5115 research outputs found
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Off Script
No full textTo go “off script” is to deviate from a prepared text, plan, or set of instructions. It means for something to not behave or happen as expected as planned. Thus far in Lauren’s life, everything has for the most part stuck to the script. From elementary school through undergraduate studies, Lauren has yet to skip a beat. But for the first time in her life, through her time at Berklee NYC, Lauren has learned to go off script both as an artist, songwriter, and producer but also as an individual. Lauren’s Culminating Experience at Berklee NYC entails a year-long process of exploration in new sonic soundscapes, storytelling, and production tools. This work’s purpose is to debut Lauren’s skills in production and mixing, while elevating her already established voice as an alternative folk songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, and overall artistic identity.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1158/thumbnail.jp
Back to Blue
No full textBack to Blue is a five-song EP developed as my Culminating Experience at BerkleeNYC to explore emotional and existential unrest through a genre I define as Cine-folk, a blend of cinematic textures and folk songwriting. This project was motivated by a need to process personal and collective uncertainty while clarifying my artistic identity and establishing a foundation for sustainable creative work. Each track confronts a different internal tension, from spiritual doubt to societal anxiety, tied together by a cohesive sonic and emotional arc. Throughout the year, I wrote, arranged, produced, recorded, and mixed the EP, collaborating closely with violinist Keris Choi and drawing from coursework in production, mixing, engineering, and visual media. I recorded over 700 violin layers and used Pro Tools and analog gear to create an intimate yet expansive sound marked by ambient imperfections and emotional grandeur. This process helped me define my Unique Cohesive Sound, develop fluency in studio workflows, and grow from a songwriter into a fully self-sufficient artist. The challenges, technical issues, burnout, and post-grad pressure, became part of the project’s emotional core. Back to Blue stands as both a personal reflection and a professional launchpad, signaling the beginning of my career in music.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1171/thumbnail.jp
Marimba: Echoes of the Jungle\u27s Heartbeat
No full textThis project emerged from a moment of introspection and self-discovery that strengthened my vision of unity and gave me a renewed sense of purpose. Its significance extends beyond my career, touching on my artistry and personal identity—driven by a deep need to reconnect with my cultural roots. It became a means to challenge long-standing stereotypes and the feeling of shame often associated with folkloric traditions, particularly the dialect and music of my region in Southern Italy and the traditional music of the Colombian Pacific coast. I dedicated my entire master’s program to exploring music, language, and instruments—such as the marimba de chonta—that are often overlooked in academic contexts. By placing these cultural narratives in dialogue, the project seeks to create new common grounds, encourage stylistic innovation, and build a repertoire rooted in both cultural preservation and creative evolution. It also offers an alternative to traditions that have been marginalized or fossilized by historical and social discrimination. This experience deeply reshaped my artistic vision, learning process, and worldview. It marked the beginning of a lifelong journey of growth, grounded in curiosity and empathy. Above all, It serves as both a personal and collective call to action for musicians to use their art in the service of global understanding and transformation.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-jazz/1178/thumbnail.jp
STU.PID
No full textThis project presents a business plan for STU.PID, a branded livestreaming platform built to support emerging global artists by connecting them with Gen Z audiences, especially Third Culture Kids (TCKs) through casual and real-time content. The idea was to offer something different from traditional artist promotion by focusing on unscripted formats that show the creative process as it really is. Content included livestreamed interviews (STU.TALKS), collaborative music making (THE COOK-UP), and on the ground segments (STU.PID IN PUBLIC), all designed to bring artists and fans closer together. The platform emphasized strong visual identity and consistent content across Twitch and Instagram. While the audience response was encouraging, the original monetization plan using Twitch subscriptions did not prove effective. Feedback suggested that brand partnerships and artist campaigns may be a more sustainable path forward. The project clarified key strengths in creative direction, live content production, and digital strategy. It also demonstrated that there is long-term potential for STU.PID to grow either as its own platform or as a creative service for artists, labels, and partners in the music industry.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-entertainment-business/1399/thumbnail.jp
And You Shall Find() : Hip Hop EP using Underwater Recording Techniques
No full textThe author proposes an extended play in the hip-hop tradition combined with the electronic genre where the entire instrumentation is from underwater recordings of the author’s voice. This involves the usage of a hydrophone that can be used to record the vocals, processing them to create individual elements (like the kick, snare, bass etc). and layering them with rap vocals. The style of music is heavily industrial and gritty Hip Hop beats with melodic influences of electro pop and electronica and consisting of rap verses written in English and Malayalam. The project is an artistic representation of using the constraint of underwater vocal recordings to create unique melodic ideas that assist the genre thus partaking in the era of streaming music recorded over multiple mediumshttps://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1402/thumbnail.jp
Shared Horizons: Original Score
No full textThis paper reflects the creative and technical journey behind my culminating experience on the SFTV program, concluding with a professional orchestral recording at AIR Studios, London. The project represents my musical personality and combines previous experiences with skills, techniques and lessons learned during the program. The chosen visual, a trailer for Planet Earth III, provided a dynamic narrative arc and was suitable for a modern cinematic scoring approach which was one of my personal objectives for the final recording session. The score was structured around six narrative-driven sections, with music written to compliment sync points, shifting moods and pacing. Key phases in the timeline of the project included searching for the right video to score, spotting using Digital Performer to determine the tempo map, writing thematic material, the recording session and mixing and mastering process. The final composition predominantly features the live orchestra, with layered electronic elements and additional MIDI stems used to enhance certain sections. Ultimately, this project fulfilled three primary goals: to create a personal work of which I am proud, to record a cinematic portfolio piece which is competitive with industry standards, and to demonstrate the ability to record an original score in a world-class recording studio.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-scoring/1309/thumbnail.jp
Cuba’s Cosmopolitan Enclaves: Imperialism and Internationalism in Eastern Sugar Towns
No full textThis book explores how a region in Cuba that was widely known as a site of labor subjugation became a hub of international solidarity in the 1920s and 1930s. In the early twentieth century, United States agricultural companies like the United Fruit Company established sugar export operations in Cuba’s Oriente Province, creating a zone of economic imperialism. These early multinational corporations recruited Afro-Caribbean laborers from surrounding islands, aiming to create closed, self-sufficient plantation complexes
VERY MUCH: A Poppy Hyperfolk Extended Play
No full textMichael Schulz is a Brooklyn based songwriter, producer, and artist going by the name michael MARCEL michael. He draws from his background in live performance - particularly musical theatre, folk music, and storytelling - and mashes it with his more recent passion in electronic production to form his unique cohesive sound, which he has penned ‘poppy hyperfolk’. This unique cohesive sound is defined by thoughtful and intentional juxtaposition. It is minimal and heavy processing. It is vulnerability and hiding under the veneer of digital affectation. michael MARCEL michael uses this unique cohesive sound to craft this project which is the culmination of his experience at BerkleeNYC. The project took the shape of a five track extended play titled VERY MUCH, where he draws on experiences and blends them with fiction to create a world of his own in its tight, roughly 15 minute runtime. michael MARCEL michael sets out to focus on things felt so immensely that they must be written down in order to process, and he has created a soundscape entirely his own to accompany that.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1168/thumbnail.jp
Jazz as a Language of Peace: Composing for Unity, Resilience, and Social Change
No full textThis project explores the role of jazz as a medium for peacebuilding, focusing on the genre’s capacity to convey messages of resilience, unity, and social engagement. Drawing inspiration from jazz’s historical significance in movements like the Civil Rights era, the research revolves around the composition and arrangement of six original works. Developed in collaboration with Berklee musicians, these pieces are informed by critical study of jazz history, stylistic analysis, and genre diversity, aiming to communicate both emotional nuance and socio-cultural themes. To assess the effectiveness of the music in promoting peace-related concepts, structured feedback will be gathered through questionnaires from a varied audience that includes musicians, non-musicians, and faculty members. The project ultimately seeks to demonstrate how jazz continues to serve as a powerful tool for fostering empathy, encouraging dialogue, and addressing contemporary social issues.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-contemporary-performance/1324/thumbnail.jp
Find Me
No full textProduction is the reason I got into music, and it remains at the core of everything I make. My goal with this project was to create something minimal yet emotionally expansive—drawing from artists like Frank Ocean, Brent Faiyaz, and Kanye West, who blur the lines between rapping and singing. The album explores themes of looking ahead, personal growth, and reflection, across six tracks including an interlude that showcase my artistic range. My sound—what some listeners at my recent listening party called “OCD stadium music”—is defined by melancholic textures, rich low-end, off-the-grid drums, and cello. I aim for raw honesty in my lyrics, often reflecting on past experiences to better understand who I am now. Vocal production is a key part of my sound, with recurring techniques like stacked, choir-like ad-libs helping build a cinematic atmosphere. Visually, I’m intentional about aesthetic cohesion. My main color palette of green and purple was carefully chosen to reflect the emotional tone of the project. From the cover art to the listening party poster, every visual element was designed to mirror the sonic world I created.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-cmat/1127/thumbnail.jp