Ron Savage

Berklee alumnus Ron Savage is dean of the Professional Performance Division, which provides music performance curriculum to students, including private lessons, labs, ear training, and ensembles. An acclaimed drummer with a special focus on jazz and blues, Savage has performed extensively around the world with a wide array of performers, including James Moody, Clark Terry, Curtis Fuller, Mulgrew Miller, and Nnenna Freelon, among many more.

Savage grew up in Ahoskie, North Carolina, and graduated from Berklee with a degree in performance in 1984. He was hired to teach ear training in 1993, and over the next four years, he also taught in the Percussion and Ensemble departments. He was appointed chair of the Ensemble Department in 2000 and served in that role for 17 years until his appointment as interim dean. While chair of the Ensemble Department, he significantly increased the musical diversity of ensemble offerings, including gypsy jazz, acoustic blues, neo-soul, women in rock, heavy metal, reggae dub, and many more.