he gave me access to recordings I'd never been exposed to- from Jerry Byrd to Buddy Emmons, etc. A whole new world opened up for me there...
Mike was pretty much it for traditional stuff at Berklee in the '70's (although he is also a rocker, jazzer and all around versatile musician). It is good that "they" are allowing banjo and mandolin as principal instruments; I hope more steel players will come as well.
Whether or not you like the banjo, you'd be ignorant to miss the musicianship of players like Tony Trishcka, Bill Keith, Earl Scruggs, Bela, etc. etc.
Back in the day, country and bluegrass were totally ghettoized at Berklee, as was rock, but that does seem to be changing. The "bebop über alles" attitudes linger somewhat, but financial realities mean that the school has to address "popular demand". (Don't get me wrong, I love Charlie Parker too!)
The fact that one could study turntable but not mandolin really stuck in my craw, but again, things are evolving.
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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...
[This message was edited by John McGann on 29 December 2005 at 05:49 PM.] |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 6:08 pm
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Actually John I am very aware of Tony and Bela
it just struck me as odd that banjo hit before steel. I also agree turntable but, no mando, banjo and steel..is not cool.Nt dnegraitng banjo at all..well we do it jokingly but, we kid because we love 
I am very glad to hear you added those ensembles. They were sadly lacking when I was there.Rock was already hot but, anything else was hush hush. Even world music was a side thing. Ultimately, this should be good for the school. I just hope steel isn't neglected. btw John, greetings from Scotty Scott |
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John McGann
From:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 30 Dec 2005 6:53 am
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I didn't mean "you" directly AJ, there are some serious banjo haters among us- no kidding. Strange, when so many steel players double on banjo or vice-versa (Bill Keith, Tony Trischka leap to mind). It takes a pervert to figure out either of them
Steel was "accepted" at Berklee long before banjo. There was zero banjo at Berklee in the 70's to my knowledge.
Things are looking up in terms of a wider variety of styles being integrated into the overall scheme at Berklee.
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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 30 Dec 2005 7:51 am
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John, I agree with Bill Leavitt there it had no choice but, to gain some acceptance. It just shocked me that the two became an official major is all and steel was not on the same list, i.e. dobro since we're taking acoustic bluegrass. Banjo hater? not me. Like any instrument, it's all about taste
I always found it ironic that a Jazz school had an elitest attitude. Mind you I spent some time at NEC and they were REALLY snobby but,the jazz and klezmer parts are pretty cool.
Boto line, glad to ehar they ar emoving int he right direction..even if you had to pull teeth to get it.
I didn't know Tony also played steel! |
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