On this page, you can find the Culminating Experience (CE) Projects for all graduate students from the Berklee College of Music master’s program Global Jazz from 2015 – present. Click on any title for more information and access to the full paper and other deliverables (if available).
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One Rhythm/One Universe: a new approach to Chilean Cueca
Ignacio Diaz
2023The name of my project is One Rhythm/One Universe: a new approach to Chilean Cueca. The purpose of this project is to examine and incorporate new ways to approach cueca, to explore improvisational skills, and integrate Global Jazz methodology in the folkloric music of Chile. I read one of the most critical research books in my country to use the different topics as an inspiration for composing different tunes for doing a musical research. Then every tune I compose is based on a concept from the book. This project allowed me to get deep into my culture, not just in terms of the music itself but also using different topics unrelated to music, and I approached them from a musical perspective. In this case, I explored topics about history, philosophy concepts, poetry, and at the end, traditional music, using the musical tools and resources I learned in the program, such as tetrachords, bright and dark harmonies, Pan-Afro-American influences, avant-garde approaches, zero gravity. This way of approaching traditional music helps me to create a new creative process from traditional music to get into a multi-dimensional experience, in this case through the Cueca, thus becoming something new that I call: Global Cueca.
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Subversion and Identity Musical Experiences from Feminism and Queer Community: A suite of 4 movements, Gender, Justice, and Resistance
Luciana García Álvarez
2023This project involves creating a four- movement musical suite inspired by books on queer theory and feminism. Through the lens of global jazz, the project explores the connection between personal and collective experiences of queerness, aiming to create social change through the visibility and representation of a minority group (LGBTIQA+ community) that experiences systematic violence. The creative process embraces elements of the queer community, a culture that challenges societal norms and fights for dignity and respect. The project seeks to answer questions such as: What does it mean to be queer? How do hetero-norms and gender binarism affect the queer community? By breaking down the structures of the heterosexual-binary system, the project aims to address the experience of being queer through music. Throughout the process, four books were read to inform and shape each movement of the musical suite; Contrasexual Manifesto by Paul Preciado, The Lesbian Body by Monique Wittig, Gender Trouble by Judith Butler, and Bandera Hueca by Víctor Hugo Robles.
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Music Performance Anxiety. A Personal View of the Condition
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora
2023This abstract provides an overview of a reflection paper that delves into the topic of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) from a personal perspective. The author shares her experiences of seeking the help of a counselor, utilizing resources like the book "The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety" to gain insights into the causes of her own MPA, and her insightful experiences as a Berklee Global Jazz Institute Master’s student. Throughout the paper, the author incorporates personal events to identify vulnerabilities and anxieties specific to her journey. By working closely with a counselor, the author was able to decipher the underlying causes of her MPA and develop effective coping mechanisms. Additionally, the author's exploration of various aspects of the condition is reflected in her creative process, and final culminating experience music compositions, providing a unique and personal perspective on the subject. Furthermore, the abstract outlines a course proposal designed to support students at Berklee, and beyond, who may be dealing with music performance anxiety. The proposed course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of MPA, offering strategies for identification, prevention, and management. By sharing their personal experiences and research findings, the author aims to create a supportive and empowering environment for students to address and overcome MPA.
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When Music Speaks - Reflecting and Composing to Process Emotions of a Female Jazz Musician
Charlotte Lang
2023In her Culminating Experience “When Music Speaks” Swiss saxophonist Charlotte Lang explores the emotions and experiences of a female jazz musician. She sheds light on the struggles faced in a male-dominated industry and aims to raise awareness, serve as a role model, and inspire as an educator. Charlotte’s focus is on reflection, emotional processing, and composing, using music as a tool of expression. Charlotte shares excerpts from her daily journal, showcasing her efforts to understand and articulate her emotions. Additionally, she engages in impactful conversations with four influential musicians, including Kris Davis (CAN), Nicole Johänntgen (GER), Joanne Brackeen (USA), and Zahili Gonzales Zamora (CUB), gaining valuable insights and advice. Charlotte composes four pieces expressing her journey and breaking free from established norms. She emphasizes the importance of community and belonging and concludes with a sense of optimism and progress in the jazz world. Charlotte's Culminating Experience (CE) focuses on sharing her personal experiences. However, she acknowledges that achieving gender equality requires addressing economic and racial equality as well. In her future endeavors, she aspires to explore and advocate for a more comprehensive and diverse approach, aiming to bridge gaps and mediate discussions on these intersecting issues.
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Burnt Roots - Story Of An Olive Tree
David Macchione
2023Since October of 2013, an epidemic caused by a bacteria has started to decimate the olive tree population in my home region of Puglia, in Southern Italy. 10 years later, science has not yet been able to find a cure for the disease, and the only solution seems to be violent eradication. But the further you look into this issue the more questions start arising- Has intensive farming and an indiscriminate use of herbicides brought us here? Uncovering the tale of a history of struggle between local farmers and the central government, and of modern science versus ancient wisdom, “Burnt Roots” becomes an exploration of roots and identity inspired by the sounds and impressions of the Italian countryside and its people.
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The Indigenous Voice of American Music: Compositions Inspired by Research of a Native American Contribution to Blues and Jazz
Liza Micelli
2023Over recent years, there have been newly recognized contributions to the diaspora of Jazz. This project highlights another contribution: the Native American. Through various personal experiences, interviews with Native scholars, literature, and comparative analysis, I’ve become aware of this widely debated influence. This project considers curious musical similarities between the Stomp and Social Dances of the South Eastern Tribes of the Mississippi Delta region, Powwow and Round Dance traditions of Plains Natives of the Midwest with that of early blues and jazz artists. Coupled with the aforementioned research was a recorded compositional project illustrating three turning points I’ve encountered along this journey:
1) “THE VU”: My first experience hearing Native American music
2) “ROY’S TESTIMONY”: the deep affects of boarding schools
3) “WE THINK TOO MUCH AND FEEL TOO LITTLE”: a reflection on how various systems have been distorted, in turn inspiring a vision for improving our future.
While interacting with Indigenous knowledge and individuals, I’ve learned there’s still much healing to be done between us, and will further find ways my work can not only clarify historic record and prevent erasure, but seek to benefit the wider Indigenous community.
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Sounds of Philadelphia: Exploring a City’s Musical Lineage Through Creative and Spontaneous Composition
Julian Mittenberger
2023My culminating experience project seeks to delineate and explore aspects of Philadelphia’s musical history, through research analysis and music composition. With the research, I argue for Philadelphia as an important home for innovators in Black American Music, due to its location as a destination point in the Great Migration. After studying the formation of the Philly Soul sound of the early 1970’s, I composed a 3-part suite based off the classic hit song “TSOP.” I recorded the suite with a sextet, featuring Philadelphia vocalist Kayla Arthur on the last track. For my fourth piece, I paired some video clips from a documentary about Philly tap dance, with a tap and drums duet I recorded with Ian Berg. To conclude my presentation, I proposed some future explorations such as performing the music in the Jazz Gallery in New York City, as well as reviving a free-of-cost educational program in Philadelphia in which I studied as a high-schooler. The project was helpful for myself and others, and in the future I just want to be more careful about sharing the contributions of Philadelphia’s Black musicians, and clarify my own role as an ambassador of the music.
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Multidimensionalism: a journey through my worldview and creative process
Steven Montecucco
2023I spent the year creating a multimedia mosaic mind map by creating as much content as possible along the same message and goals, then using the content as raw material to paint a picture of the way my mind works and how I view the world. The primary message of the project is that when we as artists allow ourselves to view music as a magical force and unite in collective creative action, we open doorways into new powerful ways of seeing the world that enable us to create in more empowered and inspiring ways and imbue our works with the power to make powerful positive changes in our communities and the world. The content I created for the project includes 7 albums of music, 3 short books of experimental prose, a philosophical system comprised of 15 symbols, blueprints for a hybrid institute and an accompanying foundation, and a video blending all the content into a 3 part presentation.
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Perpeñí - Building Bridges through Roma music, Stories and cultural connections
Ángela Varo Moreno
2023Perpeñí is a culminating experience project that delves into the Roma journey through music. With my personal influences from Global Jazz, Flamenco, and Mediterranean music, the project focuses on transcribing and re-imagining oral tradition songs from diverse Roma communities worldwide. Starting with Cale or Gitanos from Andalusia in Spain, Rromani people from Hungary and Romania, Romi people from Serbia and the original travelers, the Kalbeliya people from India. The main objective is to preserve and honor the rich heritage of the Roma people while sharing their stories with a wider audience.
Under the project name "Perpeñí," the aim is to create a bridge that connects different cultures and celebrates the interconnectedness of musical traditions. Through active engagement with Roma communities and extensive research, the project explores how the Roma travel interconnects not only the people, culture, and heritage but also the music itself.
As a Global Jazz Musician, I actively collaborated with musicians from various backgrounds to arrange and perform these oral tradition songs. Perpeñí serves as a personal tool for generational healing, embracing the Roma heritage, the Roma people, and their stories from all corners of the world.
The ultimate goal of Perpeñí is to contribute to the preservation and appreciation of the Roma culture while fostering understanding and appreciation among diverse audiences through the universal language of music.
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The Journey
Shadrack Oppong
2023This abstract summarizes a culminating experience project titled "The Journey - Global Jazz in Context: Exploring my Journey from Africa (Ghana) to America." The project delves into the author's personal and professional journey from Ghana to the United States, with a focus on their experiences as a musician and the influence of their time at Berklee College of Music. Despite societal limitations and financial constraints in Ghana, the author pursued their passion for music and eventually enrolled in a music program at Berklee. Their goal is to establish an institution that provides music education and resources for young musicians in Africa, addressing the limitations they face. The project incorporates music composition to convey the author's migration story, highlighting the power of diversity and cultural differences. The author's musical compositions reflect their roots and aspirations, incorporating elements from different genres and cultural backgrounds. The project concludes with reflections on the author's growth and the fusion of their education in psychology and music. The Global Jazz Institute at Berklee played a crucial role in inspiring and guiding the author's musical writing, which aligns with their long-term goals. Through this project, the author discovers the potential of global jazz in bridging their African and American identities, contributing to their growth as a versatile musician.
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LifeSongs
Lucas Phillips
2023"LifeSongs: Scoring the stories of survivors of homicide victims" is a project merging journalism and music to provide healing through storytelling. Drawing on my experience as a breaking news reporter at the Boston Globe, as a survivor of homicide, and of course as a musician and composer, I conducted interviews with individuals who lost a family member to violence and wrote original music to accompany audio excerpts from those interviews. The project seeks new approaches to storytelling through music and offers new avenues for musicians and journalists to engage more deeply with community, share important stories of trauma with emotional complexity, and bring healing through their work. The project culminated in four songs accompanied by original video, and offers unique perspectives on cyclical violence, murder, grief, loss, and community.
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Alone in a Crowded Room
Jonathan Shillingford
2023“Alone in a Crowded Room” is a story about a young black man navigating through the dangerous yet beautiful landscape of America. Searching for his own path in a foreign land he seeks answers for who/what he is and he who/what wants to be. This story is conveyed through music, poetry, photography, philosophy all informed by the works of black artists. Some of these artists and philosophers include: Roy Hargrove, W.E.B Dubois, Ralph Ellison, Nikki Giovanni and Gil Scott-Heron
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Distortions of Love in the Digital Age
Louis Stringer
2023This culminating experience project documents the process of composing music for a film centered around the themes of pornography, addiction, and the evolution of love as a commodity. It aimed to investigate the potential damaging effects of pornography on consumers and their psychology, as well as the relationship between online sexual content and addiction. Through interviews with individuals engaged in 12-Step recovery programs, the interviewees share their experiences and the complexities surrounding this topic. The project discusses the importance of addressing these themes in music, providing a space for reflection, dialogue, and increased awareness. The compositions, a mix of; electronic tracks, pieces for string quartet, upright bass, drums, and alto saxophone, are analyzed in relation to the project's objectives. The incorporation of quotes from interviewees alongside each composition aims to give voice to those impacted by the subject matter. Ultimately, the paper highlights the potential for music to stimulate conversation, promote empathy, and foster social change regarding the commodification of love in the 21st century.
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Bridging the Gulf of Paria
Luke Walker
2023Bridging the Gulf of Paria is a cross-cultural music composition and performance project exploring the nuances of the past, present and future relationship between the neighboring countries of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela through historical and personal lenses. It resulted in six compositions, four of which emphasize the shared history of the two countries and the remaining two explore how these connections manifest in the composer’s mixed Trinidadian and Venezuelan heritage and dreams for the future. The music aims to help reinstate the Venezuelan identity as a core facet of Trinidadian society by highlighting the common origin of the two countries and raising awareness of the contribution of Venezuelan immigrants on two core elements of Trinidadian culture: calypso music and kalinda (stick fighting). Similarly, the effect that Trinidadian immigrants had on the local culture of El Callao in Venezuela proves that the influence runs both ways. Key musical elements employed are instrumentation (juxtaposition of the steelpan and the Venezuelan cuatro) and improvisation.
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Within the Garden We Planted: Four Stories About Four Women
Katie Webster
2023The purpose of my project is to compose four pieces of music with a multi-disciplinary approach, either in collaboration with or interpolation of some element of visual art or poetry. Each of these pieces are in dedication to one of four women activists throughout history. This project helped me not only to develop skills as a player and composer, but to bring awareness to 4 important historical figures. I also went on a journey, exploring feminism through a historical and geographical lens greater than myself. Firstly, I learned about these activists: Elizabeth Mumbet Freeman, The Jane Collective, Wangari Maathai, and Berta Cáceres. Then I found art that was created in dedication to these people, or created a connection with another piece of art. I wrote music inspired by the visuals and imagery, while trying to create a piece to honor each person. During this process, I found that interdisciplinary art has the potential to be an incredibly strong vehicle for fostering community, by engaging with multiple dimensions of human experience. I see this project as a blueprint for further feminist collaboration across many denominations and platforms, and also a way that I can begin to see my role as a musician in the fight for intersectional feminist liberation.
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The question is the answer
Joshua Achiron
2022This project set out to find advice for young artists who were about to go into this chaotic world. I wanted to do this because I am one of these young artists about to make this step in my life and I needed guidance from the Berklee faculty. I chose the faculty members I thought would fit best for this project and then recorded interviews with them. I then used the recordings as compositional tools in order to get the words of wisdom to my peers. In conclusion I went through this year looking for answers, and although I would find them I quickly realized that with each answer came a great responsibility for a better question . As I learned about mindset, spirituality and the importance of family I found that learning about them was just half the battle. Now I am going to apply what I've learned and ultimately find better questions through life experiences I have can't wait to meet.
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The Escape
Roberto Acosta
2022The Escape is based on a journey by a Cuban Rafter, rowing to America in search of freedom and the pursuit of their dreams. This Rafter happens to be my father. In Cuba, He felt trapped. He felt that he couldn't aspire to much, and he felt that he was wasting away. In 1993 he made the decision to end his chapter of life in Cuba and sought to create a new start for himself, for his future children and grandchildren. The only obstacles were the Cuban Government and 90 miles of open sea. The Escape will inform you of the four waves of exodus pertaining to why Cubans fled and how, an interview from my father on how hard the journey he endured was with music and artworks amplifying his voyage, and lastly ending on the rafters that perished at sea. Their stories ended short. Their dreams of freedom, stolen away.
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‘One Mile Away’ - Breaking the wall of expectations through music
Stefano Battaglia
2022My research starts from a personal journey. Our society creates models of happiness, that sometimes is just ephemeral. This goes to create continue expectations, one after the other, that could keep us away from living in the present and it could lead to stress, anxiety, panic attacks and depression. And personally talking, in a situation of struggle, as the lockdown due to the pandemic, if we just live of expectations, we could lose the orientation. Music could be one of the solutions to this: it could be lived with no expectations, music engages all of the areas of the brain, music stimulates the production of positive hormones, that helps the relaxation of our body. In my research I show how composing music could be a personal solution to the life struggles, and how they could be translated in music, and I also investigate in how music could be transmitted, so as not to lose its beneficial powers: communicating without expectations, and the meditational power or the music that can relax our body and soul. This is a seed for the future and a point of reflections in how music could be transmitted in an alternative way.
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Reflection of Another Self - Accepting, Understanding & Overcoming Trauma
Milena Casado Fauquet
2022This project, “Reflection of Another Self”, is an art suite that combines music and poetry and portrays my process of accepting, understanding and overcoming trauma. The purpose of this project is to find ways of freeing ourselves; of understanding who we are and how we want the world to be. Through extensive research on music, poetry, and psychology, as well as diving into problems such as racism, sexism, and inequality in the world, I created an art suite divided into three movements or steps - Acceptance, Understanding & Overcoming. Each movement is composed of two music compositions accompanied by a poem or samples that describe the different feelings and emotions I felt while diving into my personal trauma. My hope is that by portraying my process of self-discovery and self-acceptance, I can help and inspire others to overcome their trauma, the same way the music and poetry have helped me.
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We Should Care
Nicholas Chatzitsakos
2022“We Should Care” is a multidisciplinary project that explores the use of music as a tool that will highlight the communal struggles of different oppressed groups throughout the globe. It consists of music written for different socio-political issues. The purpose is to highlight the interconnections between different social justice issues including: racism and white supremacy, imperialism, repressive systems in the context of military dictatorships, patriarchy and sexism, mental health and stigma. Hopefully the listener will look at identity politics through the lens of intersectionality in order to understand the communal struggles, the need to show solidarity to movements outside of their own political identity, and realize that the communal struggle we share is caused from the unequal system our society is based on, that benefits the few. The music is based on the ”Jazz” (Black American Music) genre and draws influences from the blues, avant garde, free jazz, contemporary pop, and classical (western) idioms, reflecting the interconnection of the socio-political issues with different music forms of expression.
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In Clave: Composing in odd meters from a clave perspective
Camila Cortina Bello
2022“In Clave - Composing in odd meters from a clave perspective” documents my compositional process during the last six months of the Berklee Global Jazz Master’s Program. I studied the function of “clave” within Cuban music as a backbone of the rhythmic and orchestral organization and then applied similar relationships using odd meters. As result, I wrote four compositions featuring this kind of behaviors: “Sonera” (in 7/4); “Zapateo en 15” (in 15/8 and 5/4); “Buleria de Noviembre” (in 11/4); and “Canción de cuna para despertar a un negrito” (in 13/4 and 12/8). This creative research served me to reflect on my music identity while finding new strategies for future academic applications on this interesting topic.
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Notes of Houston's Daughters: Narratives of BIPOC Women Artists and Their Contributions to the Houston Arts Community
Alexandria DeWalt
2022Houston is known for hosting some of America’s most brilliant artists, but somehow BIPOC women are left out of this narrative. My goal is to put BIPOC women back into the narrative through music. This project pays homage to 3 BIPOC women artists of Houston and their influence on both me personally and their influence on Houston’s arts community. Each woman comes from a different art discipline: music, theater, and dance. The women are Helen Sung (music), Eileen J Morris (theater) and Lauren Anderson (dance). The music explores a relationship between music and the art medium that each woman is a part of. Additionally, the goal of the music is to create a relationship between the listener and the woman being honored by bringing them into the narrative of the woman the song is about. This project had several goals: first is to increase the visibility of these women in hopes of inspiring other BIPOC women artists, giving these women credit where credit has been long overdue, and last to express my gratitude to these women and how their lives and art has shaped me into the artist I am. My ultimate hope is that by honoring these women, other women feel validated in the space they deserve to take up, especially those who have felt otherwise.
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The EWI Academy
Morgan Guerin
2022This project is an online and in-person educational course centered around the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), called The EWI Academy. This project is significant for me because the EWI isn’t that popular of an instrument (compared to a Saxophone, Flute, or Clarinet), and I feel like the instrument has so much to offer musically. This idea came together because there are not many resources surrounding the topic of wind synthesis. I wanted to create a platform for people to come together, learn, and immerse themselves in the world of wind synthesis. The course will include plenty of lesson videos, self-produced backing tracks, interviews, and tons of demonstrations and insight, allowing the students to understand the importance and potential of the EWI fully. In the future, I will develop an in-person camp that will bring people together from all over the world. There are many misconceptions surrounding the topic of wind synthesizers that can sometimes draw people away from the subject in general, but with The EWI Academy, I hope to introduce a new world of possibilities that can hopefully excite the students as much as it excites me.
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Rebirth: The Wounded Healer
Yujung Jung
2022My project is about the therapeutic role of music in supporting suicide survivors, and it is based on my healing process after the suicide of a loved one. The purpose is, through my music and artistic collaboration, to reinforce healing by opening my story to others, to support those who are in grief by this motive, and to let them know that they are not alone. Also, through this project, I would like to break the silence about suicide and stand up to the stigma that surrounds suicide and mental illness. I composed and recorded six pieces as one suite. Each piece is related to different stages of my healing process. I have explored comprovisation. Comprovisation means composing in the moment. This has been my first experience of application of what I have learned at the Global Jazz Institute. I used also blues, tetra chords, through composing, lyrics, Illustration, improvisation, in the context of Jazz, and a poem by Walt Whitman.
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True Collaborative Music
DoYeon Kim
2022I have had many opportunities to collaborate with western-trained musicians over my last eight years living in Boston. Coming from a Korean traditional music background, I believe that exchange between different musical traditions can create deep synergistic music with unique possibilities. The purpose of my thesis project is to explore this space, and develop methods for playing global music that move beyond the “fusion” paradigm, which often results in selective and contrived combinations of different musical traditions. With this in mind, I developed an approach for collaboration between Korean traditional instruments and contemporary composition that focuses on rhythm, melody, and harmony. Specific outcomes include: (1) ways to avoid playing third intervals (major and minor) in chord voicings, which enables a harmonic space compatible with the note ornamentations and microtones essential to the Korean tradition; and (2) a combination of time signature and polyrhythms that approximate the Korean breathing cycle concept for western musicians. Generally speaking, this work serves as an example template for collaborative world music.