Bachelor’s of Music
Jazz Composition and Arranging

Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, Class of 1981

Former Faculty member Berklee, 1982–84
(teaching Jazz Harmony, Theory and Arranging, Ear Training, and Listening and Analysis)

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A product of Lafayette, CA, Mr. Park graduated from Acalanes High School in 1975 after attending Springhill Elementary and Stanley Junior High Schools in Lafayette. He was a member of the 1974 and 1975 District Honor Bands and California State Honor Bands as a percussionist and marched with the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.

After graduating high school, Mr. Park attended San Jose State University (San Jose, CA) where he studied with renowned percussionist Anthony Cirone, Principal Percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony and was one of two drummers in the SJSU Experimental Jazz Orchestra under the late Dwight Cannon.

After a brief stint as a drummer in a disco band (this was the late ‘70’s!), he went back to school making Berklee College of Music in Boston his school of choice. He graduated in 1981 and was awarded the “Mercer Ellington Jazz Master’s Award” for that year (see “Honors/Awards” link on home page). During his time as a student at Berklee he met Bill McFarlin (long time Executive Director for the IAJE, International Association of Jazz Educators, see “Favorite Links” on home page), who hired him to teach at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan (see “Favorite Links”). After two summers of teaching in Michigan, Blue Lake sent him to Germany where he taught at their extension camp, Blue Lake in Bavaria, combining European and American students to form a concert band and a jazz band. He also joined the faculty at Berklee at this time.

After having had his fill of academia, Mr. Park traveled south to the Caribbean where he was band leader and drummer on several different cruise ships out of Miami. He left the ships after about a year and returned to the Bay Area and his roots.

Using his education in jazz harmony and theory, Mr. Park applied himself to the piano, getting his first gig at the Pleasanton Hilton five days a week at lunchtime. It was here that his piano career began. Since that time (around 1985) he has played over 5,000 gigs as a pianist all over the world (for more, see the link “Gig Highlights (and lowlights!)” on the home page).

His most recent venture was the jazz club “Kelly’s of Alameda” in Alameda, CA. He has been heard to state that running a club is the hardest thing he’s ever attempted over a lifetime in music.

He currently resides in Alameda with his wife, Jill, and their two children, Evan and Christina and continues to tour several months out of the year.