Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Just thought you guys might be interested in this. Berklee College of Music has some free on-line lessons for download at:

http://www.berkleeshares.com/

Cool...a Berklee education without having to wade through all that attitude...

What attitude?

I went to check Berklee out twenty-five years ago...perhaps things have changed since then, but what I saw and overheard standing in the lobby was a crazed ego fest...I think, at that time at least, their curriculum could have benefitted from the addition of a course entitled 'Humility 101'. All my formal musical study since 1988 has been with players from a Southeast Asian rice-farming culture...the worst thing they call a person in their language is an 'individual', and it's a social liability there, if not a sin, to have 'a big head'...a place like Berklee would be hellish for them, and that's kind of the way it felt to me.

Don't want to slam anyone's Alma Mater, but in addition, I think the world has more than enough Jan Hammers at this point...

He's so bad...
He's so cool...
He has gone to the Berklee School..

I'm a Berklee grad. Sure there were some people there with big egos, but name one school, workplace, etc. where that's not the case. The great majority of my fellow students and all of the teachers were great. People were very friendly, willing to get together and jam, help each other out with classes, projects, etc.

The only real attitude I ever got about Berklee were from people that didn't go there. I can't tell you how many ads I saw in Boston for musicians that said "no Berklee students". I've been turned down by band simply because I went there. I stopped telling anyone that I went there, it was the only way I could get in a band.

I can't tell you how many ads I saw in Boston for musicians that said "no Berklee students". I've been turned down by band simply because I went there. I stopped telling anyone that I went there, it was the only way I could get in a band.
That's interesting... my older sister graduated from music college (piano) & got a job in a hard rock/alternative band... and she was hearing lots of unpleasant stuff from her bandmates (naturally, when her boyfriend who was the band leader was away) but she managed to prove "not guilty" in a couple of months... I've heard some stories of that kind from friends as well...
But not lettin' people join the band just because they've graduated from a certain music college? That's strange - IMHO...

There are some interesting topics on that site that I will certainly investigate further. I have no bias either way - ignorance can be bliss!

There is a great line in the movie "Crossroads" (No, not the one with Britney Spears), where the old bluesman says to Ralph Macchio, "Where'd you learn to play them p**sy chords, boy, in MUSIC SCHOOL?"
Some people are intimidated by people who know more than them. Or they think you are going to want to solo all night long.

Hey Eric...didn't mean to bend yer 'twang bar'...you don't sound at all like an attitude case to me, and anyone with a 'blueflamerick' like yours obviously wasn't ruined by 'the Berklee experience'...so I apologize for casting any aspersions. Now don't get me started on the Guitar Institute of Technology...

There was a guy in the same 'year' as me ('73) in high school who was the well-known drummer around town...totally middle-of-the-road in every way, with completely 'B-flat' chops to match...he had the looks, muscle car and string-of-girlfriends that go with it. He could (and did) play that Doobie Bros. cheez all night long. A friend of mine overheard him comparing me to Bill Bruford, and saying that we both had had "too much schooling"...

Hey, thanks for the compliment...'guilty as charged'...

Steve, I got an 'old bluesman' question fer Britney: "Where'd you learn to sing them orgasm noises, girl, in P**SY SCHOOL?"

No worries. Drummers, what do they know?

Hmmmmmmmm...

Yer tellin' me! They're almost as bad as hippies...

Hmmmmm...

Sheena, where'd you get them hummin' noises, girl....?