Chairs

• 

  Ken Pullig

  Title: Chair
  Department: Jazz Composition

  "The trick is to keep the creative mechanism moving. Writing a simple canon (with the boundaries well defined) can be a good diversion when you're not feeling any inspirational drive. By focusing on a specific task, you stop worrying about lacking inspiration and pretty soon the creative juices start to flow as you have to make decisions about what is possible and what works best. Exercises like taking a set of changes and writing 10 different melodies to them, or taking a melody and harmonizing it 10 different ways always can get your creative gears moving."

  "I compose because I love the joy of self-expression and of creating interesting and challenging musical landscapes for my musician friends. I enjoy the fun of collaborating with fellow humans in the creation of art.

  "The difference between traditional composition and jazz composition is really just stylistic. We share the same 12 tones, and in many ways the same vocabulary when it comes to general usage of melody, harmony, and rhythm. Form and orchestration concerns are similar but unique at the same time, as each discipline has its own traditions and common practices. Perhaps the biggest distinction can be found in the importance of the blues, harmonically and melodically, in jazz composition and the presence of the rhythm section and its improvisational/supportive role. Also, the jazz composer has the unique challenge of creating and supporting 'space' for solo improvisation.

  "It's fun to guide young people in the pursuit of music making. Berklee students challenge me to keep a fresh perspective. I get a lot of great ideas from them.

  "The trick is to keep the creative mechanism moving. Writing a simple canon (with the boundaries well defined) can be a good diversion when you're not feeling any inspirational drive. By focusing on a specific task, you stop worrying about lacking inspiration and pretty soon the creative juices start to flow as you have to make decisions about what is possible and what works best. Exercises like taking a set of changes and writing 10 different melodies to them, or taking a melody and harmonizing it 10 different ways always can get your creative gears moving.

  "Guided by such a large and wonderful faculty, a student at Berklee has exposure to a wealth of stylistic differences. I think the flexibility that results can be a real advantage."

  • B.M., Berklee College of Music
  • B.S., University of Connecticut
  • Founder and leader of and composer and arranger for jazz ensemble Decahedron
  • Performances with several groups, including Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble
  • Recipient, Massachusetts Council of the Arts Fellowship in composition

  Related Links:

  • Modern Jazz Voicings

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