Events > Executive Sessions
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Produced by: Tom Simons and Mirek Vana
The Executive Sessions concert series was developed in April 2008, a collaboration with PARTNERS+simons and Berklee College of Music.
The series showcases that being a musician is a truly unique prerequisite for being a successful leader in any field, and that the music education Berklee provides gives its students one of the most valuable skills sets one can get during her/his life. Additionally the Executive Sessions series has successfully raised over several million dollars in scholarships for deserving Berklee students.
One of the main ideas behind this series is the simple fact that training in music is far more “utilizable” in the business/management applications of today’s business world than one would instinctively think. Rehearsing a band will help musicians hone time management, human resource management, negotiation, leadership, and improvisation skills; writing a song will aid in product development, resource management, ability to inspire; learning to play an instrument will cultivate determination, focus, hard work, step development, passion; performance on stage will engender real-time decisions, presentation skills, ability to connect with an audience, teamwork; and promoting a show will teach skills in marketing, event planning, PR campaign organization.
With the unprecedented technology advancement in the music industry the IT skills that electronic production and design and music production and engineering students have are equivalent to the ones acquired at MIT. Since the program launched, the Red Room stage has featured a host of presidents, principals and CEO’s of international corporations, senior VPs, NBA club owner, venture capitalists, investment bankers, software and biotech engineers, heart surgeons, jet pilots, pharmaceutical scientists, an Emmy Award winner, executive producers, philanthropists, and board of trustees members.
In fall 2009, a new element was launched: having the most talented Berklee singer/songwriters and Berklee Alumni open for and perform with the executive bands. The connection between the institution and the bands has gotten much stronger and multi-dimensional. Currently the series even boasts an annual Battle of the Banks where the top performers compete for the crowning glory of rock ’n roll champion!
CEO’s who are interested in participating should contact Mirek Vana, mvana@berklee.edu.
Past executive performers have included:
- Dave Andonian, Managing Partner, Dace; Former Chair/CEO, Affinnova
- Ernie Boch, Jnr., CEO, Boch Enterprise
- Roger Brown, President, Berklee College of Music
- Peter Buffett, Co-Chairman of NoVo Foundation
- Marc Caruso, Vice President, Enterprise Services, Data Intensity
- Stephen Cole, Advisory Software Engineer, IBM Corporation
- Rick Ganong, Partner, Tudor Ventures
- Dan Genis & Tim Towsend, pilots, JetBlue
- Scott Gilmour, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Investments
- Dan Goodermote, Chairman and CEO, Double-Take Software
- Wyc Grousbeck, CEO and Co-owner, Celtics
- James Januzzi, Jnr. M.D., Assciate Director, Coronary Care Unit
- Bill King, Executive Director, Beaches International Jazz Festival, Toronto, Canada
- Bruce Lauterwasser, Senior Manager, Raytheon Company
- Javier Marin, Principal, Hispanic News Press; Former CEO, El Planeta
- Giles McNamee, Managing Director, McNamee Lawrence & Co.
- Walter Ogier, Former President and CEO, Arbios Systems Inc., Genetix Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Eligix Inc.
- Richard Reese, CEO, Iron Mountain
- Chip Rives, CEO, TPR Marketing; Chair, the Ad Club
- John Rule, Director, Fuel Cell Development, Lilliputian Systems
- Tom Simons, President/Creative Director, PARTNERS+simons
- George Skelly, Partner, Nixon Peabody
- John Swartz, Lead Systems Engineer, the MITRE Corporation
- Michael Tzannes, CEO, Aware
- Wendell Wickerham, President and Principal, W/E/Wickerham Associates LLC
“For the most part, the late-blooming but extremely well-funded rockers were eager to sign on. Some bands had more experience than others. The Loomers, who kicked off the series in April 2008, have an album on iTunes and have been finalists in Fortune magazine’s Battle of the Corporate Bands. Six, which played in June 2008, had never had a club gig. ‘This thing is cracking up to be a battle of the bands, and we’re particularly daunted by being up against Ernie Boch,’ said Walter Ogier, 51, the former CEO of Arbios Systems, who plays guitar for the Six. ‘But the most daunting part of this is thinking we’re going to have Berklee students in the audience.’ Berklee president Roger H. Brown, a drummer and the former chief executive at Bright Horizons, said the series is not meant to be a competition, and the school is not trying to use it to raise money, at least not directly. But he likes the idea of strengthening connections between the college and some of the area’s deep-pocketed music lovers.”boston.com
“Playing at Berklee’s [the Red Room @ Cafe 939] was a blast. It was real honor for my band House Red to be associated with the school. We were able to add Berklee students to our combo that made us sound great. We sold out the house and many of those who attended now have a connection with Berklee that they didn’t have before. The staff was great and the sound system was excellent. We would take [the Red Room] over Wembley Stadium any day of the week.”Dean Goodermote, chairman and CEO, Double-Take Software
“The Executive Sessions at [the Red Room] were such a blast. It’s an amazing intimate space in such a hot spot of town. The sound mix was awesome. By the end of the night everyone was up dancing. Our French Lick fans had a great time that night.” Dave Andonian, managing partner, Dace, and former chairman/CEO, Affinnova
“Executive Sessions was a great experience since the first email received inviting my band until the date of the presentation at [the Red Room]. The Berklee team made my bandmates and I feel like rock stars. The venue, the audience, the sound, and the vibe couldn’t be better. This type of initiative brings good energy and coolness specially in this tough economic times.” Javier Marin, principal, Hispanic News Press, and former CEO, El Planeta
“I want to thank you all for a very memorable musical experience. The band sounded great, your voices were fantastic, and everyone I talked to was raving about your performances. Thank you for taking these songs and making them sound so great. . . Nothing fell through the cracks and the talent you assembled blew me away. I hope you have time to sing in the next one! Thank you again. It was an amazing night!” Chip Rives, CEO, TRP Sports and Entertainment
“It was my pleasure taking the Real Divas vocal presentation East. It’s my feeling the evening was a success on a few levels. The turnout was great; club environment superb and the singers seem to embrace the concept.” Bill King, executive director, Toronto Jazz Festival
Media and PR
WBUR/NPR
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91562385
- http://www.wbur.org/news/2008/77441_20080522.asp