W&J plans memorial concert for former professor of music
A memorial concert at Washington & Jefferson College on Sunday will honor Michael Berry, a music professor who died in August following an illness.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 3 p.m. in Allen Ballroom of Rossin Campus Center at W&J. It will feature performances by W&J faculty members, Berry’s friends and musical partners and former students. The program will include mainly jazz music and some of Berry’s favorite tunes.
“Michael was a tremendous musician. I’ll always remember the contributions he made to the (W&J music) department and to this area,” said Kyle Simpson, assistant professor in W&J’s Department of Music and director of W&J’s Jazz Ensemble. “The music department will always have the legacy he left at W&J, and know that our drum (studio) is thriving because of the work he did both here and in the community.”
Simpson and Berry often played together in regional jazz groups that included some of the best musicians in Pittsburgh, but Simpson said Berry was always humble and often underplayed his musical accomplishments, which included Grammy nominations.
Over the past 30 years, Berry performed at venues ranging from small jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Le Casino de Monte Carlo. During the 1980s, he was the drummer for the jazz vocal group Rare Silk, earning Grammy nominations in 1984 and 1986. He and the group opened for legends such as Benny Goodman and Bob Hope.
Berry taught drums privately for 17 years, and became a member of W&J’s music staff in 2011.
His wife, Dr. Faun Doherty, is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at W&J. The couple has two sons.