Mar 31, 2009
MI HONORS STANLEY CLARKE!
Hollywood Based Musicians Institute Awards
Legendary Grammy Winning Bassist An
Honorary Doctor Of Music Degree
The infectious riff from Stanley Clarke’s classic 1976 track “School Days” must have been going through the legendary bassist, composer and producer’s mind on March 21 when he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Musicians Institute (www.mi.edu) during MI’s spring commencement ceremony at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre.
MI’s Vice President of Education Beth Marlis awarded the degree, the first ever granted by the school, noting, “Stanley Clarke embodies the true value of education and the duty of an artist to mentor and give back to the next generation. He has selflessly and generously created opportunities for talented, emerging musicians to further their education and realize their own creative vision. By his actions, Stanley has demonstrated that geography, politics, and privilege must not be allowed to act as the natural enemies of creative energy, education and possibility.”
In his remarks accepting the award, Clarke singled out his mother, an opera singer and artist, as a major driving force in his stellar career. To the hundreds of graduating students in the audience, he urged, “All I can say to you guys is, whatever gift you have, wherever you got it from, really respect it. Take it and run with it, because it’s yours.”
After making an early name in jazz circles performing with such renowned artists as Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Gil Evans and Stan Getz, he rose to international fame in the 1970s with jazz-fusion innovators Return to Forever.
Clarke’s wide-ranging career has included collaborations with diverse artists including George Duke (The Clarke/Duke Project), Stewart Copeland, Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham and Bela Fleck. Along the way, he literally redefined the sound of the instrument with his invention of both piccolo and tenor basses. In 2003, he initiated MI’s Stanley Clarke Scholarship, which continues to provide generous financial assistance to outstanding student performers.
Since 1977, Musicians Institute (MI) has trained thousands of graduates for careers in every genre of contemporary music. From the beginning, MI revolutionized music education with hands-on, intensive, performance-based programs taught by working professionals. Today, MI’s unique, innovative approach includes degree and certificate programs for career-minded guitarists, bassists, drummers, vocalists, keyboardists, audio engineers, independent artists, guitar makers, music business professionals and filmmakers.
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