Saxophonist Donald Harrison Helps Usher in Berklee's 70th Year
Alto saxophonist Donald Harrison '81 plays a set for Opening Day on September 4, 2015. Detroit Brooks plays the guitar in the background.
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Donald Harrison sings "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" and other standards during Opening Day.
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Donald Harrison leads a New Orleans-style main line into the ballroom of the Westin Copley Place at Opening Day. John Pierce, a professor in the Ensembles Department, plays trombone.
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President Roger H. Brown talks about the proposed merger between Berklee and the Boston Conservatory.
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Provost Larry Simpson addresses Berklee faculty and staff during Opening Day, calling on them to build courses and programs “with thinking that is fresh, forward-looking, and unfettered of bias.”
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Jeff Ramsay, associate professor in the Voice Department, performs with other faculty and students on Opening Day.
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From left to right: Darcel Wilson, associate professor in the Ear Training Department; Evan Baughman; Jeff Ramsay, associate professor in the Voice Department; and Chantel Hampton, instructor in the Ensemble Department, sing on Opening Day. They are backed by Alonzo Harris, assistant professor in the Ensemble Department, on keys; Lenny Stallworth, associate professor in the Ensemble Department, on bass; Kirjuan Freeman on drums; Brandon Ferguson on guitar; Bobby Gallegos, assistant professor in the Ensemble Department on trumpet; Mike Tucker on saxophone; and Randy Pingrey on trombone.
Mike Spencer
Acclaimed alto saxophonist Donald Harrison ‘82 joined Berklee faculty and staff on September 4, 2015, to usher in the new school year and mark Berklee’s 70th anniversary.
Following a performance by students and faculty, Harrison and fellow musicians walked into the ballroom at the Westin Copley Place playing in the style of a New Orleans main line and treated the crowd to a 20-minute set of music.
Before Harrison closed out Opening Day, Larry Simpson, the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, and President Roger H. Brown spoke to the crowd. Simpson reflected on events in the past year that have spurred the Black Lives Matter movement and said that Berklee is still working to address issues around race. Brown spoke about the potential merger between Berklee and the Boston Conservatory and highlighted other notable recent developments: the two new master’s degree programs beginning on the Boston campus this fall, the establishment of five online degrees, and the exploration of programs in Africa, India, and China.
“I’ll confess, I’m a human being who loves visions and planning and thinking about the future and new programs, and certainly right now we are filled with those things,” Brown said.