Phil Farnsworth

Larry Watson

Professor
Affiliated Departments
Ensemble
African American music
Faculty Bio E-Mail
lwatson@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-8478
Personal Websites
Artist website

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Career Highlights
  • Associate professor, Art Institute of Boston
  • Adjunct faculty, Black Studies, Boston College
  • Owner/operator, Save Ourselves Productions
  • Consultant for community development agencies, corporations, civic organizations, universities, and college organizations
  • Vocalist in numerous nightclub, cabaret, and special event performances
  • Recordings include The Journey and Reparations from Togo to Arkansas on Save Ourselves Productions and Musical Thunder with recording artist Jean Carne, Color Circle Art Productions
  • Lead vocalist at 1993 Playboy Jazz Festival with Bill Cosby and Dorothy Donegan
  • Special guest with Al Green, Bank of Boston concert series
  • Appearances at 1998 Newport Jazz and Blues Festival, Newport House of Blues, and 1998 rededication ceremony for the Shaw Memorial with Colin Powell, Boston State House; 1999 film The American Experience: The Fisk Jubilee Singers on PBS and Discovery Channel TV special on the civil rights murders
  • Lead singer in the 2000 grand opening of the Landmark Center, Art Edible fundraiser, Scullers Jazz Night Club, medal of honor at the Harvard School of Law, and the Boston chapter of the NAACP
Education
  • B.A., State University of New York
  • M.P.S., Cornell University
In Their Own Words

"I take a pragmatic, practitioner's approach to teaching. I use the Socratic method, coupled with a collaborative approach to instruction that empowers young people to develop their critical thinking skills and integrate their spirit and emotion into all of their endeavors."

"My priorities are to act as a catalyst for students in the discovery of their human potential, to protect them from those who would place limits on their dreams, and to act as a reality check for them as they prepare to make the transition from student to working professional."

"As a veteran performer, I am able to simulate for students what is expected of them as professional musicians. My success, and the success of those I have taught, is based more on strong organizational skills, effective conflict resolution skills, and prudence and intelligence about the manner in which you display your musical and creative talents."

"As a performer, I have worked with some of the finest musicians in the world. I have watched theory go out the window on a live stage. Sometimes you've got to do 'flat-footed singing,' meaning you use your ears without the support of a band, and you raise the roof with your God-given voice. I try to instill that spirit in each student I teach."

"A good ensemble player is one who embraces the African philosophical perspective that says, 'I am because we are.' It is not about you. It is about how you connect to the community, and together you produce art that is collaborative, loving, and socially just."

"I find music to be one of the most effective vehicles to promote social justice in the world. Training young musicians and inspiring them to see the profound, constructive impact they can have on humanity is a gift, and Berklee affords me that opportunity."