Prompt => If you have had access to formal music training, tell us what you found to be most valuable in that training. Describe how that training might contribute to your success as a student at Berklee.
From listening to my favorite radio stations on my way to school to hearing the soundtracks on my videogames late at night, music has always been an integral part of my day to day life. I started to listen to music more actively when I received an iPod as a Christmas present in the sixth grade. It was at that time when a distorted guitar became one of the most beautiful sounds to my ears. I was curious how people produced this unusual sound so I decided to take up the guitar and teach myself. I taught myself basic chords and simple songs from a beginner's guitar book. Although I did not know it at the time, I had been progressing at a snail's pace due to the absence of an expert to give me motivation and feedback on my technique.
One day, a family friend heard about my endeavor and offered to give me a basic lesson. I soon began taking private lessons from him and over the next three years he taught me the fundamentals of finger picking, classical music, blues, and most of all, jazz theory. During my lessons, I had to commit to memory a myriad of chords, scales, arpeggios and various jazz licks. As I learned more about the structure of music, my ears gradually recognized more sounds and patterns in what I listened to and watched. The more I learned, the greater my curiosity and motivation became. In addition to my lessons, I soon began to teach myself acoustic fingerstyle songs from video sources on the internet, rather than tablature. I realized the value of this arcane knowledge of music when I joined my school's jazz band. I discovered that the majority of the students that played the guitar knew only a few basic chords, power chords, and learned most of their songs through tabs. They had little to no knowledge of how music actually worked. I found this to be to my greatest advantage because of my accelerated learning rate and greater ability to improvise.
Before I had access to formal music training, I had perceived music with a superficial ear, but through my studies, I gained a more profound understanding. At Berklee, I can use my knowledge of theory to communicate the language of music with other students and my professors. I will be able to express my ideas verbally and be more receptive to different styles while striving to improve myself to pursue a career in music.
From listening to my favorite radio stations on my way to school to hearing the soundtracks on my videogames late at night, music has always been an integral part of my day to day life. I started to listen to music more actively when I received an iPod as a Christmas present in the sixth grade. It was at that time when a distorted guitar became one of the most beautiful sounds to my ears. I was curious how people produced this unusual sound so I decided to take up the guitar and teach myself. I taught myself basic chords and simple songs from a beginner's guitar book. Although I did not know it at the time, I had been progressing at a snail's pace due to the absence of an expert to give me motivation and feedback on my technique.
One day, a family friend heard about my endeavor and offered to give me a basic lesson. I soon began taking private lessons from him and over the next three years he taught me the fundamentals of finger picking, classical music, blues, and most of all, jazz theory. During my lessons, I had to commit to memory a myriad of chords, scales, arpeggios and various jazz licks. As I learned more about the structure of music, my ears gradually recognized more sounds and patterns in what I listened to and watched. The more I learned, the greater my curiosity and motivation became. In addition to my lessons, I soon began to teach myself acoustic fingerstyle songs from video sources on the internet, rather than tablature. I realized the value of this arcane knowledge of music when I joined my school's jazz band. I discovered that the majority of the students that played the guitar knew only a few basic chords, power chords, and learned most of their songs through tabs. They had little to no knowledge of how music actually worked. I found this to be to my greatest advantage because of my accelerated learning rate and greater ability to improvise.
Before I had access to formal music training, I had perceived music with a superficial ear, but through my studies, I gained a more profound understanding. At Berklee, I can use my knowledge of theory to communicate the language of music with other students and my professors. I will be able to express my ideas verbally and be more receptive to different styles while striving to improve myself to pursue a career in music.
