“Investigating the Berklee-Schillinger Connection” by Lou Pine

• Learning about Joseph Schillinger’s system of musical composition from researching Gershwin’s music in 1983.
• The problems with trying to read the two-volume set of The Schillinger System of Musical Composition.
• Becoming a historian of Schillinger’s life and work, by compiling printed materials and conducting interviews over the past 25 years.
• Verifying aspects of Schillinger’s life and work.
• Schillinger’s death in 1943 and what Mrs. Schillinger did to earn an income.
• Signing a contract with Carl Fischer, Inc., to publish the Schillinger system and how well the two volumes sold.
• Possible reasons for declining sales of The Schillinger System of Musical Composition and why.
• Interviewing Lawrence Berk by way of his son Lee Berk in thanks for materials Lou provided for Berklee’s 50^th anniversary of being in business.
• Lawrence Berk’s educational background and study with Joseph Schillinger.
• Schillinger House and its connection to the Schillinger system.
• Renaming the school and the reason why.
• Pulling away from using the Schillinger system in the curriculum at Berklee and the reason why.
• Interviewing former students to learn what, if any, of the Schillinger system was taught after Schillinger House became the Berklee School of Music.
• Conclusion: The connection between the Schillinger system, Schillinger House and the early years of the Berklee School of Music was significant.
• Investigating the System’s influence is an aspect that the newly reorganized Schillinger Society is promoting.
• Determining how much of the System is being taught at Berklee today is one aspect of the Schillinger Society’s investigation into the System’s influence.