Berklee Announces Creation of Dream Theater Scholarship

Berklee and Dream Theater announce the creation of the Dream Theater Scholarship Fund. In celebration of the band's 35th anniversary, Dream Theater and Berklee are creating a fund that will provide scholarship money to student musicians in need on an ongoing basis.

Recently, alumni John Petrucci '86, the bands guitarist, and his wife Rena, who recently completed her Advanced Guitar Certificate through Berklee Online, visited Berklee to tour its production and music studios. This trip was the couple's first time back to campus since their son Reny graduated in 2018. While there, they met with President Roger Brown and discussed the founding of the Dream Theater Scholarship.

Dream Theater has been a tremendous influence on the progressive metal scene, achieving worldwide success for their dedication to excellence in music, said Brown. The Dream Theater t-shirt has been the most popular item of apparel on our campus for years, and many students have chosen to come to Berklee as a result of the bands legacy. We are so appreciative of Dream Theaters support.

Dream Theater was formed when John Petrucci and John Myung 86, bassist, were students at Berklee 35 years ago. Throughout their successful career, Berklee has continued to hold a special place in their lives. Current drummer Mike Mangini was a drum professor at Berklee for 11 years before leaving to join the band in 2010.

In 2014, at Dream Theater's Boston Opera House Concert, the band performed then-student Eren Ba bu 's arrangements after Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess found Ba bu 's interpretation of the group's album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence on YouTube. The band contacted Ba bu and asked him to work on a new composition. This led to a performance of the piece, accompanied by Berklees orchestra and concert choir, with B bu conducting. The live album/video from the concert reached no. 1 on Billboard in November 2015.

Dream Theater hopes to continue its previous success with the Dream Theater Scholarship Fund. The fund will be headed by Berklee's Mirek Vana, global development officer and executive producer, and Frank Solomon, Dream Theaters manager, who together have worked behind the scenes for six years to create the fund. Berklee and Dream Theater welcome contributions and support from the members of both communities to ensure the scholarships success.

For all prospective student inquiries, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@berklee.edu. For all current student inquiries about the scholarship, please email scholarships@berklee.edu.

For all inquiries and information, including how to donate to the scholarship fund, please email Mirek Vana at mvana@berklee.edu.

Related categories:

News

Related Reading

Berklee President Roger H. Brown Announces He Will Step Down in 2021 Under Browns leadership, Berklee expanded its global presence, embraced technology, and increased diversity of the leadership and student body.

Sophia Lazopoulou Berklee Today

Spring

2019

Volume

30

Number

3

Meet Seven Students from Berklee's Class of 2019 Berklee will celebrate its newest class of innovative artists and music professionals.

More from Berklee Now

Most Popular

Can You Land a Successful Career with a Performing Arts Degree? In an economy that rewards improvisation and entrepreneurship, well-trained artists and musicians are equipped to thrive.

Latest

Berklee Announces Creation of Dream Theater Scholarship Progressive music icons Dream Theater and Berklee College of Music announce the creation of the Dream Theater Scholarship Fund.

Scene at Berklee: Billy Childs and Kenny Werner The two decorated composers talked about their different approaches to creativity and debated which chord sounds the most like hope.

5 Self-Care Tips for Songwriters Emily Shackelton '07, who has written hits for Carly Pearce, ABCs Nashville, and American Idol, offers advice for surviving the highs and lows of a songwriting career.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

Berklee Blogs

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Instagram

Snapchat

Soundcloud

Spotify

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/news/berklee-now/berklee-announces-creation-dr...
	See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee