Berklee in P.R. awards $1.52M in financial aid in its 25th edition
The Berklee in Puerto Rico educational program concluded its 25th edition with its graduation concert and ceremony, held at the Plaza at Popular Center in Hato Rey.
This year, 23 program students were admitted and received a total of $1.52 million in financial aid, the nonprofit said.
“This year’s edition was the largest in the 25 years that we have been producing the program,” said Luis Álvarez, president of Make Music Happen, the organization that produces the program in Puerto Rico.
“We’re very happy with the support Berklee in Puerto Rico continues to have here and to see that musical talent in Puerto Rico has room to develop,” he said. “We will continue empowering our young musicians so they can reach their potential and have successful careers in the music industry.”
The 215 students who participated in the program this year were part of the largest class in its history. Students also had the opportunity to audition for entrance at the prestigious institution. Led by teachers from Berklee College of Music in Boston, the participants showed their musical prowess before an audience made up of family members and general public.
The Berklee in Puerto Rico program offers participants access to the Berklee method of music education, which encompasses theory, improvisation, ensemble performance, instrumental instruction, composition and arrangement.
After class, the program offered a series of four workshops titled Making Music… After Hours, in collaboration with the Conservatorio de Artes del Caribe (CAC) and Sagrado Global, the professional studies school of Sacred Heart University.
These took participants through the main stages of the song crafting process, from writing and copyright to recording, production and marketing.
