Strings Courses

This ensemble explores the diversity of musical elements contained in Latin American music through performance, analysis, interpretation, and study of the origin of rhythms such as son, bambuco, tango, songo, candombe, currulao, guajira, samba, chacarera, cueca, huayno, mariachi, mambo, polka, cascara, joropo, salsa, pasillo, cumbia, and more. This will achieve a multicultural diversity in the vision of the student as an artist immersed in his creative process.

The Berklee Contemporary Cello Ensemble expands the traditional classical cello choir by expanding it into the realms of funk, popular music, jazz, rock, and musical traditions from around the globe. 

Fundamentals of String Improvisation gives string principals an overview of the music theory and instrumental techniques necessary for improvising and playing in ensembles that require improvisation. This course provides the necessary foundation for success in level two Berklee ensembles.

This lab develops further the concepts of ILST-111 String Reading Lab using more complex styles of music.

Advanced improvisational concepts and their application in strings. Reading charts with jazz phrasing, higher-level bowing, and left-hand development. Instrumentation: violin, viola.

Viola for Violinists develops the technical and reading skills necessary for violinists to function professionally as violists. This lab devotes substantial attention to C-string tone production, intonation, shifting, improvised harmonies, alto clef fluency, and sight-reading.

While this course is intended for string principals, interested students with violin experience are encouraged to take this course.

This is an interdivisional course that offers students in the String Department, Professional Writing Division, and Music Production and Engineering Department insight into how to operate most efficiently in the recording studio. The course will be divided into three or four sections of three weeks each. In each section, all participants will meet in the recording studio to record one or more works written by a writing division student for strings, or strings with other tracks previously recorded.