Following the launch of inaugural graduate degrees at its Valencia location, Berklee Collge of Music has announced the first graduate programs at its Boston campus. Starting in the fall of 2015, students will be able to achieve a Master of Arts in Music Therapy or a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance.
“Building upon the success of the college’s first graduate programs at our international campus in Valencia, we are proud to expand our graduate level offerings with these new degree programs,” said Berklee president Roger H. Brown in a statement. “Many students come to Berklee having already completed an undergraduate degree, and we believe student interest in these two programs will be quite strong, particularly given the leaders shaping these programs.”
The five-semester, 20 student-strong Music Therapy degree will be led by chair of the Music Therapy Department, Dr. Suzanne Hanser, who specializes in a medically informed approach to music’s healing benefits. “Students will focus on integrating new skills and models into today’s very challenging health care environment,” says Dr. Hanser, “and will learn how to incorporate innovative approaches to music therapy while documenting the impact of the effective techniques they are learning.”
Grammy Award-winning pianist Danilo Perez, who graduated from Berkelee in 1988, will lead the Contemporary Performance degree, which focuses on enhancing performers’ entrepreneurship (much like NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music). Students will take private lessons, participate in ensembles, and perform directed studies in a so-called “institute style” of teaching.
“Berklee’s Master of Music in Contemporary Performance educates trailblazers who will go on to lead their own projects, setting students up for sustainable careers while pursuing their passion for music,” said Matt Marvuglio, dean of the Professional Performance Division.
