
A Consequential Career During his 28 years at Berklee, Jay Kennedy, who retires in December, revamped the Contemporary Writing and Production Department as chair, and as vice president for Academic Affairs/vice provost he helped launch the Valencia campus and update college facilities.
By
Mark Small
November 22, 2022
Jay Kennedy
Image by John Huet
One could feel exhaustion just reading the long list of Jay Kennedy's accomplishments during his 28 years of service to the college and the achievements of his pre-Berklee musical career. The indefatigable Kennedy will retire on December 5 after a consequential career as Berklee's vice president for Academic Affairs and vice provost. It's been fun, he says with characteristic understatement. There has been a variety of things that have kept me interested and engaged that I hope have in some way benefited Berklee.
Kennedy's expertise and labor on some of Berklee's highest-profile initiatives have indeed been impactful. For the launch of the Valencia campus, he worked on space design, financial planning, and curriculum and policy development. He also oversaw academic space planning for the recording and technology facilities at 160 Massachusetts Avenue and the renovation and updating of Berklee's other academic buildings as well as recording studios A and C. He has stewarded Berklee's capital and academic equipment operating budgets, and managed the implementation of the laptop purchase program and a reorganization of the Academic Technology Division. He expanded internships and experiential-learning opportunities for students, and assisted with the integration of Boston Conservatory faculty members into the Berklee Faculty Union. These are only a few highlights.
Image by John Huet
Additionally, Kennedy deployed his formidable musical skills at Berklee by arranging and conducting music for several concerts in the Great American Songbook series and by producing the 2018 commencement concert celebrating the music and lives of Nile Rodgers, Esperanza Spalding B.M. '05, and Rosanne Cash, who all received honorary doctorates that year.
Kennedy has also served outside of Berklee as an adjudicator for drum and bugle corps, marching bands, and indoor percussion ensembles, as well as a composer and arranger for drum and bugle corps, percussion ensembles, symphonic wind bands, and jazz acts. Notably, he penned arrangements for the Grammy-nominated Virtuosi album by vibraphonist Gary Burton '62 '89H and pianist Makoto Ozone '83 '03H.
I love all kinds of music, he says. I am involved as a judge and administrator for Drum Corps International and have been judging for them since the mid-seventies. For 10 or 11 years I wrote for one of the groups and was the brass arranger and program coordinator for the Boston Crusaders.
Kennedy, who spent his childhood in Franklin, Pennsylvania, and high school years in Kenosha, Wisconsin, left a successful career in Los Angeles as a jingle writer and orchestrator for movies and television to accept a post in 1994 as chair of Berklee's Commercial Arranging Department. The job description for the chair position described what I'd been doing every day: using technology to create tracks and combining acoustic instruments with electronic ones, Kennedy recalls. At that point, I had been doing jingles for almost 20 years, starting in Chicago and later founding my own jingle company in L.A. During this time, Kennedy wrote commercials for such corporations as Coca-Cola, Pontiac, McDonalds, and Nike, working regularly with top L.A. studio musicians, including Berklee alumni, such as Vinnie Colaiuta '75, Neil Stubenhaus '75, and Abe Laboriel Sr. '72 '05H. For various reasons, Kennedy felt the time was right for a change of career and locale, and moved his family to Boston.
Keeping the student experience at the forefront has always been the guide in making these decisions.- Jay Kennedy
Berklee's arranging curriculum hadn't caught up with the technological tools arrangers were using, he says. I was charged by Joe Smith [Berklee's Writing Division dean at the time] to bring things up to speed. With help from faculty members, we designed new courses, updated several, and eliminated a few. We also changed the department name to Contemporary Writing and Production to reflect changes that were happening in the music business. Kennedy and his colleagues also added business courses to teach students about contracts, fee structures, and more.
Incorporating new courses wasn't hard, but eliminating some existing ones was, he says, adding, There are so many choices for students, but you can't do everything. We strive to maintain history and tradition in the curriculum while addressing how students are learning today and where they will be going in the industry. The mixture he landed on paved the way for contemporary arranging and production to become the third most popular major at the college.
Image by Kelly Davidson
In 2001, Kennedy became Berklee's assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, and was later named vice president for Academic Affairs and vice provost. I might be weird for saying this, but I've always enjoyed administrative work, he says, laughing. I like being involved in strategic conversations about the direction of a division or the whole institution and helping people do what they want to do and become more successful.
His favorite part of his job? Of course, the people, he says. I enjoyed working with the students as a department chair and on the concerts I produced with student musicians. I enjoyed their energy and freshness. Working with faculty members has always been a highlight. They are creative and energetic and bring so much to the institution. It's been great workin
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
11/05/2026
New production unit features not only wealth of Ross gear but also Sony cameras, Canon lenses, and a Calrec Argo S audio board...
11/05/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) has announced TCA Tour, a portable fly-away audio production system built from System T components for broadcast, touring, and live prod...
11/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced it will serve as Official Connectivity Integ...
11/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and NETGEAR AV have announced a plugin that automates network configuration for G&D KVM-over-IP deployments on NETGEAR AV Line infra...
11/05/2026
The Famous Group (TFG) and Elite Edge, a production studio specializing in live-action production, show opens, set design, and fabrication for sports and live e...
11/05/2026
The native of S o Paulo, Brazil, will play a crucial role in the broadcaster'...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital will exhibit its IPMX/ST 2110 product lineup at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D2-4), anchored by the COBALT blueCORE family of standalone signal pro...
11/05/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5C1-10), demonstrating...
11/05/2026
T-Mobile is serving as a technology partner for the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, deploying 5G connectivity and ...
11/05/2026
Vizrt has announced it has been named an Official Technical Supplier of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, in partnership with host broadcaster ORF. The 70th edi...
11/05/2026
The WNBA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the WNBA. AWS is also joini...
11/05/2026
Austrian private broadcaster kronehit publicly awarded SLG Broadcast AG and Lawo...
11/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
11/05/2026
Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds
Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...
11/05/2026
Our exhibition coverage
Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...
11/05/2026
You're not meant to look at an Eclipse, but you won't be able to take yo...
11/05/2026
L3Harris has completed more than 50% of a nationwide effort to rebuild the invisible backbone of America's airspace....
11/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
As Asia Pacific's streaming market continues to evolve, operators across the region are rebalancing their strategies and shifting their focus from subscribe...
11/05/2026
LONDON, MAY 11, 2026 QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will showcase its latest innovat...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital's BroadcastAsia Line-up Highlights Flexible End-to-End IPMX/ST 2110 Ecosystem
Award-winning blueCORE standalone signal processors at the he...
11/05/2026
Encompass Digital Media, in partnership with VideoMagic International, announced at NAB 2026 the launch of Altitude Intelligence, an AI-powered platform designe...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has completed a major new corporate installation in Spain with the upgrade of the auditorium at Torre I...
11/05/2026
11 May 2026
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...
11/05/2026
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
11/05/2026
Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany
Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network
G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
Berklee Honors Jacob Collier, Jill Scott, and Vinnie Colaiuta at 2026 Commenceme...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...