Jim Progris

Jim Progris attended the Berklee College of Music back in 1956 and witnessed firsthand the development of the school’s courses and programs over the years. He returned to the school to teach in 1964 and became Associate Dean in charge of the entire curriculum, which he found very rewarding. Within his own area of study, Jim focused on the art of arranging music. While Dean for Berklee, Jim used the Schillinger System of Musical Composition to great success. In 1968, Jim moved to Miami and began teaching at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. He stayed at the school until 1974 when he left to start a music school in Georgia. In 1976, he returned to Frost where he remained until his retirement in 2010. Along the way, Jim created three majors and over 50 different courses including the innovative “Music, Writing and Producing” classes. Jim was also involved with NAMM and in creating music business classes that encouraged many students to seek a career in the music products industry.