Press Area

For all press inquiries, please contact:

Barry Kelly
Berkleemusic
617-747-2828
bkelly@berklee.edu

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BOSTON– May 18, 2004 – Berklee College of Music, the world’s premier music college, announced today that its file-sharing initiative, Berkleeshares.com, providing free online music lessons, is helping the college increase awareness of its programs and its faculty. Both the Berkleemusic.com online school and Berklee Press, Berklee’s publishing division, have experienced a 40 percent increase in visitors as a result of the launch of Berklee Shares and increased revenues of 32 percent. Berkleeshares.com was launched on November 10, 2003.

Commenting on the announcement, Dave Kusek, Vice President of Berklee Media said, “The success of Berkleeshares.com is a testament to the need for music education on a global level. It is also proof that file sharing can be embraced by musicians as a meaningful way to share information and knowledge with each other. Berkleeshares.com was launched to initiate a dialogue about the benefits of file sharing in the music community. We have succeeded and we intend to keep the dialog going.”

The Berklee Shares online lessons are comprised of a growing catalog of music lessons covering instrument performance, music production and technology, songwriting and arranging, music business and careers, music education and improvisation. The lessons are derived from curriculum developed at Berklee by its world-renowned faculty and are available in the form of MP3s, QuickTime movies and PDF files.

File sharing as a promotional tool has proved to be effective for Berklee. Since its launch, Berkleeshares.com has received more than 250,000 visitors who have downloaded more than 350,000 lessons. The site has received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from within the music industry and others who have made use of the available files.

Respected artist manager and record label owner Ken Levitan, commented: "The music community has changed dramatically in the past several years with the advent of file sharing and related technology and we all have to keep up the pace. Berklee Shares demonstrates how we can all take advantage of these innovations. Education can be brought to students on their own time, in their own homes, reaching that many more people and that much more effectively." Levitan’s Vector Management and Vector Recordings clients include Steve Winwood, Patty Griffin, Peter Cincotti, Lyle Lovett, Queen Latifah, Damien Rice and Chris Robinson.

Bruce Kirkland, President of Tsunami Entertainment said: "Berklee College of Music has demonstrated the words "file sharing" to have a very positive connotation, and indeed be used to further the interests of musicians and their art form. Our artists have always regarded technology as their friend, helping to establish important one-to-one relationships with their fans. Berklee is yet again helping us to be brave in the new world.” Tsunami Entertainment clients include Bon Jovi, Sarah Brightman, The Dandy Warhols, GusGus, Goldfrapp, Ozomatli and DJ Dan Mancini.

Berklee is committed to providing music education that is widely available to the global music community. The Berklee Shares program is designed to create an open exchange of ideas for musicians everywhere and as a means to gain unprecedented access to quality education through the Internet. Berklee believes that digital distribution networks will have a significant impact on the future of music and music education.

Berklee continues to explore, through innovative programs such as Berklee Shares, positive ways to take advantage of digital distribution networks and to better understand the future direction of the music industry. Berklee stands alongside other leading organizations that are committed to educating the industry and the general public about important music and technology issues, such as file sharing.

About Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over half a century, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing 70 plus countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today and tomorrow.
http://www.berklee.edu

About Berkleemusic
Berkleemusic.com is Berklee’s online music school, delivering online access to world-renowned music faculty, educational concepts and time-tested curriculum previously available only to on-campus students. Berkleemusic.com expands music-education opportunities beyond the campus experience using the newest methods, media and technologies. Berkleemusic.com is the first online music school seamlessly combining education and career development to give musicians, educators and music industry professionals a one-stop destination for all their learning, career and networking needs.
http://www.berkleemusic.com

About Berklee Press
Berklee Press is the only publisher of music instruction books and DVDs based on Berklee College of Music’s renowned teaching methods and curriculum. Written by Berklee's esteemed faculty and music industry experts, Berklee Press titles enable each reader to learn about performance, business, technology and songwriting on their own terms, turf and timetable. http://www.berkleepress.com

For more information:

The Baker/Northrop Media Group
Sheryl Northrop / 818-986-5200
Sheryl@bakernorthrop.com
Kyle Casazza / 818-986-5200
kyle@baklernorthrop.com

Berklee Press
Jennifer Rassler, Marketing Manager
617-747-2759
jrassler@berklee.edu