Leland Sklar, a bassist who has performed alongside some of the biggest names in music history (Phil Collins, James Taylor, Toto and Billy Cobham, to name a few), and who is currently a member of The Immediate Family (the modern iteration of a studio ensemble known as “The Section”), recently shared his talents with students at Berklee College of Music with a master class and concert.
The master class session “Lee Sklar: 25,000 Bass Tracks over Five Decades,” on Wednesday, Nov. 13, featured Sklar discussing the skills necessary for building careers in the studio, recording and touring industries. Crafting a song, reading music, and communication were but a few of the skills that Sklar discussed.
The following day, Sklar was a featured guest at this year’s Wes Wehmiller Scholarship concert, which honors the life and legacy of Wes Wehmiller (Berklee class of ’92), accomplished bassist, athlete, and photographer. The scholarship was established in 2005 by the Wehmiller family and Wes’s extended family of friends from all over the world.
Each year, the Berklee Bass Department awards this scholarship to a continuing student of the electric bass whose musicianship and spirit demonstrate their potential to carry on the same talent and generosity of spirit that Wes had. At the concert, Sklar performed alongside Berklee College of Music Bass Department Chair Steve Bailey. This year’s scholarship winner, Ksenia Vasileva, also performed with her band.
Sklar, along with Bailey, also helped moderate a Bass Department clinic/interview with Tool bassist Justin Chancellor and drummer Danny Carey.
“Lee brings a lifetime of experience at the highest levels, both touring and recording, and does it in such a way as to inspire our students to be better musicians and better people,” says Bailey.
