A Fond Look Back at Dean Earl and the Importance of Performance in the Music Industry: Interview with Professor John Amaral

Boston, Mass., October 9, 2007 - "Can he Play?" - Dean Earl

US School of Commercial Music Director, John Amaral remarked, "Back at Berklee, we had this great piano teacher, Dean Earl. He was funny! Every time things started to get bureaucratic and some new hotshot was pontificating, Dean would respond "Can he play?" and we would all crack up. We knew that the one thing no one could ever take away from us was our love for music and the soaring feeling you get playing with other musicians. That's one reason why, at USSCM, we emphasize Performance and Improvisation first. These become the basis of further studies."

There are posers and then there are players. Can you play?

Professor Amaral, continued: "If some prospective student comes in (and they do) asking 'I can't play -- but can you teach me Pro Tools?' my response is always 'we sure can -- but we won't, because we want you to succeed in the competitive music business' We want to turn out well-rounded musicians, even if they make their living as producers or entertainment executives! It's important to note that the emphasis on Performance & Improvisation during the first module continues in all the subsequent modules, supporting the material that is relevant and appropriate to each. That way, a student continually hones his or her basic craft. All this cross-pollination serves to create a rich milieu for broad musical growth."

About the US School of Commercial Music
First founded in 1915, US School of Commercial Music continues a rich tradition as the oldest, most trusted name in distance music learning. Beginning in 1995, USSCM was the first institution to offer a college-level commercial music Diploma Program via online technology. Today, USSCM offers programs in every major category of commercial music, as well as unique proprietary Certificate Courses with content unobtainable elsewhere. Recognizing that each music student has unique needs, USSCM's Matriculation™ software technology gives students the unparalleled flexibility to design online, the exact program they need in five areas: Performance & Improvisation, The Schillinger System, Advanced Improvisation, SongWriting & Linear Counterpoint, Arranging & Orchestration and Music Production & Engineering.

USSCM is also the most economical way to acquire the knowledge and skills which a commercial musician needs to compete and collect a paycheck in today's noisy musical environment. USSCM students save considerable money by studying at home, anywhere in the world, and they actually get a better education than at typical bricks and mortar schools. While there is no substitute for working with fellow students shoulder to shoulder, peers are seldom professionals. USSCM exposes each student to a higher quality of music information and more professional material, because it upgrades materials on a semi-annual basis, the only criteria being that it be the best, most timely information and presentation available.

For more information, please contact
Registrar, US School of Commercial Music
www.usschoolofmusic.com.
info@usschoolofmusic.com
617-666-4839