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Alumni Spotlight: Chase Behar ‘22
Chase Behar ‘22 says studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston “is a dream come true.” The bass guitar and upright bass player, who is currently in his final year of the Bachelor of Music in Performance program, says his professors are giving him opportunities to reach his full potential as a jazz musician, composer and band leader.
One of his instructors, Grammy award winning trumpet player Darren Barrett, recently hired Chase to play in his trio and perform on his upcoming album. “Every session I do with Darren is a clinic on how to lead a band properly, how to support a band leader as a side man and how to orchestrate for different groups. We end up writing some music together to see what sticks and is going to go on the album – and I get to be part of those choices,” says Chase.
Chase is also grateful for the instruction and support he received from York School music teachers Diane Drysdale, Fabio Biagiarelli and Cody MacFarlane during the three years he was in our Senior School Music program (he entered York in Grade 10). They encouraged him to join the school’s jazz band and participate in the Conference of Independent Schools Music Festival, and Ms. Drysdale brought him to rehearsals of a band composed of music teachers so he could perform with more experienced musicians.
“My teachers knew I had come to York with some experience and a lot of passion so they really helped me thrive,” says Chase.
In Grade 11, when York added the two-year IB Music course to its Diploma Program, Chase was delighted to be in the first class. “The whole concept of that program was to allow us to choose our own direction, in terms of the kind of music we wanted to learn about, practice and apply to our lives. The course helped me refine the directions that I wanted to go in as an artist,” he says.
Chase says one of his most rewarding experiences at York was playing in a trio with fellow students Jonah Ain ‘22 and Lex Thomson-Bowden ‘23 (who are both studying Music at McGill.) “We got to play music that we were interested in, as opposed to music that we were told to play,” says Chase.
It only took Chase just a few years to advance from playing in York’s gymnasium to performing at large music festivals like Boston Calling. This summer, after his dad, Jeremy, watched one of his sets at Boston Calling, the two made their way to the main stage for a concert by the Dave Matthews Band, one of their favourite groups.
Chase says one of his most rewarding experiences at York was playing in a trio with fellow students Jonah Ain ‘22 and Lex Thomson-Bowden ‘23 (who are both studying Music at McGill.) “We got to play music that we were interested in, as opposed to music that we were told to play,” says Chase.
It only took Chase just a few years to advance from playing in York’s gymnasium to performing at large music festivals like Boston Calling. This summer, after his dad, Jeremy, watched one of his sets at Boston Calling, the two made their way to the main stage for a concert by the Dave Matthews Band, one of their favourite groups.
When Chase graduates from Berklee this spring, he wants to move to New York City to continue his formal music education (he’s currently applying for Master’s programs) and pursue performing opportunities. “It’s the epicenter for jazz and where a lot of my heroes are,” he says.
Pictured:
1. Chase plays the double bass in a recording studio at Berklee College of Music.
2. Chase (second from right) with fellow York musicians Jonah Ain (third from left) and Lex Thomson-Bowden (fourth from left), and teachers Diane Drysdale, Cody MacFarlane (second from left) and Fabio Biagiarelli.
