“There are plenty of people who are trying to be pop stars at Berklee. What they will have over their non-music school contemporaries are all of these little artifacts of knowledge,” Baskin said. “A lot of people say [music theory] doesn’t matter, but it just shapes your view on music and your knowledge of it. You don’t have to know music theory to write pop songs. But would it help knowing what you’re doing? Definitely.” Berklee has been developing its reputation as a one-of-a-kind institution for years. It is currently introducing courses that are steering it toward a singer/songwriteroriented college, Baskin said. If BU were to add a contemporary music program, then it would incur heavy expenses and face overwhelming competition. It might not be a realistic goal, especially with Berklee right down the street.
Some student musicians feel that the university could be more supportive toward those interested in music who are not in CFA. BU has free concerts in the Metcalf Ballroom and open-mic nights, as well as events at BU Central, but some students still do not think they are enough. Marc Finn (COM ’16) formed his band Palm Spring Life with friends almost two years ago. It is not the lack of programs in CFA that troubles him, he said, but rather BU’s lack of interest in working with students to make the campus more music-friendly, which Finn believes is discouraging. BU is home to the student-run record label Rep Records, but compared to the equivalent at other schools of the same size, BU does not seem as supportive. Northeastern University’s student-run record label, Green Line Records, is an example
of a more harmonious relationship that allows students to be involved in a music community. Whether that means going to a concert put on by the label or having a group to get advice on starting a band, Finn said more inclusive groups would help students who are just starting off. “The environment at BU and the real lack of any decent music group really made it hard for us to get rolling,” Finn said. From storing equipment in West campus dorm rooms to playing at local venues like T.T. the Bears in Cambridge, Pat Mars (COM ’15) has come a long way in his musical career. Mars said that despite BU’s lack of music facilities for non-CFA students, it is still possible to succeed—all it takes is a bit of community, which one day may translate into BU becoming more involved. “When kids want to do it they find a way to do it,” he said. “Even playing in a dorm room.”
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