An interview with one of the first graduates at the Berklee Valencia campus.

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On September 17, 2012 Roger H. Brown, Berklee College of Music president gave the welcome speech at the college's new campus in Valencia, Spain, to launch Berklee's first-ever graduate programs, offering degrees in Contemporary Performance; Scoring for Film, Television and Video Games; and Global Entertainment and Music Business. Located in the iconic building of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain, the magnificent 3, 600 square meter campus has been renovated specifically for music and is equipped with state-of-the art technology including classrooms, ensemble rooms, rehearsal space, tech labs, four post production studios and a professional recording studio designed by the prestigious consultant company Walters-Storyk Design Group.

And now we speak with Fernando García, one of the first graduates at the Berklee Valencia campus. I would like to thank Sophie Maricq Aspinall from Berklee College of Music for helping me in arranging this interview.

Leonid Auskern: Some words about yourself and your professional experience

Fernando García: My name is Fernando García, I am 25 years old and I am from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. I am a drummer, percussionist and composer. My life is music and music is my life. I just finished my second album as a soloist and it is titles Subidor. I have the opportunity to work on it throughout this whole year while studying in Berklee Valencia. I am looking forward to my professional career since I am moving to New York City to establish myself as a jazz musician.

L.A.: Why do you choose Berklee?

F.G.: . I would say that Berklee choose me. I had plans to study my master's degree in New York but the I saw all that Berklee Valencia had to offer and deduced that this was the correct choice for studying my master's. In the end I know I have grown as a person and as a musician because of my experience here at Berklee Valencia.

L.A.: What can you say about the organization of educational process and your professors here?

F.G.: I found that the facilities the staff and most of all the professors are at the top level. My drum class with Mariano Steimberg was a whole new level of learning experience. I would say the same thing about my ensemble class with Alain Perez. Also my professor Victor Mendoza new how to get the most out of my performance skills and had the incredible opportunity to play in different cities of Spain alongside him and other fellow students.

L.A.: Do you have an opportunity to fly to the Berklee in Boston or Berklee-Valencia is your unique chance to study in so famous college of music?

F.G.: Yes, I have had the opportunity to study in a one week percussion festival in Berklee Boston in the summer of 2005. It was a great growing experience since i was just starting to study jazz drums. It are me want to study more and more!

L.A.: What style of jazz do you prefer and do you have conditions to grow professionally in this style here?

F.G.: I prefer contemporary jazz and contemporary latin jazz. For example I love the work of Brian Blade Fellowship, Avishai Cohen Group, and Miguel Zenón Group. I love the music that is being created and is breaking the rhythmic boundaries that 4/4 has set upon commercial music. Don't get me wrong I like 4/4 but you can ring that various musical traditions thrive in odd meters such as the Arabic, Greek, and the Indian cultures.

L.A.: Do you like Valencia and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía? Is it a good town and good place for Berklee campus in Europe?

F.G.: I really like that Berklee Valencia is in the Palau Reina Sofia because it is such an inspiring place. I used to walk there early in the morning just to study and practice or attend class, and I would get out near closing time. To me it is a place which inspires any musician to grow.

L.A.: What's next? Some words about your dreams for future.

F.G.: Next, I'm heaving for New York to make my professional career there and I have very high expectations for the future!

L.A. I wish you great successes!

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