Berklee in L.A. Summer Program

This is a review for this past week’s Berklee Los Angeles Summer Program, the «Songwriter and Performer» session.
First of all, it makes me really sad to mark this so low because I REALLY wanted to enjoy this program — I had high hopes and high expectations for this seminar. Big names in the instructors and institution, I thought I would learn a lot from this on a number of fronts. It also makes me really sad because I could tell a lot of the instructors were great, and I liked them, but the program just did not deliver.
For multiple reasons, I came away with very little. Given that there are people considering this program in the future, it’s only fair to give disclosure and advice to decide whether or not this one-​week workshop will be beneficial to you.
The biggest thing: the depth covered in classes is not at all what was advertised. On the official program website, it promises learning will include: for composition «chord progressions, chord sounds, and modulations … inversions, reharmonization, use of pedal points and ostinato,» for lyric writing «setting words to music and music to words, alliteration, rhymes and near rhymes, and writing from title. Participants will have opportunities to collaborate with fellow students,» and for recording «how to produce quality demos and ways to market them.» I’m thinking, «Yeah! Berklee! Intense!!!»
Sadly, not so. In composition/​notation, I was taught the basics of what makes up a chord and how to write down your own melody, what’s already there — nothing about chord progression, modulation, reharmonization, etc — the things that go into shaping a song. There was nothing on lyric writing, and there was no collaborative songwriting activity in any class. In recording, there were the basics explaining what separate things were but very little on how to put that together, on quality and nothing on marketing.
I’m going to summarize the rest because this thing got too long, hahaha. 1) If you’re already a serious musician with an understanding of music theory and how to write your songs, I’m not sure you’ll learn a lot on composition in Berklee’s L.A. program. The same goes for if you’ve taken a class on recording before. 2) Be aware that most of the attendees are young high-​school age and this colors the whole workshop. No matter how old you are, if you’re a really serious musician already, these four days may not provide the intensity you’re seeking. Which relates to side 3) If you’re serious and already involved in music, I would say the ASCAP EXPO conference is a lot more helpful. It’s about the same amount of time and ¹⁄₃ the price, full of top industry professionals and offers a variety of seminars you can pick yourself. A lot better at facilitating networking and collaboration as well.
That said, if you do decide to try out the workshop, 4) be very aware from the first day what your needs are and be vocal if you find that you’re not learning or growing. Know that the groups are organized by music level, and that there is mobility between them — I didn’t even know classes might vary by level and so didn’t know this was an option. Probably because you’re not really supposed to know unless something is wrong… Anyway, as in all organizations, some staff are more helpful than others, and I found the program director to be the most able and receptive. Go to the head!
Unfortunately, I only got to talk to him on day 4 after things were over. My disappointment with the Berklee L.A. Summer Program, especially the discrepancy between what the class descriptions promised and what I actually got, led to me cancelling the following week’s Producer/​Songwriter workshop. The past week’s experience, in addition to being told that I couldn’t see the upcoming week’s Producer schedule because «it did not exist and was going to be made over the weekend,» just did not inspire confidence or trust in the institution’s programs.
So, thus was my Berklee experience, which I ended by driving home to Jeff Buckley.