BTOT Brochure 2004 - Berklee College of Music

11
Donna McElroy
Donna McElroy is a voice professor at Berklee. She’s been an
arranger and background vocalist on the gold and platinum
releases “Why Haven’t I Heard From You?” by Reba McEntire;
“We Shall Be Free” by Garth Brooks; “Addictive Love” by BeBe
and CeCe Winans; and “House of Love” by Amy Grant. She is
the recipient of a Grammy nomination for Bigger World, a Dove
Award for Songs from the Loft, and a 1993 Best Actress Award
for the Circle Players’ performance of Sister Mary Regina (Nunsense). Her television
appearances include Arsenio Hall, Tonight Show, and the Grammy Awards.
Victor Vanacore ’74
Grammy Award–winner Victor Vanacore has been at the nexus of
popular music for more than 25 years. Widely respected for his
versatility, he has had a long history of fruitful collaborations with
the biggest names in the entertainment industry as a conductor,
pianist, composer, and arranger. Vanacore has had numerous
associations with celebrity vocalists. He served as conductor,
keyboardist, and musical arranger for the Jackson 5 as well as
conductor and arranger for the 5th Dimension. Not long afterward, Johnny Mathis
hired him as musical director for his world tour. He joined Barry Manilow for six
years in the same capacity, receiving album credits including If I Should Love Again,
Barry Live in Britain, Barry, and The Greatest Hits. More recent recording projects
have included collaborations with Natalie Cole, Teena Marie, George Benson, and
Dave Koz. Additionally, Vanacore enjoyed a close ongoing relationship with musical
icon Ray Charles, whom he met in 1990. They remained colleagues and friends
until Charles’s passing in 2004, during which time he served as his musical director,
arranger, and opening act.
Tracy Bonham ’88
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Bonham began singing at age 5,
playing the violin at 9, and piano at age 14. After attending the
University of Southern California in violin performance and
studying jazz vocals at Berklee College of Music, she started her
own band and began writing songs. She proved to be a quick
study. Her 1996 major label debut, The Burdens of Being Upright,
went gold, spawning the hit single “Mother Mother,” and leading
to a pair of Grammy nominations for Best Female Vocalist and Best Alternative Rock
Performance. Bonham has released two subsequent LP records with two EPs and
has toured the world many times.