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MRI Reverie
Reynolds Liu
2024I am an Electronica producer and artist aspired to make music for solo listening. My values and focuses were diverted by feeling the need to satisfy the general audiences and the eager to prove my capability of making all genres of music. The consequence was the absence of selfness, the confusion of purpose, the lost of direction. Berklee helped me picked back up my sense of identity and individuality, and taught me the mindset and the tools to not blend in, but to stand out, create my own niche as a unique musician. After a year of training, I found my sound — Trip Hop blent with Ambient and Progressive Rock, creating an immersive, ethereal, introspective, imagery, cinematic escapist mental world. Ableton Live was used to create more vast and bolder sound, along with cleaning producing and mixing engineering techniques, DJ performing skillset to present my own remixes, and marketing ideas to build an online fanbase. Berklee put me on the right track to become a true versatile, insightful, unique and independent musician.
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Caged
Xurui Li
2024For my culminating experience, I made an immersive journey into live production, developing and utilizing a range of technical skills. The show I created was inspired by personal experiences, focusing on themes of bravery and self-expression. I imagined a cage to be an inner fear in people’s hearts, a bird ultimately escapes, symbolizing liberation. For our installations, we built a square 5’x5’ frame with 1 ½” PVC tubes that served as the base structure for the ropes attached underneath the deck. Next, we utilized 1” rope to outline the shape of the cage, and we put sandbags to stabilize the PVC tube frame. Moreover, we used artificial grass and ivy garland to decorate the cage and the venue to enhance the scene’s realism. All the scenes were made in Unreal Engine, which I had just learned two weeks before. The advantage of using Unreal Engine is that it can provide realistic and cinematic looks for the scene. Overall, this project enhanced my understanding and capabilities in live production. It showed new potential within me, extending beyond music production to technical proficiency in live music production and design.
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Waterfall
Jamiko Manguba
2024The term ‘waterfall’ in Jamiko’s music beautifully captures how his vocals flow smoothly and harmoniously, creating an enchanting listening experience. For Jamiko, the human voice is as fundamental as water. Just like water is crucial for life, the voice is essential for expressing emotions and making music. In his songs, the vocals cascade like a waterfall, blending seamlessly and wrapping listeners in a rich, immersive sound. 'Waterfall' isn’t just a way to describe his vocal style; it's a celebration of how pure, versatile, and powerful the human voice can be. Jamiko sees the voice as a vital part of his music, much like water is vital to nature. Waterfalls are majestic, continuous, and full of energy, and Jamiko infuses these qualities into his music. Every note and harmony flows with the grace and power of water, creating a sense of movement and depth that captivates the listener. The human voice, like water, can adapt and transform, taking on different tones and emotions. Jamiko’s music explores this versatility, showcasing various vocal techniques and styles that highlight the many ways the voice can be used as an instrument. Whether through gentle, soothing melodies or powerful, dynamic highs, the voice always remains at the heart of his music, guiding listeners on a journey of sound. The waterfall metaphor also reflects Jamiko’s love for natural elements. Just as a waterfall brings life and vibrancy to its surroundings, the vocals in his music bring each song to life, making the listening experience dynamic and organic. ‘Waterfall’ is Jamiko’s way of celebrating the human voice and its incredible power in music, recognizing it as an essential element that connects us all.
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Big Quarterly
Luke McLemore
2024Big Quarterly, a hip-hop gospel musical, spotlights the legacy of Peter Spencer – a former slave turned pastor who founded the nation’s first independent Black church and sparked the Big Quarterly–a joyful reunion for freedom in Delaware. For those not yet free, the Big Quarterly was their chance to secure passage on the Underground Railroad. When the first Big Quarterly in 1813 ends in a surprise raid, Peter must face his tragic past to free the heart and mind of his own brother. Big Quarterly shines a spotlight on the burdens one man must shoulder in the fight for freedom in all its forms. All aspects of the book, music, and lyrics were co-created, written synergistically by the authors. The result is a full-length rap-through original musical that pushes the boundaries of traditional musical theater form and has potential to reach new audiences.
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Yes I'm a Bitch Thank You
Kennedi Mims-Frederick
2024This full female empowerment EP titled, “Yes I’m a Bitch Thank You,” is made by women, for women and everyone who loves us. Told from a strong female perspective, this artist development project embodies female liberation, confidence, unapologetic sass, and will also challenge societal norms. It is important that women have the freedom to say what we want and what we feel without judgement and without labels. Unfortunately, when we speak our minds, we are labeled as a “bitch.” We are taking that word back. Today’s women are not ashamed to be strong, powerful, bold, risky, etc. If being these things makes me a bitch then, “yes I’m a bitch thank you.”
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Kapu!
Sydney Miyao
2024KAPU! is a new musical comedy following disillusioned yoga teacher Summer who moves to Hawaiʻi to put down roots after a lifetime of traveling. However, sleepy rainy Hilo is not the island paradise she dreamed it would be. Her dreams are upended when she, and her local neighbor and polar opposite Charlie, are cursed by two Hawaiian gods who doom their businesses to fail. Together, Summer and Charlie must overcome their differences to overcome the curse. Using a contemporary pop rock score accentuated with Hawaiian folk music and island pop music such as funk and reggae, this show interprets Hawaiian mythology from a local tradition. Josefin and Sydney co-wrote book, music, and lyrics for the first full draft of this new musical during the BerkleeNYC program. This culminated in a table read and a 15-minute showcase of selections from the full draft performed live with four actors and rhythm section.
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Failed Pop Star Learns To Love Herself
Madeline Mondrala
2024Failed Pop Star Learns To Love Herself is a new musical about a girl named Penny who’s dream is to sign with Giant Record Label and become a world famous pop star. Unfortunately, her childhood best friend Jenny, beats her to the punch, and with the help of her manager Chad, who’s daddy just so happens to own Giant Record Label, becomes a pop sensation, leaving Penny behind to ruminate in her self hatred. Clinically depressed and on the brink of thirty, Penny goes to therapy hoping to learn to love herself despite her lack of global fame. Which is just so brave. The score is a sampling of popular music genres from bubblegum pop, to pop punk, to trap all infused with qualities of contemporary musical theater and features a plethora of certified bops. FAILED POP STAR LEARNS TO LOVE HERSELF is a hilarious romp about clinical depression, millennial disillusionment, and friendship.
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bronx notes
Kacper Musial
2024bronx notes is a 5-song hip-hop EP that blends Polish rap with English choruses, featuring international artists from diverse musical backgrounds. The project aims to promote Polish hip-hop by employing a powerful, diversified rap flow with meaningful lyrics in Polish, complemented by highlighting the central theme of each song in the English choruses. Inspired by my personal experiences living in Norwood, Bronx, and studying at BerkleeNYC, this album reflects a fusion of cultural influences and musical inspirations. The unique samples and innovative sound design in "bronx notes" amplify the individuality of its lyrics, enriching the overall sonic world. Collaborations with fellow international Berklee students enhance the EP's distinctive character, elevating the original concepts of each track and allowing for a wider, international recognition. This collective effort not only showcases diverse artistic collaborations but also serves as a significant promotional opportunity for Polish hip-hop on a global scale.
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New York Calling
Lutfia Mustafaev
2024This project is the first draft of an original comedy musical called New York Calling. I wrote this project over the course of 9 months. Through a contemporary alternative pop-jazz score, the story follows a singer from the UK, Harper, as she moves to New York City for the first time. The project is an exploration of cultural differences between the UK and US as well as the concept of morality and how far people are willing to go to achieve their goals or obtain what they want. The songs were developed based on the story I decided to tell and were somewhat based on my own experience of moving to New York City. As I am a musician first and foremost, I wanted the music to accompany the story effectively but also to reflect my artistic identity and my own unique sound as a songwriter. I hope to continue developing this show, most likely as a concept album.
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Bloom
Leah Nawy
2024The "Bloom" EP showcases Leah's innovative approaches to her artistry through exploration of dynamic vocal treatments, integration of electronic and live elements, and unique lyrical constructions to shape her EP's distinct sound. Leah took on the role of sole producer for the first time as well as sole songwriter, pushing the boundaries of traditional song structures, from the through-composed "Little Old Me" to the live instrumentation in "I Was A Flower." Through the new skills Leah acquired through the year as well as her challenges, "Bloom" is a testament to her transformative year, marking a significant evolution in Leah's musical career and setting the stage for future endeavors as a confident and skilled songwriter and producer.
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Sex, Lies, and Butterflies
Julie Newdoll
2024• Sex, Lies, and Butterflies - draft of a Musical, including 27 song ideas, 14 scores with musical demos, and a 121 page libretto. Inspired by true events that occurred to Marianna Trevino-Wright, starting in 2017, this musical features Lucinda, the director of a Butterfly Preserve on the Rio Grande. This is her dream job, until the preserve turns into ground zero for the Border Wall. To keep the preserve intact, she goes through her own metamorphosis, becoming a true pioneer at fighting new kinds of dangerous right wing forces, both inside and outside the government, and is whisked into a life of activism. In reality, these forces included conspiracy theorists and right-wing elements, which managed to close the facility for a time due to their threatening tactics. The music is influenced by Country Western, Tejano, Rhythm and Blues, and other genre found at the southern border with Mexico.
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Lights and Orchestra
Ka Ming Ng
2024The idea of classical music concerts with multimedia elements is not something now but oftentimes a production house is brought in with the purpose of adding an extra element but not so much about enhancing the experience. The designers may lack time and resources to put on something stunning to the audience. This project aims to explore how further can lights and orchestra go. Is it possible to make a Mahler or Beethoven symphony concert feel like a deadmau5 show?
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MATATU: Beba Beba
Stephanie Ochieng
2024Beba beba is a pop up concert experience entitled Matatu in a local Kenyan minivan known as the 'Matatu'. This will capture a vibrant fusion of Kenyan and U.S. Virgin Islands cultures. We aim to transform Berklee NYC's performance space (Black Box) into a Matatu performance space. Through design, we want to give the audience the feel of being in a bus and on a journey to our specific homelands.
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Mensajes
Juan Pablo Ochoa Cuervo
2024Mensajes is a musical show that takes you on a journey between fantasy and reality, trying to find out who that person is who takes care of us through the things we love the most. Combining classic theater tricks and elements, with new immersive technologies, you will discover that sometimes all the answers we need are closer than we think—if only we look in the right direction.
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CyberPop EP
Sebastian Ontaneda
2024“CyberPop” is greatly inspired by the Cyber Punk aesthetic and futuristic dystopian films from the 80s. I leaned on the word “Cyber” because music is becoming almost entirely computer based in terms of DAW environments and virtual instruments, and this was the approach I took to produce this entire EP. I wanted to create something that could be entirely made in a bedroom with a bit of human creativity and the help of virtual synths and drum machines. The idea behind this was to not have any physical limitations for the creation process but have anything I need at the tip of my fingertips with only a laptop and a mic.
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The Piano Hero
Lucas Pao
2024This project develops a completed first draft of the libretto and score of a work of musical theater. The Piano Hero is a semi-autobiographical high school pop-rock musical comedy that tells the story of an Asian-American classical piano kid who goes on a musical journey to break out of his nerdy stereotypes to become the coolest rockstar in his new high school. The story places a satirical lens on cliché high school tropes as a means of providing social commentary that focuses on the model minority experience and racial dynamics within the American education system. The score is rooted in the contemporary pop/rock musical theater genre with a few additional styles showcasing diegetic moments of virtuosic classical piano and shredding hard rock guitar riffs. The purpose of this piece is to inspire future generations of Asian-Americans and/or musicians to find their own voice and become their own hero.
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Mimesis
Alex Petty
2024Mimesis is a musical exploration into the concepts of imitation and simulation. Based on the writings of Jean Baudrillard, I aimed to create a 6 song EP with thought-provoking lyrics and "hyperreal" sound design. It blends folk music and psychedelia in chamber-pop style mixes. The project involved experimentation with Bitwig Studio, modular synthesis, writing constraints, acoustic simulation, and convolution among other things.
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One Chance
Adhithiya Premchandra Tavorath
2024One Chance is a five-song EP that explores the theme of hope through introspective lyrics and a fusion of Western classical and modern electronic production. The EP addresses sub-themes such as invisibility, social alienation, the allure of vices, the quest for liberation from societal constraints, and loneliness. Musically, it incorporates classical elements like Alberti bass, modal counterpoint, melismatic melodies, and motivic chord changes, blended with electronic dance music influences, beat drops, drum and bass, and alternative electronic production. Innovative song forms are used, including shorter track lengths and unconventional bridge placements. Advanced production techniques feature vocoders, computer-generated harmonies, formant shifting, vocal distortions, creative sampling, and the use of Ableton's hybrid reverb. This combination of thematic depth and intentional musical production creates a unique and immersive listening experience.
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Human De-evolution
Li Qian
2024There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. Inspired by this Oscar Wilde quote, Li Qian channels his thoughts and emotions through music in his album, "Human De-evolution." This work reflects his perspectives on contemporary social, political, technological, cultural, and human issues. The concept of "De-evolution" encapsulates Li's complex feelings and attitudes towards these matters. In a world characterized by rapid technological advancements and abundant information, have we perhaps started to prioritize the wrong things? Through this album, he aims to provoke deep reflection and soul-searching. Li wrote, composed, arranged, mixed, and produced the entire album himself, infusing his emotions and thoughts into every detail. The album is a seamless fusion of his favorite music styles. Creating this album has allowed him to refine his songwriting and production skills, further fueling his creative passion.
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NO SIMP!
Silvester Reinaldo
2024No Simp! is an 8-track EP that embodies a young man's journey through a metaphorical garden of choices, reflecting on themes of infatuation, greed, and overthinking. This garden represents the myriad paths one can take in life, each flower symbolizing a different temptation or opportunity. The project delves into the struggles of navigating these choices and the consequences of taking things for granted. The garden's vibrant and diverse flora mirrors the eclectic mix of synthpop and natural instruments used in the EP, creating a cinematic and ambitious soundscape.
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In The Safety of My Room
Cassidy Reinhardt
2024“In The Safety of My Room” is a sad girl bedroom pop EP based on feelings of heartbreak, loneliness, and growing up. It is emotional, relatable, and its target audience is young women in their teens and twenties. This EP was written and produced by Cass almost completely in her bedroom. Sonically, the sound includes a mix of organic instruments such as stripped down guitars and pianos, but also incorporates electronic elements as well as textures and ambiences. With creative uses of echo, reverb, and space, the EP distinguishes itself against others with its own unique soundscape. Throughout her songs, Cass experiments with vocals by chopping them up, reversing them, adding reverb and delay, pitching them up and down, and finding areas in the song where they may fit and add creativity. The work consists of five songs: Weapons, Blame Me, When You Lie, Iridescent, and Too Late. Each song has a lyrical theme that is personal yet relatable, experiments with vocal production, and uses unique sounds that bring imagery and set a sonic landscape for the story.
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MATATU
JahQuan Richards
2024On June 1st, 2024, I co-produced a significant event representing a Kenyan party bus at Berklee NYC, the MATATU show. This project began with extensive brainstorming and strategic planning. Partnering with Stephanie, who proposed the MATATU concept, we blended Kenyan and Virgin Islands' cultures, adding unique artistic and musical elements. Being from the Caribbean, I’ve had experience being in party buses like Matatus, and I love learning how certain things in my culture stem from African practices. Our proposal was selected for the Black Box Theater, bringing mixed feelings of excitement and stress. We assembled a diverse team and held meetings to discuss and refine our plans. Despite facing challenges, such as scheduling conflicts, technical issues, late arrivals, and damaged equipment, our team remained resilient and adaptive, and we overcame those hurdles. The show started slowly but eventually gained momentum, resulting in an enjoyable and successful event. I’ve learned to better collaborate with different people, catering to everyone’s needs to make the most efficient team possible. This experience has been invaluable, and the MATATU production is an unforgettable milestone in my journey, showcasing our creativity and hard work.
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Lemon & Honey
Alexandra Riordan
2024Hot and cold, wet and dry, fire and ice, sweet and sour… Lemon & Honey. I’ve often struggled with being an artist. I’ve found it hard to commit to being one thing; one sound, one look, one brand and one identity. I had difficulty squishing myself into a neat package tied up with a little bow, when I contain multitudes and am as multifaceted as a kaleidoscope. The “Lemon & Honey” EP is the first time I’ve ever felt fully embodied and cohesive as “aloe”; my artist persona. It is a collection of 6 “grit pop” songs expressing all aspects of me; the imperfect, the emotional, the silly, the fun, the skilled, the talented, the Australian, the queer, the helpless and the hopeful person and creative that I am. Across the EP there is a universal theme, both lyrically and sonically, of sour and sweet (i.e. Lemon & Honey). Sonically it is explored through gritty textures and lush stacked vocal harmonies. Lyrically it is explored through grotesque metaphors of incredibly relatable emotions. It is complex, yet simple. Lemon & Honey is aloe, through and through.
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house in the space
Danny Ritz
2024In 2024, ‘indie music’ is an umbrella term housing different terms and techniques that circle around one concept: authenticity. The emotive and bleak ‘sad girl’ and whimsically eccentric ‘indie boy’ come to mind. When I think about my own work in this context, none of those tropes seem to perfectly fit. I’m a pretty optimistic person with a strange sense of humor and a 4-octave vocal range who makes, as a listener recently described it, “enormous songs with tiny pensive lyrics.” So much of what excites me about making music, though – the thing that gets me – is how music as an artistic medium, more than any other, houses these contradictions. It is an artform designed for seemingly conflicting truths. My CE project, “house in the space,” embraces this notion of contradiction across its entirety. It is as ‘sad girl’ as it is ‘indie boy,’ as anthemic as it is intimate, as analog as it is DAW-dependent. In a society which constantly demands choice – what, who and how one ought to be – “house in the space” asks what happens when we choose, when I choose, to be both. This reflection will outline its development and execution, as well as my larger journey at BerkleeNYC.
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Love//Loss
Brad Roberts
2024This project aims to be a narrative-based method of promoting connection among the campus community, in the form of a live musical/concert production; a story reflective of the struggles and hardships of the student body in order to foster greater camaraderie within it. This desire comes from the producer’s own struggles towards the academic, and it is the hope that this authenticity may serve as a bridge to increase interactivity between audience and performers/producers. This is accomplished primarily through the poignant storyline, and is supported by a survey meant to provide visuals allowing the audience to proverbially see themselves - their responses - in the show. Coupled with the collaborative approach to the project between producers and artist, as well as a willingness to embrace autobiographical elements to the story, and what results is a powerful, tightly run performance. Though certain aspects of the visuals remained unused in the final performance, and challenges arose in the survey responses, much was learned about the role of a well-thought out emotional end-goal in making an effective production. Future works by the producers hope to expand on these aspects in order to produce more effective stories that contribute to increasingly stimulating audience-performer relationships.
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