Berklee students get a taste of real life with the music of Tower of Power
Marilia Gordinho
7/1/08
"No matter who you are, where you live, or your taste in music, Tower of Power will find you," says the web site of Tower of Power (TOP), one of the marquee soul music bands of the '70s. And if you live in Boston it is even more likely that sooner or later you will get a taste of TOP music through Berklee's Tower of Power ensemble, one of the college's most prestigious bands.
The Berklee TOP ensemble is a 19-piece band with eight horns, five rhythm instruments and six vocalists, unlike the original which has one. It is the first Berklee ensemble to have this many students and their challenge is to perform the songs as close to the original recordings as possible.
 Media Credit: Marilia Gordinho Wayne Naus, Berklee's TOP ensemble Director |
Wayne Naus, the ensemble director and a member of the Berklee faculty, said that before he decided to start the band, he contacted Emilio Castillo, the founder of the original Tower of Power, and asked for his blessing. "He said 'go ahead and do it'," Naus said. But Naus soon found out that there was no written music available anywhere. "The only way I could make this happen was to sit down and write every single chart. It was a lot of work and I had to transcribe almost every song." Since the group's creation in 2000, the band has built a repertoire that now has more than 80 songs.
To be a member of the Berklee TOP, students have to go through an auditioning process in which they have to choose one of the TOP songs to play with the ensemble. If a performer is selected to join the band, she/he can stay there for as long as two semesters, which is different than other school ensembles, which change students each semester, Naus said. "To every new student that gets in the band I say the same thing: you are not a permanent member of the band. Now you have the opportunity to show me why you deserve to be here," he said.
As a musician and trumpet player himself, Naus has also graduated from Berklee and he understands the dynamics of musicians. "This band is at the same time a physical and a mental experience. It takes a lot of endurance to get the band ready for a concert. It is technically challenging, but it is also fun. The energy around it is very positive." His main goal, he said, is to create an atmosphere where students are not afraid to make mistakes. "Things tend to get a little too serious at Berklee. I want students to have fun with music."
 Media Credit: Alvaro Kapaz Merrily Scruggs-James, singer |
In the eight years the band has been performing, many students have been part of it. Merrily Scruggs-James is one of them. Coming from Seattle, Wash., she has been singing lead for the TOP ensemble for the last two semesters and now she has to give up her place to someone else. "Being a part of this band was very cool," she said. "I had the opportunity to perform in a lot of different places representing Berklee and showing top-notch performance skills. It was an honor to me." Scruggs-James said the ensemble has taught her important lessons on how to lead a band, how to perform and how to prepare herself for performances. "It has also influenced the kind of music I do for my own band, The Bucket of Soul, which is a kind of old school funk and soul with a horns section," she said.
The popularity of the ensemble goes beyond the campus. The real members of the Tower of Power have already come to some concerts and rehearsals and have even played with the ensemble in many occasions. "That's an unique situation that will probably never happen again in our lives," Scruggs-James said. "It is a great opportunity, and that's what makes the ensemble so appealing to students," Naus said.
 Media Credit: Wayne Naus' archive |
But joining the band takes a lot of work and commitment, Naus said. Besides all the work students already have for their other classes, they have to be available to rehearse at least once a week, and sometimes have an extra rehearsal outside class. Also, most of the concerts are during weekends, which means they have to sacrifice some of their free time. "I always ask students to treat it like a real band. It is a commitment and if they are not going to have time, I ask them to be honest and tell me. They are not just joining an ensemble, they are joining a band, a little family at Berklee," Naus said. But students don't seem to mind the work. "Music is hard work and I'm not afraid of that. That's why we are all here at Berklee, to study and improve our skills. Why not have fun with the process?" Herszkowicz said.
 Mauricio Herszkowicz, guitar player |
The next TOP concert will be July 13 at the Berklee Convention Center. It is the welcoming concert for high-school students coming to Berklee for a five-week program over the summer, and the last concert for many of the band's members. "It will be sad to watch them leave, but I'm also excited to see who is coming," said Herszkowicz. "This is the first time we are changing the whole vocal section, and I believe this will be the best one we have ever had," Naus said. He also said that he is always excited to see what new people will bring to the ensemble, "and I think they are as well. I met one of the singers that got in the band for the fall semester and the first thing she said to me was: I already have my new shoes for our next concert!"
(To stop the slideshow click || on the bottom left; to stop the sound click on the loudspeaker next to the word "slide" on the upper left.)
Check the original band's version for "Soul Vaccination":