Dream Theater’s Homecoming Photos by Dave Green A March 25 show at the Boston musician’s work, Dream Theater key- Opera House was a homecoming boardist Jordan Rudess contacted of sorts for the progressive metal Basbug and asked him to write ar- band Dream Theater. The Grammy- rangements for his solo project nominated group has deep ties to Explorations for Keyboard and Boston, which date back to 1985 Orchestra. Basbug has since written when founding members John orchestrations for “False Awakening Petrucci ’86 (guitar), John Myung ’86 Suite” and “Illumination Theory,” (bass) and Mike Portnoy ’86 (drums) featured both on the band’s latest Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci is pictured onstage at the Boston Opera House during formed the band’s core while stu- studio album and at the Opera the band’s performance with the Berklee Concert Choir and Berklee World Strings. dents at Berklee. (When Portnoy left House concert. the group in 2010, former assistant Frank Solomon, Dream Theater’s professor Mike Mangini took over manager, said after the event, “I seri- the drum chair.) ously believe last night was the most A special attraction for the eve- inspiring one in 16 years of managing ning was the addition of the Berklee the band. Those [students] were so World Strings and Berklee Concert happy and played so well. I had tears Choir for the concert’s second half. in my eyes.” For Berklee student Eren Basbug, the Over the course of the band’s event was a high-water mark. The nearly three decades, Dream Theater 22-year old, who hails from Ankara, has built a worldwide following and Turkey, conducted the orchestra and sold more than 10 million albums choir in arrangements he penned and DVDs. The Opera House show for the band. Basbug became known was recorded and will be released as to the band after he posted perfor- a DVD by Eagle Rock Entertainment. mances of his orchestral arrange- A portion of the sales of the DVD will ments of the band’s 42-minute suite establish a scholarship in the name “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” of Dream Theater at Berklee. on YouTube. Impressed by the young Members of Dream Theater (upper left) and the audience applaud the orchestra and Berklee student Eren Basbug (upper right) who conducted his orchestrations of the band’s music. Summer 2014 5.