How to get into the best music school in US and perform with Grammy-nominated artists

When Ronald Vincenzo Khaw de Leon was two years old, he received his first piano as a birthday present. 

From that moment onwards, his dad and professional musician, Ronald Vic De Leon, would sit him down by the piano daily and make him play the scales. 

You read that right — father and son share not just the same last name, but the same first name too.

By the time Ronald Vincenzo was seven, instead of attending music school, his father was personally training him in jazz piano. A year later, his younger brother, Gabriel de Leon, joined in on the music journey by learning how to play the drums.

Between the three of them, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they’d team up and perform together at weddings, corporate events, and music festivals in their hometown of Penang, Malaysia.

“My dad is a professional musician who pushed us to perform at a very young age,” said Ronald Vincenzo. “At some point, he thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to perform with my sons as a band? So, he trained us to do that.”

When performing at events, Ronald Vincenzo would often be on the saxophone, violin, guitar, and bass guitar, while his younger brother would be on the drums and violin. His dad would be playing the piano and singing, and his mother would help manage the band.

Ronald Vic De Leon (right) decided to form a family band with his sons. Together, they have performed at several events and are well-loved by the Penang community. Source: Ronald Vincenzo Khaw de Leon

What to do when opportunity comes knocking on your doors

During his high school years at the Prince of Wales Island International School (POWIIS), Ronald Vincenzo decided that attending university was not part of his life path.

“The funny thing is, I did not want to pursue a bachelor’s degree or anything past high school,” he said. “I felt very strongly about this in late elementary and middle school. I wanted to complete my A-Levels, make a band, and go out into the world to perform.”

While this decision would not have been well-received in other fields, the music industry, however, follows a different set of rules.

Attending a music school and obtaining a certification in music isn’t exactly the only way to success. After all, many internationally renowned artists dropped out of school, so it’s fair that some say obtaining a degree is unnecessary.

Still, the other side of the argument believes that it can help open doors in specialised music sectors.   

Indeed, a job matching and hiring platform listed music industry jobs that don’t require a degree, such as a singer, recording studio intern, musician, or instrument technician.

However, as much as Ronald Vincenzo did not want to pursue a degree, even at a music school, things did not go as planned for him. He was often put in situations where higher education was more accessible.

Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow and see where life takes you — even if it’s a full-ride scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Source: Ronald Vincenzo Khaw de Leon

“During the sixth form, seniors were required to dedicate half an hour of every school week to the computer room to learn how to apply for university,” he said. “I was unwilling to do it as I never intended to study abroad, and honestly, because of that, I was too lazy to research universities.”

“But one day, my teacher said, Vince, I need to see what you’re doing for this class.”

To get the teachers off his back, he worked around a loophole.

As a British international school, the teachers at POWIIS knew little about American university applications. Using that knowledge, he applied to Berklee College of Music, the only American music school he knew at that time.

To his surprise, he met the requirements and was given the opportunity to audition for the programme.

“I met the audition requirements and drove down to Kuala Lumpur right after my English literature exam to attend the audition. Sometime after, I received the acceptance letter, and the rest was history,” he shares.

Despite planning on not attending university, Ronald Vincenzo decided to take the chance and accept the offer. It helped that a full scholarship to Berklee was included alongside the acceptance letter. 

His dad comments, “I was at work when I received the news that he got a full scholarship, and even today, I still can’t believe he did it.”

“I was happy for him, and it felt like if he could get in, I could too, so it was reassuring,” says his brother Gabriel, who would later attend and graduate from Berklee too. “I didn’t know that it was attainable, so seeing my brother being able to do it was kind of an indicator that I could do it, too. And I felt proud of my brother.”

When it came to choosing his major, it was the easiest decision he had ever made.

“The ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy sparked my interest in film scoring. I did not understand what was happening in the film when I was very young, but it emotionally affected me,” he said.

“I rewatched the films again at the age of 12 to 13, and I fell back in love with it, the world, architecture, and stories. The music also stood out compared to other types of films I’ve watched.”

That said, Ronald Vincenzo graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2017 with a Bachelor of Music in Film Scoring and Electronic Production/Design and has since moved on to even greater things.

From a prestigious music school to jamming out with Grammy-nominated musicians

Joining a prestigious music school like Berklee College of Music meant having the chance to work with the best musicians in the industry.

This includes five-time Grammy-nominated electronic artist and composer Suzanne Ciani, Latin Grammy-winning percussionist Tony Succar, and film composer Harry Gregson-Williams of the “Narnia” and “Shrek” film franchises.

Ronald Vincenzo participated as a live performer for both Ciani and Succar, contributing to instrumental parts for the student-led and college-produced live performances. For Ciani, he played the violin, and with Succar, he played the viola on an arrangement of Michael Jackson songs.

“Tony is a very famous Latin American artist,” said Ronald Vincenzo. “It was interesting to hear the marriage between Latin music and songs from the 80s by combining salsa instruments and grooves.”

In addition to being exposed to big names in the industry, Ronald Vincenzo was also exposed to new types of music, such as Latin music.

“During rehearsals, I was doing alright until the conductor used the clave, a specific five claps per cycle rhythm instead of the usual “one, two, three, and four” to keep the musicians on pace,” he said. “I got thrown off so badly when they did that, but everyone else caught on to it.”

Still, he successfully completed his performance and believes that it is one of his most major achievements yet.

“Having the exposure to Latin music and the opportunity to play with Ciani was huge, and I’m so happy I made it through as I was able to join Latin music ensembles after moving to LA,” he said.

Now, Ronald Vincenzo is based in LA and works as a film and game-scoring freelancer. He performs at weddings and teaches as a side hustle too.

Some of the works he has participated in include score writing for a VR game called “Guardian of the Sea,” and composing for an upcoming short film “Menthol.” He also starred in a music video alongside his brother, playing the electric guitar and zhong ruan, a Chinese plucked string instrument. 

What it means to be a musician away from home

Working as a musician with side hustles means working late into the night.

“Good luck if you’re hungry past 10 at night because everything closes by then or earlier. There are no mamaks around in the US,” said Ronald Vincenzo.

Mamaks, an indoor and open-air food establishment serving Indian-Muslim cuisine unique to the region and its Indian community, is a Malaysian staple. The food establishments are often open around the clock and offer a range of quick, affordable meals.

Not having something inexpensive to rely on, especially when you’re in one of the most expensive cities in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living survey, means that many students have to be smart about their finances — and Ronald Vincenzo was no exception.

Ronald Vincenzo’s brother, Gabriel de Leon (left), is also a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Contemporary Writing and Production and Jazz Composition. Source: Steven Lam

Under a US student visa, one can only be employed by your institution and cannot exceed 20 hours during the school term, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

As a student, de Leon was fortunate enough to work a seasonal job that paid US$4 above minimum wage, but it would only be for three times a whole semester — hardly enough to cover rent or food.

“Boston is one of the most expensive cities in the US, so if you’re planning on studying in the US, that’s something to consider, especially when the exchange rates for Malaysians are not the best right now,” said Ronald Vincenzo. 

Another challenge he faced when attending the music school was realising that despite being the best back home, there would always be someone better at the school.

“Everyone at Berklee was so hyper-focused in their art and craft. It meant that we had to get over the fact that even though we might have been the best in our little town back home when we’re here in Berklee, we’re just small fishes, and there will be someone better,” he said.

“It can be a hard pill to swallow for many people. It took me a while to get through it. I sometimes had to check my ego, and I think I’m all the better now. But it’s one of those things that can lead to a depressive state if you’re not careful.”