Berklee Communications Office

STYLE GUIDE2016

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Berklee Communications Style Guide 2016Welcome to the Berklee Communications Style Guide. This manual was assembled to help you with many of your day-to-day questions regarding grammar, spelling, style, and usage here at the college. We’ve tried to make this guide as user-friendly as possible, but occasionally the information you’re looking for won’t be found exactly where you first expect. For example, if you’re wondering how to format movie titles, you’ll find what you need to know under films. When in doubt, refer to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (m-w.org) or the Chicago Manual of Style (chicagomanualofstyle.org).

If you have any questions regarding this guide—or grammar, style, and usage in general—don’t hesitate to contact the editors on the Communications staff. Or if you’re writing a short piece (400 words or fewer) and would like it proofread quickly (within two business days), send us an email at proofing@berklee.edu.

Thanks very much,The Communications Editorial Team

160 Massachusetts AvenueAvoid referring to this building as a tower.

A&RAbbreviation for the artists and repertoire division of a record label.

a cappella

addressesIn programs, envelopes, or tables, abbreviations for directions, streets, and states are acceptable. In running text, however, such as a paragraph, or if there could be confusion, avoid abbreviating.

The party will be held at 167 Massachusetts Avenue. Bill is originally from Tampa, Florida. Enter Saint Cecilia Parish through the door on Saint Cecilia Street.

Also, note the change in capitalization when two streets share a word.

Massachusetts and Huntington avenues

Numbers in street names are spelled out according to the usual rules.

Fifth Street but 14th Street

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Countries and states should be set off by commas.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Bob Smith now lives in Boston. The campus in Valencia, Spain, is near the sea.

African AmericanNo hyphen. See ethnicity.

Afrobeat

Afro-Cuban

Afropop

a.k.a.With periods.

albumsItalicize album names. Is Thriller the best-selling album of all time?

Album is the generally accepted term for any collection of music tracks. CD is also acceptable.

alphabetizingBerklee often alphabetizes lists in situations where unintended bias might otherwise be perceived.

The Professional Writing and Music Technology Division offers majors in composition, contemporary writing and production, electronic production and design, film scoring, harmony, jazz composition, music production and engineering, and songwriting.

Berklee teaches music in a number of styles, including folk, gospel, jazz, Latin, and rock.

Past honorary doctorate recipients include Anita Baker, David Bowie, Ron Carter, and Billy Joel.

But use common sense. If you do intend to emphasize something in particular, then there’s no need to alphabetize.

All-StarsHyphenated.

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alumni yearAlways be sure to use the apostrophe (’) not a single quote (‘).

Mark Small ’78 Alumni of graduate programs are designated with a G: Luke Dennis ‘15G Alumni of both undergraduate and graduate programs have both designations,

separated by a comma: Jana Sustersic ‘14, ‘15G

alumnusAlumnus is used for a man, and alumna is used for a woman. Alumni is the plural used when both genders, or men only, are intended. Alumnae is used for an all-female group.

ampersand (&)In running text, use and instead of an ampersand. Exception: when it’s an established part of a band, company, or organization name (e.g., Earth, Wind & Fire).

apostrophe (‘)The apostrophe is used for two things: to show possession (Fred’s house) and to take the place of missing characters in contractions (don’t), year references (’76), or phrases (rock ‘n’ roll).

Generally speaking, in the possessive sense, singular nouns take an apostropheand an s.

Charles’s The parent’s Williams’s (last name)

Plural nouns ending with an s generally take just an apostrophe to form the possessive.

The parents’ The Browns’ The Williamses’

In contractions, remember that the apostrophe is only used to indicate missing letters or numbers.

‘70s not 70’s or 70s’ (the 19 is what’s missing) CDs not CD’s or CDs’ (nothing is missing; the letter s simply makes CD plural; of course, if you were talking about something possessed by a CD—the CD’s third track—then you would use an apostrophe.)

The computer’s smart quotes really aren’t so smart after all. When typing away, if an apostrophe comes at the beginning of a word (as in an alumni year ’76), the smart quotes function treats it not as an apostrophe but as a single quotation mark, like so: ‘. To make the apostrophe correctly, use: Option + Shift + ]

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Also, on the web, there isn’t the distinction between the slanted or curly smart quotes or apostrophes, and the vertical, straight variety. Only the latter is used.

artist in residenceNo hyphens as noun, but hyphenate as an adjective.

I haven’t had the chance to work with an artist in residence, which is a shame because we have such a great artist-in-residence program.

bandleaderOne word.

band namesBand names are capitalized.

Grand Funk Railroad Kool and the Gang

If the word the precedes the band name, it is lowercased unless it is at thebeginning of the sentence.

I love the White Stripes. The White Stripes really rock.

Band names are considered singular unless they contain plural nouns.

Styx is my favorite band in all the universe. The Rolling Stones have been touring for thousands of years.

bebopLowercase, no hyphen. See music styles/genres.

Berklee BlogsOutside of the web address (berklee-blogs.com), it’s two words, no hyphen.

Berklee Card

Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival

Berklee College of MusicUse Berklee where possible. Berklee College of Music is also acceptable.

Not The Berklee College of Music. Never just Berklee College. Never, ever Berklee School of Music. In second reference, the word college is not capitalized.

I just visited Berklee College of Music after 10 years. The college has changed quite a bit.

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Berklee.eduCapital B in running text.

Berklee mottoThe motto of Berklee College of Music is Esse quam videri (italics, first wordcapitalized). It means “to be, rather than to seem.” (This is not capitalized, as it is merely a translation of the motto, not the motto itself.)

Berklee TodayAlthough the title of Berklee’s alumni magazine is rendered with a lowercase t on the cover and in the masthead, in running text it should be treated as any other publication.

Berklee Today updates me on the latest alumni news.

Berklee on the Road The city in which the event will take place, not the country, should follow “Berklee on the Road.” Berklee on the Road: Santo Domingo, not Berklee on the Road: Dominican Republic

big bandLowercase; do not hyphenate.

I can’t get enough big band music.

The BIRNNot just BIRN. Spell out the Berklee Internet Radio Network on first reference.

blowoutnot blow-out

blues-rock

Board of TrusteesAlways uppercase. See Titles/Committees. book titlesItalicize.

bossa novaSee music styles/genres.

BPMAbbreviation for beats per minute.

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building namesThe buildings on the Boston campus include: 22 Fenway; 1140 Boylston Street; 150 Massachusetts Avenue; 921 Boylston Street, the Genko Uchida Building, the Uchida building; 270 Commonwealth Avenue; 130 Massachusetts Avenue; 136 Massachusetts Avenue, the Berklee Performance Center (BPC); 7 Haviland; 160 Massachusetts Avenue; 18 Belvidere Street, Saint Cecilia Parish.

The buildings on the Valencia campus include: the City of Arts and Sciences, the Hemisfèric, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, the Oceanogràfic, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, the Umbracle, and the Àgora.

On first reference, always mention the address of a building if it’s on the Boston campus.

Tours are led from the Genko Uchida building at 921 Boylston Street. Groups should meet at the Uchida building.

Avoid referring to 160 Massachusetts Avenue as a tower.

For a complete list of building names, consult the college bulletin.

caf showsStudent shows in the cafeteria are caf shows, not cafe shows.

Cafe 939Should be styled the Red Room at Cafe 939.

No accent on Cafe. Do not use @ symbol.

campuswide

canceledOne l.

CDsSee albums.

centuryLowercase, and spell out numbers less than 10.

the fifth century, the 20th century an eighth-century king, a 19th century composer

chairUse chair, not chairperson, chairman, or chairwoman.

citiesCapitalize the word city only when it refers to the government.

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The City of Boston proclaimed last Tuesday Jason Roeder Day. The city of Boston has more colleges than any other in the United States.

When mentioning U.S. cities in running text, use the city and state name, with a few exceptions—such as Los Angeles and New York—that can stand alone. However, if you use one of these cities in a sentence with a city that requires the state name, use the state name for both, for consistency.

Jen started gigging in the Los Angeles area. Paul divided his time between Los Angeles, California, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Foreign cities are written with their countries; of course; once the country is mentioned, there’s no need to do so again.

Kostos was born in Athens, Greece. He returns to Athens whenever he can.

City MusicThe preferred rendering of the college’s outreach program is simply Berklee City Music® or, on second reference, City Music. If you say Berklee City Music programs, lowercase the letter p. Other City Music terms:

Berklee City Music Network® (BCMN) Berklee City Music Boston Berklee City Music National (this only refers to the office that oversees the network) Berklee City Music All-Stars Berklee City Music Preparatory Academy (City Music Prep Academy) Berklee City Music High School Academy Berklee City Music Mentoring Program Berklee City Music Preparatory Academy Summer Workshop (City Music Prep Academy Summer Workshop, PSW) Berklee City Music Faculty Outreach Program (CMFO) Berklee PULSE® Music Method (PULSE) Berklee City Music Summer Scholarship Note: No longer SYSTEM 5 Berklee City Music College Scholarship Note: No longer Continuing Scholarship Amp Up NYC®

Note that registered trademarks should be used on Berklee City Music ®, Berklee City Music Network®, PULSE®, and Amp Up NYC®.

class (graduating)Lowercase the word class.

The class of 2016 is the first to go through the audition and interview process.

classical musicGeneric titles—musical forms, such as concerto, overture, symphony, or liturgical works, such as mass, requiem—are not italicized.

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Piano Concerto No. 5 Sixth Symphony

True titles are titles specific to a single work, given by the composer much as an author would title a novel. True titles are italicized.

From Me Flows What You Call Time Pelléas et Mélisande

There are a few rare instances where a work has what seems like a generic title, but it is actually a true title. Generally, if a symphony is referred to by name and not also numbered, the title is actually a true title given by the composer. These should be in italics as well.

Symphonie Fantastique Copland’s Dance Symphony

Nicknames follow in parentheses and quotes.

Schubert’sSymphonyinBMinor(“Unfinished”) SymphonyNo.9(“FromtheNewWorld”)

co-Most words using this prefix are not hyphenated, unless a hyphen is necessary to prevent the misreading of two o’s in a row, as in co-opt or co-owner. coauthor, cochair, coworker, coleader, coproducer

colons and semicolonsUse only one space after a colon. Although this mark has several functions, itsprimary use is to introduce elements that amplify what has preceded it (similar to the em dash [see dashes]).

Bob always said there were three ingredients to a happy life: family, friends, and a bottle of whiskey.

The colon can also introduce a sentence. When it introduces a single sentence, the first word of that sentence is lowercased. When it introduces multiple sentences, the first letter is uppercased.

Red Sox fans were furious after the game: many tipped over hot dog carts.

Red Sox fans were furious after the game: Some tipped over hot dog carts. Others cried on barstools.

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Semicolons are also followed by a single space and are used in a series where the series elements contain punctuation or are abnormally long.

In attendance were Kevin, of Salem; Janelle, of Somerville; and Rob, of Jamaica Plain.

Otherwise, use commas to separate series elements.

commasCommas are used in a series between all elements and before the conjunction. (The comma before the conjunction is sometimes omitted depending on whose style guide you reference. We use it.)

A noun is a person, place, or thing.

They are also used in compound sentences, which are usually joined by conjunctions such as or, and, or but.

I really like Berklee’s classes, and I also appreciate the performance opportunities.

commencement/convocationLowercase these words.

Berklee’s 55th annual commencement will take place next Saturday. Berklee awarded two honorary doctorates at this year’s convocation.

compriseA frequently misused word. It means “to be made up of, to include.” The whole comprises its parts. Compose means “to make up, to form the substance of something.” The parts compose the whole.

The Berklee International Network comprises 19 schools. Nineteen schools compose the Berklee International Network.

Avoid the construction “comprised of,” when you mean “composed of.” The Unites States is composed of 50 states.

concentration/concentrateConcentration is synonymous with major, but it should be avoided so readers aren’t confused. Concentrate should just be avoided.

concert namesCapitalize, with no quotation marks. But don’t capitalize welcome concert and student jam.

Fall Together, Singers Showcase

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conferencesCapitalize; no quotes.

She attended the International Association for Jazz Education Conference.

course namesThe names of courses at Berklee are capitalized according to the rules under headlines. They are not quoted. The number portion should be hyphenated.

EN-191 Contemporary Fusion Ensemble IL-177 Walking Bass Line and Chords for Guitars

course workTwo words

cover songsThe covered band should be in parentheses: Berklee Student, “Like a Rolling Stone” (Bob Dylan cover)

dashesThere are two kinds of dashes: em (—) and en (–). The em dash is commonlycreated as two hyphens but should be created on the Mac keyboard by:Option + Shift + Hyphen.

There should be no spaces on either side of the em dash. They are used torepresent a sudden break in thought or a complementary expression to what is being said already.

Ted loved sports—he had ESPN on 24 hours a day—but his family always came first.

The en dash, which also takes no spaces on either side, is created on the Mac keyboard by: Option + Hyphen. You’ll primarily use this when connecting a span of numerals: dates, times, reference numbers.

You’ll find the information on pages 8–27. We’re expecting some great visiting artists during the 2013–2014 school year.

However, when a preposition introduces the numbers, an en dash is not used.

We will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Also, the en dash has one special grammatical function. It replaces the hyphenin compound adjectives when a part of that adjective is two words:

award-winning director; Academy Award–winning directorNew Deal programs; post–New Deal programs

Also see hyphens.

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databaseOne word.

datesDates should be spelled out with the year set off by commas, if necessary. Beantown Jazz Festival will be held September 26, 2015, in the South End. Not Sept. 26 or 9/26.

degrees and diplomasAlways lowercase, unless writing out the full title of the degree (i.e., bachelor’s degree or Bachelor of Music degree).

master’s degree honorary doctorate professional diploma

Berklee offers four degrees: Bachelor of Music (B.M.) Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.) Master of Music (M.M.) Master of Arts (M.A.)

Acronyms are acceptable on second reference and should not be used in headlines.

A program name or major should never follow the phrase “master in/of” or “bachelor in/of” Yes: Master of Arts in Music Therapy program No: Master in Music Therapy

Graduate programs should not be referred to as majors.

Master’s degree programs may also be referred to as graduate programs (but not master’s programs).

The two graduate performance programs should be styled with parentheses to differentiate between them: Master of Music in Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration) program Master of Music in Contemporary Performance (Global Jazz Concentration) program

Only persons with medical degrees (medical doctors, dentists, etc.) may take Dr. before their name in first reference. Subsequent references do not take Dr., just the last name. Honorary doctorate recipients, while accomplished in their own right, are never called Dr., nor have they officially earned a Ph.D. Academic degrees are not referenced after a name in running text; they may be used if the name is in a list, such as on programs or invitations.

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departments (abbreviations)Only abbreviate the Music Business/Management (MB/M), Music Production and Engineering (MP&E), and Electronic Production and Design (EPD) departments, and only after first fully writing them out. For more information, see titles.

Note: Ensemble Department may be referred to as Ensembles, and String Department may be referred to as Strings.

descriptions of musiciansUse a maximum of three descriptions, separated by slashes.

composer/arranger/trombonist Phil Wilson

If a person has more than three descriptions, choose the three most relevant to put before the name, and work in the others subsequently.

composer/arranger/trombonist Phil Wilson, also a beloved educator…

disc/diskTwo spellings.

compact disc a computer disk

docuseriesOne word.

DownBeatThe magazine DownBeat is italicized and is a single word with a capital B. Its annual survey is the Critics Poll, no apostrophe.

drum ‘n’ bass

drumbeatOne word.

drum setTwo words.

Electronic Production and Design Abbreviated EPD.

ellipsesThese are the three dots on a row ( … ) that represent pauses in speech and deletions of words. When ellipses appear at the ends of sentences, use the three dots before or after a punctuation mark depending on where the omitted text occurs:

Original excerpts from John Sykes’s 2000 commencement address:

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The big network broadcasters said nobody would watch music on television. They wanted no part of us. The advertisers said there wasn’t enough money to go around. The established record companies—not A&M, of course—wouldn’t even return our phone calls. Who needs TV, we were told, when we’ve got radio? The rock critics said nobody’s going to watch an artist play music.

With ellipses:

The big network broadcasters said nobody would watch music on television. . . . The advertisers said there wasn’t enough money to go around. The established record companies . . . wouldn’t even return our phone calls. Who needs TV . . . ? The rock critics said nobody’s going to watch an artist play music.

emailOnly capitalize at the beginning of a sentence; no hyphen.

emceePreferred over MC, except when referencing hip-hop artists. Can also be used as a verb.

Jon Stewart emceed the Academy Awards. He was a better emcee than Billy Crystal.

See MC.

Ensemble DepartmentEnsemble is singular in this case, but plural when standing alone.

EQAbbreviation for equalize. For other tenses, use EQ’d and EQing, not EQed, EQ-ed, or EQ-ing.

ethnicity Don’t use a hyphen.

African American Latin American

Try to avoid the word black when describing an African American. But don’t alter it if it’s quoted that way; lowercase the word.

exclamation pointRestrict use of this overused mark. Remember that exclamation points also denote yelling. Think how your expression would sound if shouted. And if you must use an exclamation point, use only one.

extensionSpell out in running text. Avoid ext., xt., and x.

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FacebookNot FaceBook

facultyA tricky word that can be used in the singular and plural. Generally speaking, consider it singular when using it to describe the body, the entity, of instructors at an institution. When using it to describe more than one person belonging to that body, consider it a plural.

The Berklee faculty is one of the country’s most distinguished. Many faculty were outraged by the vote.

If you’re worried about how faculty sounds with a particular verb tense, you can try faculty member.

Faculty are advised to turn in their grades on time. Faculty members are advised to turn in their grades on time.

fax

filmsItalicize, no quotes.

Did you know Howard Shore scored The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?

film composer Or film score composer; not film scorer.

filmmaker

fingerstyle

first-come, first-served

Five-Week Summer Performance ProgramFive-Week program is an acceptable second reference.

flautist/flutistFlutist is preferred.

foreign wordsOn first use, a foreign word that does not appear in the dictionary should be italicized. If it’s used only occasionally subsequently, the word may be italicized throughout; if it’s used many times, you need not do so.

Francisco first heard the clave in his barrio in San Juan. The clave soon became his instrument of choice.

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formsIn casual usage, forms aren’t given special treatment.

You’ll receive your 2004 financial aid form in the spring.

Full, formal names are capitalized.

Be sure to fill out both sides of your 2004 Entering Student Financial Aid Application.

Full-Credit Summer ProgramFull-Credit program is an acceptable second reference.

FYSAPSpell out First-Year Student Advising Program on first reference.

GarageBand

geographic names

coastsEast Coast and West Coast are capitalized.

greaterWhen greater is used with the name of a city to denote a metropolitan area, itis capitalized.

Greater Boston

hemisphereCapitalize.

Western Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere

New YorkWhen clarification is necessary to distinguish between the state and city, use New York City on first reference. Otherwise, use New York.

I was born in New York City. Someday, I might move back to New York.

regions/compass pointsRegions that are commonly considered proper names are capitalized. Derivative adjectives and nouns are not.

Fred spent his childhood in the Northeast and later relocated to the South. There, he married a southerner, and together they headed north.

Drive north for 10 miles, then go west for another seven miles.

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gold recordLowercase. Same with platinum and diamond records. Gold: 500,000 sales. Platinum: 1,000,000 sales. Diamond: 10,000,000 sales.

grade, graderSpell out grades below 10. Notice the hyphen used with grader.

Billy is in fourth grade. His sister is in second grade, but she can’t wait to be a third grader.

graduate programsEither graduate program or master’s degree program is acceptable. Never use master’s program or simply master’s without degree.

Grammy AwardDo not write Grammy as GRAMMY, as you’ll sometimes see it. Also, you need not indicate the word’s trademark. The plural is Grammys, not Grammies. Write Grammy Award–winning artist with an en dash but Grammy-winning artist with a hyphen. See dashes for more information.

GRAMMY Museum

headlinesHeads, subheads, titles, or any other special pulled-out statements have certain rules as to what gets capitalized and lowercased.

All prepositions are lowercased, even the long ones:

The President Walked through the Door

All verbs are capitalized except for the word “to” in infinitives:

The President Is Here. He Asks Everyone to Stay Calm.

All articles (a,an,the) are lowercased except at the beginning of a line:

The President Arrives at the New Facility

All conjunctions (and, or, but) are lowercased:

The President and First Lady Visited Troops

Everything else is capitalized, including the second half of hyphenated words (e.g., Off-Campus Student Services).

hip-hopLowercase and hyphenate. See music styles/genres.

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Hispanic/LatinoSpecific country references like Puerto Rican or Mexican American are often best. Latino is generally preferred to Hispanic, but Hispanic may be used if the need is for a more gender-neutral term. (Keep in mind that Latino is masculine, Latina is feminine.) Latin can be used in terms like Latin music and Latin Culture Celebration.

homeschoolOne word.

hometownsWhen listing students’ hometowns, list the town and state for domestic students and town and country for international students (including Canada).

honky-tonk

honorary doctorate Honorary doctorate recipients are designated with an H: David Bowie ’99H

HTML

hyphenHyphens are used between words, with no spaces around them: self-imposed, hand-to-hand. They also create temporary adjectives: words put together in front of a noun for a description that aren’t normally put together.

That’s a well-made desk. That desk is well made.

There are many rules for various word combinations, but the most important is that -ly words do not get hyphens after them.

She made a carefully considered decision.

For related information, see dashes.

internet/intranetLowercase. See web words and email.

italicsUse italics—not bold, underline, or all-capital letters—for emphasis. I simply cannot stress this enough.

it’s/itsIt’s is a contraction meaning “it is”; its is a possessive.

It’s a wise dog that scratches its own fleas.

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jazzLowercase. See music styles/genres. junior and seniorDon’t use commas to separate Jr., Sr., or Roman numerals from names.

Abraham Laboriel Jr. Dennis Montgomery III is a respected instructor at Berklee.

Keyboard magazineNot Keyboard Magazine.

K-pop

Latin Capitalize in all situations.

lead sheetTwo words.

lecturesLecture series are capitalized; individual lectures are capitalized and quoted.

The most recent lecture in the Zafris Lecture Series was “How to Get Ahead in Tough Times.”

listsBe sure that lists have consistent syntax (sentences with sentences or phrases with phrases).

Not:

There are three important rules to observe when camping:

• Stay away from bears. • Bug repellent • Keep food wrapped tightly.

But:

There are three important rules to observe when camping:

• Stay away from bears. • Wear bug repellent. • Keep food wrapped tightly.

Also, see alphabetizing.

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magazinesSee newspapers and magazines.

majorsLowercase. Also, see titles.

master classTwo words.

MCUsed in reference to hip-hop artists; emcee is a better choice in most other cases. Can also be used as a verb.

Mos Def is one of the best MCs in the world. He MC’d at a house party yesterday; he’s MCing at one tomorrow, too.

See also emcee

meetupOne word.

micAbbreviation for microphone. Plural: mics. Past tense: miked.

MIDIAll caps. Acronym for Music Instrument Digital Interface.

modesMode names are capitalized, but other types of scales are not.

My favorite mode was G Dorian, but now I prefer the G blues scale. Bach liked B minor.

moneyUse a numeral and a dollar sign (or cents sign). Only use decimal points when there is change ($25.50, but $25).

The best tickets will cost $32 each; the cheapest seats go for $9 a piece. Personally, I wouldn’t pay 7¢ for one of those.

(¢=Option+4)

Millions and greater amounts are written with a combination of numerals and words: $9.9 million

Mothers RestThe name of the park near 22 Fenway has no apostrophe.

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moviesSee films.

mp3Lowercase

multi-Most words with this prefix are not hyphenated, unless a hyphen is necessary before a capitalized word, as in multi–Grammy winner, or a word that starts with an I, as in multi-instrumentalist.

multitrack, multimedia

music notation middle C key of D major key of B-flat minor A-sharp an E string a dominant seventh chord played on the sixth string

music styles/genresLowercase, unless it’s a regional reference.

Melanie was trained in jazz, but she also liked Latin music.

See a cappella, Afro-Cuban, Afro-pop, bebop, big band, bossa nova, hip-hop, jazz, neo-soul, new age, pop/rock, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll

MyspaceNot MySpace

national anthemThese words are not capitalized or set in quotes. But: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Donna McElroy sang the national anthem. Everyone loved her rendition of “The Star- Spangled Banner.”

neo-soul

new ageLowercase. See music styles/genres.

newspapers and magazinesIn running text, newspaper and magazine names are italicized and capitalized. The initial word the, however, is neither.

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I try to read the Boston Globe and the New York Times every day.

In the context of festivals, events, and contests, a publication is not italicized.

We received a press release about the Boston Globe Jazz Festival.

Articles are put in quotes.

Did you read Joan Vennochi’s column “The Value of Immigrants” in the Globe last week?

no. 1 hitNot number one or #1

numbersGenerally, spell out the numbers from one through nine and use numerals from 10 up. (Exceptions include 4-track, 24-track, where industry designation takes precedent, and grade point averages. There is no exception for music terminology in running text, e.g., sixth string, seventh chord. Other rules regarding numbers can be found under separate headings for century; grade, grader; money; page numbers; and percent.)

Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence with the exception of calendar years:

Twelve of my friends threw me a surprise party. 1972 was a great year.

See phone numbers.

okay or OKNot ok or o.k.

old-time

ombudsmanAlthough ombudsman is originally a Swedish term that is interchangeable for men and women, it is acceptable to use ombuds if you feel the original term isn’t politically correct enough. Plural, ombudsmen.

online/offline

overWhen speaking of amounts, use more than.

He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education.

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page numbersUse numerals.

The chapter begins on page 7.

panel discussionsSee workshops.

parent words Berklee Parent Office Berklee Parents Association Berklee Parent Fund

play alongPlay along with the play-along track. See hyphens.

pdfLowercase.

percent Always use a numeral. In running text, always spell out the word as opposed to using %. In charts, use the symbol.

Earnings dropped to 3 percent.

periodsWhen using periods, use only one space after them. The two-space rule is an old typewriter style outdated in the age of computers. When using expressions with periods at the end of a sentence, you do not need a second period to close out the sentence.

The movie starts at 10:00 p.m. I hope I’m not too sleepy.

Expressions like i.e., p.m., and e.g. need to have periods, as they are multiple word abbreviations. Similarly, Washington, D.C., needs the periods. State abbreviations, such as NY and NH, do not.

phonathon

phone numbersBerklee does not use parentheses around the area code or 800 prefix. Also see extensions.

617-XXX-XXXX800-XXX-XXXX800-BERKLEE

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International numbers should be styled with + before the country code and have no dashes in between numbers. Example: +34 963 123 456

photo captionsWhen writing captions for photos, use complete sentences (including periods) unless you’re simply identifying a headshot. Captions are written in present tense.

pop-rockNot pop/rock.

President’s Advisory CouncilUppercased.

principal instrumentNot principle instrument.

Pro Arts ConsortiumPut a space between Pro and Arts.

Pro Tools

Q&AOkay as the shortened version of question-and-answer period.

quotation marksWhen using punctuation with quotation marks, the rules are simple: periods and commas always go inside the quotes; semicolons and colons go outside; exclamation points and question marks go inside only when they are part of what is being quoted:

Johnny Cash sings “Folsom Prison Blues.”

He said there were several things we could do to shape up our “tired, neglected bodies”: exercise, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid fried foods.

The woman screamed, “Help! Godzilla!” What nerve that man had for blandly saying, “I couldn’t care less”!

He gave her a strange look and said, “What are you talking about?” Who was the president who said, “I am not a crook”?

R&BUppercase, no spaces. Short for rhythm and blues.

radioItalicize the names of radio programs (Car Talk, Prairie Home Companion). Call letters are written as follows (with no numbers): WBCN-FM.

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residence halls Not dormitories.

resumé

rhythm and bluessee R&B

rock ’n’ roll

seasons/semestersSeasons are capitalized only when they stand in place of a publication’s issue and volume number.

Enjoy the fall semester. The class will be held in the fall 2017 semester. I like the Fall 2015 issue best.

sight-read

singer-songwriterNot singer/songwriter. This is now considered a compound noun, rather than two separate nouns joined together.

Singers ShowcaseNo apostrophe.

social mediaFacebook, Myspace, YouTube, Twitter, tweets, Instagram, SoundCloud, LinkedIn

solfègeSolfège syllables are lowercased and italicized: do.

songsUse with quotation marks: “Let It Be,” “My Funny Valentine.”

SoundCloud

South KoreaNot just Korea.

skill setTwo words.

startupOne word.

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steelpanNot steel pan.

String DepartmentString is singular in this case, but plural when standing alone.

Study AbroadBerklee has two study abroad programs at its Valencia campus: Berklee Study Abroad and Spain Summer Study Abroad. On second reference, study abroad suffices.

televisionTry to use the full word as opposed to TV. Italicize the names of television programs (Game of Thrones), and put the names of specific episodes in quotation marks (“The Target”).

theLowercased, even in band names and publication names.

theaterNot theatre, unless that’s how a theater uses the word in its name. (Theatre is the British spelling.)

timeTimes are written designating hours and minutes. The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. are lowercased, with periods.

The meeting will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Also, note that 12:00 p.m. noon and 12:00 a.m. midnight are redundant. Choose one or the other. Do not mix numerals with words, and keep in mind that many people confuse 12:00 p.m. with midnight and vice versa.

time zonesLowercase, except when proper nouns are used. Usually, abbreviations will suffice: PST, EST.

The videoconference will take place at 1:00 p.m. Pacific standard time and 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

titles Titles/Academic Departments and MajorsMajors, instrumental concentrations, and subjects are lowercased. Department and program names are capitalized.

She teaches performance. Beth is a songwriting major. Joe is a piano principal. He is studying music business.But:

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The Piano Department is searching for a new chair. Over Christmas, everyone in Music Business/Management went on vacation. She was accepted into the Global Entertainment and Music Business Program.

This also applies to words such as center.I visited the Learning Center yesterday, and I plan to stop by the center again today.

Titles/Artistic Works and MediaNon-English titles are capitalized as you would English, with articles, conjunctions, and prepositions lowercased. See albums, band names, book titles, classical music, concert names, films, headlines, music styles, national anthem, newspapers and magazines, radio, songs, and television.

Titles/CommitteesCommittees are lowercased, except the Board of Trustees and the President’s Advisory Council.

Titles/OfficesWhen we’re talking about an actual physical space or workplace entity, offices are capitalized.

Bring your forms to Human Resources. Last week, Admissions hired three people.

But as fields/disciplines, these words are lowercased.

Chris is a specialist in human resources. Matt oversees the college’s communications needs.

Titles/PersonalAs a general rule, titles are placed after a person’s name and lowercased with the exception of presidents and mayors.

The meeting was attended by J. Curtis Warner, associate vice president for education outreach; Lauren Passarelli, professor of guitar; and Berklee President Roger H. Brown.

One exception: President Brown is acceptable on second reference.

underliningDon’t. Underlining is a typewriter style that has not gone away. Underlining was done because typewriters did not have the option of italics or bold.

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United KingdomUse the name of the British country, not the name of the unitary state, when listing student hometowns.

Edinburgh, Scotland London, England

Not: Edinburgh, United Kingdom London, United Kingdom

United StatesAbbreviated U.S., with periods. Same with L.A., D.C., N.Y.C.

URLFor standard URLs, you need not write out the common http:// prefix or www.

Read Berklee news at berklee.edu/news.

If the URL is not just a web location, but also the name of an online business, uppercase according to the company’s usage.

Online music courses are offered on online.berklee.edu. You can buy your materials on Amazon.com.

Don’t set off URLs with < and > (also known as angle brackets). In running text, don’t give URLs any special typographical treatment (bold, italic, underline, etc.).

If you want to direct someone to a specific web page, try to avoid a lengthy string of subdirectories such as the following:

berklee.edu/news/2006/12/1201.html

Instead, refer the reader to a point earlier on in the sequence from which the intended page can be accessed:

berklee.edu/news

ValenciaIn running text, use Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain. Never use Berklee Valencia, Berklee in Valencia, or Berklee Valencia Campus.

video gamesItalicize video game titles.

Voice DepartmentNot Vocal Department or Vocals Department.

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voicemail

web wordsYou will see words such as these spelled differently elsewhere:

website webmaster berklee.edu

The titles of websites and pages are capitalized without quotes. Web links are treated likewise.

To get to the Parents page, click on Parents, of course.

See also internet and email.

weeklongOne word.

Wi-Fi

Woodwind DepartmentWoodwind is singular in this case, but plural when standing alone.

words as wordsWhen a word or term isn’t used functionally, but merely referred to as a word, itis italicized.

I earned my Ph.D. last year. Where would Ph.D. go in this list?

I’m starving. I would love an apple. I was starving, and the first word that came to mind was apple.

workshops Capitalize names of workshops; no quotes.

yearlongOne word.

ZIP code