From the newsletter, Insight – a weekly feature written by Peter Link, Composer, Record Producer and Creative Director of Watchfire Music.

Inspirational Music Artist Suzanna Sifter is also the Teacher of the Stars
I would love to go back to school. If I only had the time. There are so many holes in my music knowledge. I could fill ‘em up! If, in a different world, I could, I’d go to Berklee in Boston.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With more than a dozen performance and nonperformance majors and a hugely talented student body representing more than 70 countries, Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for the music of today—and tomorrow.

The list of graduates include a Who’s Who of American Pop and Jazz icons.

• John Blackwell (Prince) ’95 Drummer
• Gary Burton ’62 Jazz vibraphonist
• Alf Clausen ’66 Film composer
• Melissa Etheridge ’80 Rock singer-songwriter
• Donald Fagen ’66 Rock singer-songwriter
• Juan Luis Guerra ’82 Latin music guitarist, composer

• Quincy Jones ’51 Producer, composer
• Diana Krall ’83 Jazz pianist, vocalist
• Joey Kramer (Aerosmith) ’71 Rock drummer
• Patty Larkin ’74 Guitarist, folk-pop singer-songwriter
• Aimee Mann ’80 Rock singer-songwriter
• Arif Mardin ’61 Producer, arranger
• Branford Marsalis ’80 Jazz saxophonist
• John Mayer ’98 Guitarist, pop songwriter
• Makoto Ozone ’83 Jazz pianist
• Howard Shore ’69 Film composer
• Luciana Souza ’92 Jazz vocalist
• Susan Tedeschi ’91 Blues guitarist, singer-songwriter
• Steve Vai ’79 Rock guitarist
• Joe Zawinul ’59 Jazz keyboardist

Suzanna Sifter is currently an associate professor in the piano department. Naturally, she is an amazing player – teacher of the best this country has to offer. She is a graduate from Berklee with a masters from New England Conservatory of Music. As is all the staff at Berklee, (Bobby Stanton, Watchfire Music artist included) she is a consummate performer.

She has recently joined the Artist roster here at Watchfire Music with her new Jazz CD, The Illumination. This is one of those CDs that I just put on and play over and over again while I’m at my desk. Ya’ gotta check this out.