Music Theory 101

Author & Instructor

Paul Schmeling is a master pianist, interpreter, improviser and arranger who has inspired countless students since he began teaching at Berklee in 1961. He has performed or recorded with jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Rebecca Parris, George Coleman, Carol Sloane, Frank Foster, Art Farmer, Herb Pomeroy, Phil Wilson, Dick Johnson and Slide Hampton. In the 1990s, the Paul Schmeling Trio released two inventive and critically acclaimed albums, interpreting the music of Hoagy Carmichael and songs associated with Frank Sinatra. Recently retired as chair of the piano department, he is co-author of the Berklee Practice Method: Keyboard (2001) and Instant Keyboard (2002) and the author of Berklee Music Theory: Book 1.

Instructor

Carlos “Charly” Arana is a guitarist, producer, and researcher. His specialties range from Latin American rhythms to the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for music. As a guitarist, arranger, and musical director he has worked and recorded with artists from all over the world, including legendary Bossa Nova singer Maria Creuza, whose band he was a member of. He has edited a number of books for Hal Leonard and Warner Bros. Publications (Alfred Publications), and for his studies and research on machine learning and AI he has been invited as a speaker in congresses and seminars at some of the most prestigious technology universities, such as MIT and UC Berkeley.

Instructor

Russell Hoffmann is Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music and is a pianist, recording artist, composer and arranger in many styles of contemporary music, including jazz, Latin, and pop styles. He has served as musical director for Concord recording artist Marlena Shaw and the University of Minnesota's "Twelve Moods for Jazz" Langston Hughes project. He has performed with many jazz luminaries, including Jack McDuff, James Moody, Billy Hart, Donald Harrison, Bobbie McFerrin, Peter Lietch, and many of Boston's finest jazz artists. As a clinician, Russ has appeared in Berklee's Italy summer program, Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia, Italy; Berklee in Taipei; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Heineken Jazz Fest, San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the Berklee Annual Jazz Festival. He is the author of workbooks on keyboard comping, ensemble performance, and co-author of the Berklee Practice Method: Keyboard.

Instructor

Dave Limina is the Chair of the Piano department at Berklee College of Music. He is also the Director of the Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance degree program for Berklee Online. In 2001 he received the Most Valuable Contribution to the Performance Curriculum Award for his work in developing the Hammond organ program. An experienced session keyboardist, composer, and arranger, Dave has performed with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, Lori McKenna, Duke Robillard, Gloria Estefan, Mark Murphy, Scott Hamilton, the first national touring company of the Broadway musical Rent, and many others. He received Boston Music Award nominations for his work with Courage Brothers, Ronnie Earl, and Mighty Sam McClain, and has played on several Grammy-nominated recordings. He played keyboards on Michelle Willson's Wake Up Call, which won a Boston Music Award in 2001. Dave does extensive session work in Boston, New York, and LA. He is the author of Hammond Organ Complete (Berklee Press) and the instructional video/DVD Accelerate Your Keyboard Playing. His playing is featured on many TV and film soundtracks.

Instructor

Gaye Tolan Hatfield is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and a professor in the college’s Ear Training department. She has also taught in the Harmony, Voice, and Ensemble departments, and co-wrote and teaches the Berklee Online course Music Foundations. Her work outside of the college includes writing, arranging, transcribing, and performing locally as a vocalist, pianist, and flutist. She has assisted orchestrators for the Boston Pops, and in the summer of 2013, wrote a choral arrangement that was performed at the Pops 4th of July concert.

Instructor

Mike Hamilton has been producing, writing, recording, and performing music for over twenty years. He was a member of the late night band for the BET television show Live from LA, where he wrote and produced hip-hop pieces for guest artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Warren G, Method Man, P. Diddy, and Mystical. He has produced recordings for Interscope, Island Def Jam, and BGP Records. His recordings include Heart and Soul with the Winans, Thus Spoke Z with CTI, and the solo albums Natural Attraction and Here Together. While the saxophone is his principal instrument, he also plays keyboards, bass, and drums.

Instructor

Pianist and composer Vicente Avella has been writing and performing internationally since 1998. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he has scored numerous independent films, orchestrated and worked on music production for major network television shows including Family Guy (FOX) and American Dad (FOX), and written music for worldwide advertising including Intel (Saudi Arabia), Red Bull Air Race World Championship (Brazil), and official branding for FPC Sports Channel (Colombia). Avella also performs regularly as a piano soloist, accompanist, and in chamber groups.

Instructor

Dr. Melissa Howe is a violinist whose interdisciplinary training in music theory, cognitive psychology, and education has served as the foundation for a multi-faceted career in the arts. Howe served on Berklee’s Boston campus as faculty for many years in the Composition, Ear Training, and String Departments. Her performances span a wide range, from  food opera to  video game string quartet to Björk, Harry Belafonte, and Bruce Springsteen, as well the superlative orchestras of Boston’s leading arts organizations. Currently serving as Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, Dr. Howe works tirelessly to support innovation and excellence at Berklee.

Instructor

Bill Brinkley is the developer and former director of the Center for Computer Aided Instruction in Music, Berklee’s first research facility investigating the use of computer technology in a music curriculum. A Berklee graduate with a degree in composition, Bill joined the faculty in 1976. During his 15 years at the college, Bill was also a highly respected professor, teaching ear training, solfege, arranging, harmony, jazz counterpoint, ensembles, and private guitar lessons, and authoring two jazz counterpoint courses and a music copying course. Bill started out as a rock and R and B guitarist in his native Georgia, eventually joining Motown to work with David Ruffin after the singer left the Temptations. He became one of Boston’s most proficient jazz guitarists, playing in numerous bands with top area musicians like Jerry Bergonzi, Grover Mooney, and Garrison Fewell. An in-demand music copyist and transcriber, Bill has worked for Harry Connick Jr., the Boston Pops, George Benson, Lyle Mays, and classical composer Thomas Oboe Lee. He continues to work as a musician, as well as a graphic designer and music technology consultant.

Instructor

Ayeisha Dennise Mathis is a Boston native born into a musical family who exposed her to various instruments such as keys and guitar. At the tender age of 5 she fell in love with drums and percussion. Throughout her youth, her musical talents were nurtured and matured through playing at church. She quickly rose to become Boston’s sought after drummer showing extraordinary talent and a promising future in music. Before the age of 18, Mathis shared the worldwide stage with renowned artists and musicians such as Sheila E., Hugh Masekela, John Blackwell, Dennis Chambers, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dawaun Parker, and many others. She is the first recipient of the prestigious Berklee College of Music presidential scholarship, graduating in 2009 with dual degrees in Music Production and Engineering and Music Business/Management. Mathis has made the Berklee community proud, affectionately recognized as one of Berklee’s notable alumni, she lives up to that recognition. 

Instructor

Debbie Cavalier was the co-founder of Berklee Online in 2002, and has been instrumental in transforming the online school of Berklee College of Music into a worldwide music education powerhouse. Under Debbie's leadership, Berklee Online has achieved many landmark firsts in the world of online education: in 2013 it became the first online music school to offer MOOCs; in 2014 it became the first online music school to offer bachelor's degrees; in 2017 it became the first school to offer an online bachelor's degree in guitar; and in 2018 it became the first online music school to offer online master's degree programs in music production and film scoring. Berklee Online boasts a 97 percent student satisfaction rate among its degree students, a benchmark that Debbie and her team have increased each year. Her dedication to music education is also reflected in the 100+ music education methods books and arrangements she has written for Carl Fischer, First Act, Alfred Publishing, and Warner Bros. Publications.

Instructor

Gail McArthur-Browne is an assistant professor in the Contemporary Writing and Production department at Berklee College of Music. She is a saxophonist, composer, and arranger originally from Glasgow, Scotland. She has performed with many great musicians, including Benny Carter, Gerry Mulligan, Grover Washington, Don Cherry, Jackie McLean, Antonio Sanchez, Christian McBride, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Maria Schneider, The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Vital Information, Dave Weckl, and Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez.

Instructor

Internationally touring musician, Mark Zaleski, has distinguished himself as a uniquely dynamic soloist, multi-instrumentalist, and band leader.He has performed with a diverse group of notable artists including Dave Brubeck, Christian McBride, Ian Anderson, Connie Francis, Mahmoud Ahmed, Rakalam Bob Moses, the Either/Orchestra, Jason Palmer, and Matt Savage.  At the young age of 33, he has established faculty positions at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and Longy School of Music at Bard College.