Courtesy of Berklee School of Music Archives

Courtesy of Berklee School of music

Courtesy of Johns Hopkings University

Berk found it difficult to find a job during the Great Depression, even with a degree from MIT, so in 1932 he took a chance and sought out a music career in New York City. Once there, he first worked with his former bandleader, Joe Rines on the Iodent Toothpaste radio show, and then as a staff arranger at NBC and CBS. By the mid 1930s, Berk began to envision the totality of the music business. This vision led Berk to work with a man he later called “a fascinating powerful brain.” This man was a Russian born composer, theorist, and educator named Joseph Schillinger.

Schillinger came to America in 1928, along with many other European immigrants who brought a wealth of European knowledge and culture. This migration included Prokofiev and Rachmaninov, two great composers who shared Schillinger’s background in Russia’s famous music education system. From this background, Schillinger was dedicated to creating truly professional musicians.

However, Schillinger’s view of the music industry deviated from the common and traditional understandings of music. Schillinger was a controversial figure who communicated his musical knowledge in the form of a precise written theory. The theory used mathematical expressions to describe not only music, but art, architecture and design. With this mindset, Schillinger taught an elaborate composition system which utilized mathematical permutation and combination processes to generate rhythms, harmonies, and melodies. Expanding upon these ideas, Schillinger applied his unorthodox theories to orchestration.

Joseph Schillinger

Despite his controversial methods, Schillinger played an important role in shaping of America’s music industry. He initially taught at the David Berend School of Music, and lectured at Leon Theremin’s music studio. In 1932, Schillinger opened his own private studio and by 1938, Schillinger’s studio provided 112 lessons a week, for the rate of $10 per half-hour session; a formidable amount during the depression. Through his teaching, Schillinger’s mathematical system was introduced to new students, aiding his ability to shape the future of the industry.

Aside from teaching private pupils, Schillinger also served as an advisor to several popular musicians and concert composers. Among those he assisted were Vernon Duke, Eubie Blake, John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, Earle Brown, Burt Bacharach, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Oscar Levant, Tommy Dorsey, and Henry Cowell. Schillinger also advised George Gershwin, who took three lessons a week over a four and a half year period. Gershwin kept detailed notes from these lessons, which can be found today in notebooks at the Library of Congress. These records help document Schillinger life and contributions to American music.

Schillinger died of cancer in 1944 at the age of 47, only six years after he became an American citizen. Fortunately, Schillinger’s work continued to influence the music industry after his passing. At the time of his death, there were seven individuals authorized to teach Schillinger’s methods, allowing his ideas to outlive their creator. One of these authorized instructors was Lawrence Berk.