The first thing I learned about Stephen Croes, the new Dean of the Music Technology Division at Berklee College of Music is that he is so nice and so excited about moving to Boston to take this new job, that it's really refreshing to talk to him. His excitement about his new job is barely contained as he speaks passionately about Berklee, the students, the field of music technology and having a "real job" for the first time in his career. I don't know about you, but when I was in college, the thought of speaking to the Dean evoked the specter of formality and precision, as opposed to the notion that the Dean would be cool to know; but Croes is that kind of person.

Croes grew up in South Dakota, but spent the past 20 years living and working in Los Angeles as a drummer, keyboardist, sound designer, composer, arranger and producer. He says that he never planned his career, but good things happened to him. However, it's easier for good things to happen when you have talent as well. In college he studied traditional percussion and also studied with Freddy Gruber, a master drum teacher in Los Angeles. He spent his twenties as a drummer touring on the road with various groups and started to do some session work. As he got more into session work, technology changed his world with the advent of drum machines. An avid technologist, Croes embraced the new possibilities that arose and set out to master the technology to do what he wanted it to do, rather than letting the technology control his place in the music world.

Early on, Croes understood that computer-based music technology was the wave of the future, especially in the studio. He became an expert at using a Synclavier, a difficult-to-master digital audio workstation. His expertise established his importance in the music technology scene, and as a result he has worked with artists like Kenny Loggins, Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper, Stevie Wonder, Geggy Tah, and more. His synthesis work also led him to work in both film and television, where his credits include BULL DURHAM, RED SCORPION, THE HIDDEN, THE TREAT, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION; DEEP SPACE NINE; VOYAGER; ENTERPRISE, and documentaries for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and the COUSTEAU SOCIETY, among others.

Croes' varied career which includes performing, mixing, engineering, producing, orchestrating, conduction arranging, writing, programming, and sound design is one reason that he can command both respect in the academic world and collegiality with his students. Croes sees the Music Technology Division, which is home to Music Production and Engineering and Musical Synthesis departments, as a very popular and dynamic area, which by necessity must be willing to lead and adapt to change in the tool sets that students will need to learn to gain the depth of learning and analytical skills necessary to prosper in the field. Says Croes; "Berklee is really a one-of-a-kind music school. We don't just teach the latest techniques or technologies, instead we provide the students with the necessary fundamentals and ability and understanding to work in a field of constant change."

As technology becomes inextricably integrated into both film and music, Croes thinks that it will be even more important for students to be able to use and deploy the tools provided by technological advances. Croes, commenting in response to a question about how technology affects individuality, says that "Computers are wonderful machines and give great power of individuality to all participants who learn to master them. It's up to every individual to determine what level of technology he or she will use, but it's a rare individual who has no use for technology."

If Croes' past is any indication, he will embrace his new position with the same vigor and excitement that allowed him to become a self-taught expert in the technology tools that established him as an expert in his field. Laughingly, he says he is excited to have his first "real job", but seriously, Croes is thrilled to be living in Boston and to work with Berklee faculty and students who he regards as some of the best in the world. More information about Dean Croes or the Music Technology Division at Berklee College of Music is available on the Berklee website at www.berklee.edu