The Berklee Shares lessons are available at no charge and are made up of a growing catalog of MP3s, QuickTime movies and PDF files..

Boston, MA - November 10, 2003 - Berklee College of Music, the world's largest independent music college and the premier institution for the study of contemporary music announce the launch of Berklee Shares. This groundbreaking new program provides free music lessons and encourages musicians to share and distribute these music lessons online. The Berklee Shares lessons are available at no charge and are made up of a growing catalog of MP3s, QuickTime movies and PDF files derived from curriculum developed at the college by its world-renowned faculty. The lessons are available today for free download on http://www.berkleeshares.com/ affiliate partner sites and peer-to-peer networks including Limewire and Kazaa.

Like MIT and its Open Courseware Initiative (ocw.mit.edu), Berklee is committed to providing music education that is widely available to the music community around the world. The Berklee Shares program is designed to create an open exchange of ideas for musicians everywhere as well as evangelize the Internet as a means to gain unprecedented access to quality education. Berklee believes that digital distribution networks will have a significant impact on the future of music and music education.

"Berklee Shares was born out of Berklee College of Music's commitment to furthering music education through innovative means," said Dave Kusek, Associate Vice President. "Offering free education on the Internet and through file sharing networks underscores the college's core belief that these channels are an effective way to openly distribute meaningful educational content to a global audience. It also serves as a powerful promotional platform for artists to market, distribute and sell their music."

The Berklee Shares program launches with over 80 music lessons spanning instrument performance, music production and technology, songwriting and arranging, music business and careers, music education and music improvisation. The number of lessons offered will expand over time. The Berklee Shares music lessons can help musicians around the globe to play better, write their own songs, teach better, use music technology on personal computers, and further their career aspirations.

The project will use licenses provided by Creative Commons. The Berklee Shares content will thus be marked with technology that signals, in a human and machine understandable way, the freedoms that go with the content. "Berklee College of Music will prove to many the innovation and education that can be supported through a more balanced system of rights," said Lawrence Lessig, chairman of Creative Commons. "We are honored to help Berklee College of Music spread educational content broadly."

About Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over half a century, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing 70 plus countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today and tomorrow.
http://www.berklee.edu/

About Berkleemusic
Berkleemusic.com is Berklee's online music school, delivering online access to world-renowned music faculty, educational concepts and time-tested curriculum previously available only to on-campus students. Berkleemusic.com expands music-education opportunities beyond the campus experience using the newest methods, media and technologies. Berkleemusic.com is the first online music school seamlessly combining education and career development to give musicians, educators and music industry professionals a one-stop destination for all their learning, career and networking needs.
http://www.berkleemusic.com/

About Berklee Press
Berklee Press is the only publisher of music instruction books and videos based on Berklee College of Music's renowned teaching methods and curriculum. Written by professional musicians, including respected Berklee faculty and alumni, Berklee Press titles enable each reader to learn about performance, business, technology and songwriting on their own terms, turf and timetable.

About Creative Commons
A nonprofit corporation, Creative Commons promotes the creative re-use of intellectual works - whether owned or public domain. It is sustained by the generous support of The Center for the Public Domain, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation. Creative Commons is based at Stanford Law School, where it shares staff, space, and inspiration with the school's Center for Internet and Society.
http://creativecommons.org