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Mon, 10/10/2022 - 16:53
Edited Text
From the Artistic Director
Alittle over 10 years ago, Berklee President Roger Brown came by my office to talk. We were both
astonished at the waves of fine student folk musicians coming to Berklee, players and singers who had
their own unique strengths and limitations. Roger wondered if we were doing the best we could to
address the particular educational needs of these students, and so the American Roots Music Program
was born.
From the beginning, the program was structured to be different than a typical academic department.
Many of these students had received their formative training at fiddle camps, where they worked
intensively with master musicians, without grades or tests. That became our primary model: we would
bring in master musicians, in a range of styles, who would work one-on-one with any interested Berklee
student, on a first-come, first-served basis. No grades, syllabi, tests—just pure leaming. Our entire
program is conceived of as supplementary to the students’ main Berklee education, as well as deeply
communitarian.
Our definition of "roots music” has both a temporal component and a spatial component: all American
music of the first half of the 20th century, as well as all rural music of any time. This intentionally broad
definition allows us to include many of the styles you will hear tonight: blues, bluegrass, Celtic, country,
gospel, early jazz, folk, old-time, spirituals, and western swing.
There are so many people who help make this program a success, but | would like to single out two:
Jamie Davis-Ponce, our managing director, and Bruce Molsky, our scholar in residence. Jamie does
every imaginable thing to make this program work, always with incredible skill and good humor.
Bruce is a truly titanic figure in American music, and has worked with almost every student who has
come through our doors. The roots program wouldn't exist without them. | also want to thank all of our
incredible visiting artists (a truly staggering array of talent, knowledge, and dedication), our amazing
student employees, as well as the wonderfully generous donors who believe in what we do, and give us
the means to do it.
Matt Glaser, Artistic Director
Alittle over 10 years ago, Berklee President Roger Brown came by my office to talk. We were both
astonished at the waves of fine student folk musicians coming to Berklee, players and singers who had
their own unique strengths and limitations. Roger wondered if we were doing the best we could to
address the particular educational needs of these students, and so the American Roots Music Program
was born.
From the beginning, the program was structured to be different than a typical academic department.
Many of these students had received their formative training at fiddle camps, where they worked
intensively with master musicians, without grades or tests. That became our primary model: we would
bring in master musicians, in a range of styles, who would work one-on-one with any interested Berklee
student, on a first-come, first-served basis. No grades, syllabi, tests—just pure leaming. Our entire
program is conceived of as supplementary to the students’ main Berklee education, as well as deeply
communitarian.
Our definition of "roots music” has both a temporal component and a spatial component: all American
music of the first half of the 20th century, as well as all rural music of any time. This intentionally broad
definition allows us to include many of the styles you will hear tonight: blues, bluegrass, Celtic, country,
gospel, early jazz, folk, old-time, spirituals, and western swing.
There are so many people who help make this program a success, but | would like to single out two:
Jamie Davis-Ponce, our managing director, and Bruce Molsky, our scholar in residence. Jamie does
every imaginable thing to make this program work, always with incredible skill and good humor.
Bruce is a truly titanic figure in American music, and has worked with almost every student who has
come through our doors. The roots program wouldn't exist without them. | also want to thank all of our
incredible visiting artists (a truly staggering array of talent, knowledge, and dedication), our amazing
student employees, as well as the wonderfully generous donors who believe in what we do, and give us
the means to do it.
Matt Glaser, Artistic Director
