5115 research outputs found
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Radiography of the Czech Music Market: issues, challenges and potential solutions
No full textThis research paper examines the current state of the music industry in Czechia, with a focus on the working conditions of professional musicians and music policies. It identifies the main structural, legal, and economic challenges of the industry, and proposes potential solutions, as well as good practices from abroad. The research uses a qualitative method approach with descriptive data, combining semi-structured interviews with industry stakeholders and a survey conducted among music professionals. The findings highlight issues such as financial insecurity, the complexity of freelance work, lack of access to social protection, limited market infrastructure, and the absence of reliable data of the independent sector. In addition to providing data and analysis, this paper also serves as a contribution to lobbying for music and culture as an investment, not only for their artistic value, but also for their social and economic impact. Furthermore, the paper argues that the music industry should not be seen as a collection of isolated problems, but rather as a complex music ecosystem, a living network of artists, institutions, policies, audiences, and funding systems. By presenting both lived experiences and policy insights, it hopes to support ongoing discussions and strengthen the recognition of music as an essential part of a healthy society.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-entertainment-business/1419/thumbnail.jp
Takes Time to Heal
No full text“Takes Time to Heal” is an electronic music project in which the artist explored thethemes and journey of healing and recovery. This experience was structured as an immersive EP of four extended tracks and their accompanying visualizers. The project addresses self-reflection and emptiness to healing and rehabilitation through music. The EP follows a journey by taking listeners through musical environments of which reflect the healing process of oneself through time. Whilst consisting of a variety of sub-genres within House music, such as Afro and Tech, the project also incorporates elements of Dance and Ambient music. Although all the tracks feature lead vocal elements, letting instrumental sections breathe and evolve was a priority in the creative direction of the collective songs. This project aimed to address the current movement of electronic music’s shorter songs (heavily influenced by social media) by letting ideas, rhythms and grooves unfold to their fullest potential.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1405/thumbnail.jp
Watertime
No full textWatertime, the follow-up to Darryl’s debut EP, moments of clarity, continues his exploration of time as a central theme through a cohesive yet varied indie pop sound. Shaped by the past year at BerkleeNYC, the project reflects his growth in songwriting, production, and music marketing, as well as a clearer artistic identity. At its heart, the five-song project is a gentle call to pause, breathe, and sit with the tension between passing time and the desire to remain present. Alongside the music, Watertime marks the evolution of Darryl’s visual identity and artist persona. The project is anchored in a nature-inspired color palette which carries over into his social media presence and overall aesthetic. As he prepares to roll out Watertime in January 2026, Darryl remains committed to documenting and showcasing his creative process to his audience and building a sustainable and creatively fulfilling artist career rooted in both introspection and innovation.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1169/thumbnail.jp
Adults’ Fairy Tale
No full textThis written reflection presents an overview of Passion (Pei-Hsun) Tsai’s culminating experience project completed during my Master\u27s studies at Berklee NYC in Songwriting and Production. The CE project, centered on the concept of an Adults’ Fairy Tale, combines playful jazz and indie pop fusion aesthetics with complex emotional and cultural narratives. This document outlines the creative direction, production techniques, linguistic strategies, challenges encountered, and new skills acquired throughout the process. It records the details of how I developed my own artist identity through the academic journey. The reflection concludes with a roadmap for post-graduation development, including release plans, branding strategy, and long-term artistic goals.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1172/thumbnail.jp
Maybe We\u27ll Make It
No full text“Maybe We’ll Make It” is a five-track EP produced, written, and mixed by Corban Chapple as the Culminating Experience for the Master of Arts in Creative Media and Technology at BerkleeNYC. The project explores themes of relational change, emotional vulnerability, and personal growth through a blend of jazz harmony, R&B and hip-hop production, and conversational lyricism. Featuring a cohesive sonic identity shaped by distinctive vocal arrangements, experimental mixing, and sophisticated harmonic language, the EP also highlights Chapple’s development as a songwriter, mix engineer, and collaborator. This work reflects a year of artistic and technical advancement and serves as a foundation for Chapple’s emerging career as a recording artist and producer.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1116/thumbnail.jp
Grave Digger
No full text‘Grave Digging’ is a personification of self-reflection and introspection. Dig into the dark parts of oneself to carve out and make amends with them. This gave life to Grave Digger, a sonic soundscape that coincided with poetry to open the audience\u27s psyche and encourage them to critically think about believing in themselves. The theme of burial creates a haunting atmosphere to the project, which is why it is a mixture of Heavy Metal and Hip-Hop. Also, those two genres have a grunge and captivating way of getting messages across. Hip-Hop is the lyrical aspect, and Heavy Metal is the world-building, spooky aspect. Inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the reality that to grow the dark parts of themself, they have to explore and “dig” it up. The purpose of ‘Grave Digger’ stemmed from the thought process of underrepresented communities, such as BIPOC and LGBTQ+, not having an open forum to speak about self-reflection and introspection.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1175/thumbnail.jp
Devenir: Sounds Across Borderlines
No full textThis project explores the rearticulation of identity between Mexican musical heritage and jazz as a global phenomenon. It investigates overlooked historical ties—particularly the influence of the 8th Cavalry Mexican Military Band in New Orleans—to challenge dominant narratives and construct a decolonial counterpoint that highlights inclusion, hybridity, and cultural resonance. Through historical research, composition, and personal reflection, the project integrates traditional Mexican music into a global jazz framework. It also brings to light the impact of Mexican figures such as Juventino Rosas, Florencio Ramos, and Lorenzo Tio on early jazz development. These insights inform a series of original compositions that engage in dialogue between past and present, tradition and transformation. The work further explores intersections between Mexican traditions and global jazz, drawing from cumbia, canto cardenche, bolero, and son huasteco. Rooted in artistic introspection, the project reclaims space for marginalized musical identities. It challenges vertical cultural dynamics and proposes a bilateral relationship of mutual influence. Devenir emerges as both a personal journey and a creative proposal for cultural diplomacy—redrawing sonic cartographies where memory, migration, and belonging converge.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-jazz/1194/thumbnail.jp
Disrupción Records: The Collegiate Recording Industry Association
No full textDisrupción Records is an independent record label affiliated with Berklee València. Established in 2014, this structure is distinguished by its rotating management, comprised of students from the Global Entertainment and Music Business master’s program. Each year, a new cohort of students takes on the management roles. Disrupción Records consistently adapts its internal structure to meet the needs of artists and audiences. Therefore, the division of responsibilities shifts annually. This year I was the head of CRIA: The Collegiate Recording Industry Assocation. Founded at the campus of Berklee Valencia, CRIA is a trade body that aims to provide knowledge, connection and develop best practices around college record labels in Europe and North America. This year marks the first year that CRIA was a separate role on the management team at Disrupción Records. In my role I have done research on existing college record labels, trade bodies in the recording industry and trade bodies specifically aimed at students in other fields of the arts. I established connections with new college record labels.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-entertainment-business/1420/thumbnail.jp
The Music Vault
No full textThis project, titled The Music Vault, explores the intersection of vocal production, cultural diversity, and collaborative creativity. Its core aim was to develop a professional-grade vocal production process that adapts to artists across linguistic and stylistic barriers. By working with artists who speak different languages and produce varied musical genres, the project tackled real-world challenges in communication, artistic direction, and technical delivery. Along the way, the project led to website creation, portfolio development, and new methods of translating creative ideas into concrete vocal work. The project contributes a fresh perspective to the field, emphasizing emotional intelligence and adaptability in vocal production. Future plans include refining the production workflow and building out The Music Vault into a full-fledged creative platform.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1411/thumbnail.jp
Chinese Uncanny (A Plunderphonics Album as Cultural Reflection)
No full textChinese Uncanny is a plunderphonics-based full-length LP project that explores memory, estrangement, and urban identity through a purely sample-driven compositional approach. Drawing from over 170 audio fragments sourced from vinyl, internet archives, cassette tapes, and CDs, the album constructs a sonic collage rooted in the cultural ambiguity of contemporary life in Shenzhen, China. Inspired by artists such as DJ Shadow, The Avalanches, and Cornelius, the project avoids conventional vocal or instrumental recordings, instead relying entirely on sample manipulation using tools like Ableton Live, MPC, and SP404. The concept of the uncanny—drawn from both Freudian theory and lived experience—serves as a thematic backbone for the album’s sonic choices. Beyond technical execution, the work also reflects on the scarcity of sampling culture in Chinese music ecosystems, offering both aesthetic innovation and cultural commentary. The CE paper documents the creative process, challenges, and philosophical motivations behind this experimental album, positioning it as a unique contribution to the plunderphonics genre and an attempt to establish a more localized voice within it.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1414/thumbnail.jp