Berklee Keyboard Method – Paul Schmeling

Author & Instructor

Paul Schmeling is a master pianist, interpreter, improviser and arranger who has inspired countless students since he began teaching at Berklee in 1961. He has performed or recorded with jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Rebecca Parris, George Coleman, Carol Sloane, Frank Foster, Art Farmer, Herb Pomeroy, Phil Wilson, Dick Johnson and Slide Hampton. In the 1990s, the Paul Schmeling Trio released two inventive and critically acclaimed albums, interpreting the music of Hoagy Carmichael and songs associated with Frank Sinatra. Recently retired as chair of the piano department, he is co-author of the Berklee Practice Method: Keyboard (2001) and Instant Keyboard (2002) and the author of Berklee Music Theory: Book 1.

Instructor

James Ross Ramsay, faculty in the Piano department at Berklee College of Music, has been teaching piano for 25 years, and has been included in the “Who’s Who List of American Teachers” several times. He composes and produces music for local and nationally broadcast television, radio, cable, and video programs, and has been a featured soloist on piano and keyboards with various artists touring throughout the United States and Europe. Ramsay is a product specialist and clinician for Yamaha Corporation of America, Digital Musical Instruments, and Pro Audio Division. He received a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1986.

Instructor

Dave Limina is an associate professor in the Piano department at Berklee College of Music, where he received the Most Valuable Contribution to the Performance Curriculum Award in 2001 for his work in developing the Hammond organ program. An experienced session keyboardist, composer, and arranger, Dave has performed with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, Lori McKenna, Duke Robillard, Gloria Estefan, Mark Murphy, Scott Hamilton, the first national touring company of the Broadway musical Rent, and many others. He received Boston Music Award nominations for his work with Courage Brothers, Ronnie Earl, and Mighty Sam McClain, and has played on several Grammy-nominated recordings. He played keyboards on Michelle Willson’s Wake Up Call, which won a Boston Music Award in 2001. Dave does extensive session work in Boston, New York, and LA. He is the author of Hammond Organ Complete (Berklee Press) and the instructional video/DVD Accelerate Your Keyboard Playing. His playing is featured on many TV and film soundtracks.

Instructor

Suzanna Sifter is a jazz pianist, composer, author, and educator who has been on faculty at Berklee College of Music since 1989. She holds a BM from Berklee and Master’s Degree from New England Conservatory.

Instructor

Ever since she began publicly performing in Korea at the age of nine, pianist and composer, Hey Rim Jeon, has outstanding musical talents that have led to significant recognition in the international jazz community. Described as a “brilliant pianist” bylegendary saxophonist Benny Golson, Ms. Jeon has been featured on NBC’s “Weekend Today in New York”, and KBN, Korea’s National TV network channel. As
a leader of her own band, Hey Rim Jeon & Friends, she has performed both nationally and internationally. Her album, “Mona Lisa Puzzle”, has been described as an “intense, intelligent statement…” by Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times, won the Best Jazz Album category in the 2009 New England Urban Music Awards, and reached CD Baby’s Top 10 Modern Creative Jazz Albums list. As a recipient of Berklee’s
prestigious Mentorship Award in 2021, Ms. Jeon has been serving as an Associate Professor in the Piano Department at Berklee College of Music since 2010.

Instructor

New York-based pianist, composer, and recording artist Jason Yeager creates music that is deeply expressive and multi-faceted, defying convention while reveling in the traditions of Black American Music, jazz, blues, 20^th century European classical music, and Latin American folk traditions. Yeager is an equally committed teacher, working with music students from around the world as an Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught since 2012.