Alum

Jeff Ramsey

Former Professor

Affiliated Departments

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Jeff Ramsey was a professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music. He toured and recorded with such artists as Lalah Hathaway, Al Jarreau, Patrice Rushen, Maxwell, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, and Barbra Streisand.

Ramsey worked on commercials in radio and television for Burger King, Levi's 501, Mountain Dew, and Michelob. Ramsey did solo work for many different projects, including Everybody on the Bus by famed Tower of Power bassist Rocco Prestia, and Remember When and Better Days by James Day.

Career Highlights

Vocalist
Performances with Al Jarreau, Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire), Maxwell, Tina Arena, Lalah Hathaway, Randy Crawford, Marcus Miller, Joe Sample, and Gerald Albright
Recordings with Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Patrice Rushen, Dianne Reeves, Whitney Houston, and Al Jarreau

In Their Own Words

"I would describe my teaching style as entertaining. I want my students to know that music should be fun at the end of the day. But I also want them to come away knowing that what they're studying now is going to help them in the near future, particularly for those who compose music and write songs. Their studies here at Berklee will take a lot of the guesswork out of the equation, thereby helping them to get results quicker."

"My professional experience contributes to my teaching in many ways. Having sung background for many different recording artists, I know how important it is to have your vocal technique together. As a background vocalist, you are basically called upon to become a chameleon. What that means is that you are going to be asked to take your voice out of its natural habitat, so to speak. You have to come up with different timbres in your voice to match the other background singers and, in many cases, the lead vocalist. Versatility is an important factor in background singing. It means warming up your voice constantly to maintain the flexibility of your vocal folds as you diversify your singing style of the moment."

"We have one of the most diverse departments, stylistically speaking (classical, jazz, rock, R&B, Latin, country, and gospel). Also, there aren't many schools that boast faculty members who have worked with recording artists such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Sting, Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, etc. Most of the students here want to sing in a contemporary style, so it makes sense for them to study with teachers who have experience in contemporary genres of music, teachers who also know about vocal health and technique. No matter what style you sing, technique is key and we have faculty members, regardless of their particular genre, who can teach you how to maintain your vocal instrument."