What's the program like? | Five-Week Summer Performance

Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program, now in its 22nd year, is the largest, most comprehensive summer music program available--anywhere. Better known as "Five-Week," the Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program, with its diversity of study options, world-class Berklee faculty, visiting artists, and state-of-the-art facilities, is the premiere contemporary music summer program for young musicians. Each summer, approximately 900 participants from across the U.S. and around the world (70 countries) share in this unique summer experience--all instruments, all contemporary styles, and all levels of musical ability. Five-Week is your opportunity to experience the summer of a lifetime, at the world's most prestigious institution for the study of contemporary music.

For students who are also interested in enrolling at Berklee full time, there are several benefits to attending Five-Week:

Audition for scholarships to Berklee during the program. Roughly $3.5 million in scholarships are awarded to Five-Week students by audition during any given summer.
Find out what it takes to succeed in music and at Berklee.
Study with Berklee faculty.
Learn about admission, audition, and scholarship requirements.
Get a head start on your full-time studies.
Get to know Boston, New England's hub of culture and academia.

At the Five-Week Program, you will be immersed in all aspects of performance. Your classes, workshops, and rehearsals will focus on this important side of your musicianship. You will play in ensembles, develop improvisational and reading skills, improve your technique in weekly private lessons, and enjoy lectures/demonstrations by well-known faculty and visiting artists.

The Five-Week Program emphasizes the mastery of playing or singing skills in your chosen style of contemporary music: jazz, pop/rock, funk/fusion, or pop/r&b. You will learn through your individual studies and through your work with other musicians of similar training and ability. Whether you are an experienced performer or someone who has never been in front of an audience, you can improve your performance skills by attending the Five-Week Program. The focus is on you and what you want to say with your music, in an environment that is pure performance.

You can choose one of the following tracks:

Jazz – Study and perform a variety of jazz instrumental and vocal styles. The repertoire focuses on jazz standards, blues, and modal jazz compositions by a wide range of important jazz artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Joshua Redman, Sarah Vaughan, and others.
Pop/Rock – Study and perform a wide range of popular and rock music styles including alternative rock, blues, rock 'n' roll, and more. The repertoire focuses on the music of important performers including Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, U2, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and more.
Funk/Fusion (Instrumentalists only) – Study and perform many instrumental music styles including funk, fusion, world beat, and more. The repertoire is drawn from the music of important performers and groups such as the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Herbie Hancock, Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Pat Metheny Group, John Scofield, Joe Zawinul, and others.
Pop/R&B (Vocalists only) – Study and perform a wide range of popular vocal music styles including hip-hop, rhythm and blues, soul, and Motown. The repertoire is drawn from the music of important performers such as Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, and others.

In all styles, ensemble performance will be driven by the specific interests of the students involved.

Your education, provided by Berklee's talented and experienced faculty members, will include:

Private Instruction – A half-hour lesson each week on your principal instrument.
Instrumental Labs – Three hours each week in instrument-specific courses to develop instrumental craft, style, and technique.
Ensembles – Two hours each week, including instrumental and vocal groups playing jazz, pop/rock, funk/fusion, pop/r&b, and other contemporary styles such as bluegrass, reggae, and world music.
Musicianship – Four hours per week to develop your musical ear and your performance and reading skills.
Theory in Performance – Three hours per week studying the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic elements of music as they relate to playing your instrument or singing.
Performance Perspectives – Performances/discussions held two hours per week to expose you to valuable career information and insight from some of the finest performers and songwriters in the music industry. Notable artists who have recently visited the Five-Week Program include the Bad Plus, John Blackwell, Terence Blanchard, Billy Bragg, Larry Carlton, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ron Carter, Larry Coryell, Lalah Hathaway, Richie Havens, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Wyclef Jean, Patty Larkin, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Patrice Rushen, John Scofield, T.M. Stevens (Shocka Zooloo), Susan Tedeschi, and many more.
Final Week Concerts – You will get to perform before members of the Berklee community, faculty, fellow students, and any guests you invite. Final week concerts are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 8 and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Friday August 13. More than 250 student ensembles, each led by one of Berklee's faculty members, perform in concerts held during the final week. Every student performs during this week. Students will know where and when they will be performing by the second week of the program. All of these concerts are open to the public. We strongly encourage family and friends to attend.
Blowout Concerts – This evening concert series will showcase selected ensembles featuring many of the program's best instrumentalists and vocalists, in the 1,220-seat, world-class Berklee Performance Center. This year's concerts are scheduled for the evenings of August 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Visiting Artists – Lecture/demonstrations by performers, songwriters, film composers, music business experts, and music professionals from every sector of the industry. Notable artists who have recently visited Berklee include Jane Ira Bloom, George Duke, Melissa Ferrick, Trina Hamlin, Will Kennedy, Dave Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Noel Redding, and Derek Trucks. Visiting artist clinics are open to all students. The visiting artists will be announced at the start of the program.
Electives – You will be asked to choose one of the following two-hour lecture classes:
- Composition and Arranging – This seminar will introduce you to composing and arranging techniques. Topics include the process of creating and harmonizing melodies, orchestration of ideas, song and arrangement form, and music analysis.
- Great Performers – A discussion of influential performers in the jazz and rock idioms, augmented by audio and video recordings.
- Music Business – This course will provide an introduction to the music business. Students will gain an understanding of how their creative works are protected by U.S. copyright law and promoted by publishers, the contractual relationship between artists and record labels, tour promotion and planning, and artist management.
- Music Synthesis – A class on the operation of, and differences between, synthesizers. Basic programming techniques, use of synthesizers in today's industry, use of MIDI, sampling, etc., will be discussed.
- Songwriting – Topics discussed will include song forms, lyric writing, publishing agreements, recording contracts, analysis of styles, and how to get your songs recorded. Recordings and videos are presented for class discussion.
- Survey of Recording Styles – An introduction to studio equipment, technical aspects of recording (logarithms, decibels, etc.), and various studio procedures.

Classes generally take place between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Other activities follow in the evening. All participants will be given an individual student schedule during the first week of the program.

Additional Performance Opportunities and Student Activities
Performance is the centerpiece of the Five-Week Program. During your five weeks, you will have many opportunities to put your course work into action. Additional performance opportunities available to you include:

Jam Sessions – Tuesday and Thursday night jam sessions are open to all. This is a great way to get to know other students and explore your own potential in an informal group-playing situation.
Recording Studio Sessions – For selected ensembles to record in one of Berklee's 10 state-of-the-art recording studios.
Recording Sessions for Vocalists – Vocalists will have the opportunity to record a song in a professional recording studio, singing with pre-recorded tracks or with their own accompaniment.
Drum Circles – Available to percussionists and nonpercussionists alike. This weekly workshop provides an opportunity to develop skills using various percussion instruments from around the world.
Five Week Chorus – Developed especially for this program. The chorus performs in the Berklee Performance Center during the final week.
Musical Theater Workshop – This workshop will introduce you to the skills and techniques needed to get work in musical theater. Strong emphasis will be placed on audition technique, including developing your book, song selection and development, and identifying songs suitable for your individual style and the roles for which you may audition. Students will rehearse and perform, individually and in groups, scenes and musical numbers from a variety of productions leading up to a showcase at the end of the program.
Turntable Technique – Students will develop a basic skill set of turntable techniques, including cueing, mixing, beat matching, cutting, and scratching. By tracing the transformation of the turntable into a musical instrument, students will learn of its development as a major expression of hip-hop culture and thus understand its prominence in contemporary music. The course is open to students with little or no prior experience.
Groove Essentials for All Instruments – Learn to play and write in some of the essential styles that have defined contemporary music. Artists from the Rolling Stones and Tito Puente to Sting and James Brown have exhibited connections to similar rhythmic content that has influenced their music. These connections are explored with specially created play along CDs that will aid in the understanding, writing, and performance techniques of these styles. Regular in-class performances and writing demonstrations will take place.
Summer Jazz Workshop – Summer Jazz Workshop is a full scholarship program, including tuition, room and board, and all related fees for some of the most talented jazz students in the world. Learn more
Summer Rock Workshop – Summer Rock Workshop is a full scholarship program, including tuition, room and board, and all related fees for some of the most talented rock students in the world. Learn more
Performing Songwriter Contest and Concert – Open to all. Students can enter original or co-written songs by signing up for an audition in the Student Activities Center during registration. A live audition adjudicated by Berklee faculty will be scheduled for participants to perform their songs. Thirty winners will perform their songs in a series of showcases scheduled for the fourth week of the program in the Berklee Performance Center and Cafe 939.
Five-Week Singers Showcase – Vocalists can audition during the first week of the program, competing to be one of five soloists, each of whom will have the opportunity to perform a song during the fifth week of the program in the Berklee Performance Center. These students will perform arrangements that will be written for them and performed with a band of upper-semester Berklee students, under the direction of Berklee professor Ken Zambello.
Five-Week Instrumental Showcases – Instrumentalists can audition during the first week of the program to compete for an opportunity to perform a song in the Berklee Performance Center under the direction of Berklee faculty members during the fifth week of the program.
Student Activities –The Student Activities Center, in collaboration with the Five-Week Office, welcomes you to Berklee and to Boston with a dynamic two-day orientation program complete with student performances, jam sessions, introductions to Berklee resources, and community-building social events. Over the course of the Five-Week Program, the Student Activities Center organizes a host of activities meant to connect the Five-Week community and encourage students to take advantage of the student experience that Berklee and the city of Boston have to offer. Past activities include group outings to movies and concerts, trips to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and hikes on local trails. Planned ongoing events have included caf shows (concerts in the Berklee dining hall run by students for students), game nights, and dance parties. Students are bound to find something of interest and meet a few friends along the way. While the specific offerings may change year to year, the Student Activities Center promises plenty to do. We recommend that all Five-Week students stop by the Student Activities Center to hang out, watch television, play games, or learn about getting involved. For more information about Student Activities at Berklee, contact studentactivities@berklee.edu.

Drug, Alcohol, and Conduct Policy
Berklee administrators reserve the right to expel any student from the Five-Week Program if he/she engages in unlawful behavior. Participants are prohibited from consuming or selling alcohol in any area of the college regardless of age. The unlawful use, possession, or sale of drugs or alcohol on college property or as part of college activities is strictly prohibited. Students who violate this policy may be withdrawn from the program without a refund and/or referred for prosecution.

Services for Students with Disabilities
Accommodations are available for students with physical limitations or documented learning disabilities. Services available may include academic accommodations and referrals to on-campus support, including adaptive technology and tutoring. Students should submit documentation of a disability and the need for accommodation well before the program start date. Accommodations in classroom teaching methods and testing cannot be offered unless appropriate documentation is on file with the college. For more information on services for students with disabilities, contact the Counseling and Advising Center at 617 747-2310.

Housing and Meals
Acceptance to the program does not guarantee a residence hall space. Applying for residence hall housing is a separate process. A limited number of housing applications and related information will be mailed to accepted applicants beginning in February until residence halls reach full capacity. Participants who will require on-campus housing are strongly encouraged to apply to the program by March 1, and upon receiving a housing application, should return it immediately in order to secure a space in the residence hall. Due to limited availability, residence hall space fills up quickly. To be eligible to live in the residence hall, you must be 15 years of age by the start of the program. Preference for on-campus housing will be given to students aged 15 to 17. For questions concerning residence hall housing, call the Housing Office at 617 747-2292. If you do not secure housing in Berklee's residence halls, please contact the Office of Special Programs at 617 747-2245 for information on alternative housing.