On this page, you can find the Culminating Experience (CE) Projects for all graduate students from the Berklee College of Music master’s program Music Production, Technology, and Innovation (MPTI) 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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Horizon: An Adaptive Unity Game
Dylan Scott
2020This project aims to develop an interactive video game, drawing primarily on sound and music to guide the player through. Inspired by the 2012 indie adventure game Journey, the music of Horizon will be an integral part based on the players’ movement and actions. As they walk through, they’ll be given the task to solve a puzzle by following the music cues (similar to the ‘hot and cold game’). The game will be developed in Unity, using audio source components and scripts done in the programming language C#. Arguments in C# will be determined by the players' proximity to specific totems/items. The goal is to make a simple game more adaptive and unique to players, inspiring more creative game mechanics to be added in future releases and beyond (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Immersive (360) Video, etc).
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Traveling For Music: The Best Way To Stay Informed, Yet Entertained
Miles Shipps
2020The objective of this project was to explore the different kinds of traditional, modern, and progressive Valencian music. This was done in an educative, informative, yet entertaining way, via a pilot episode. This was executed by filming according to the documentary format. The audience will see venues, local entertainment areas, and have an opportunity to watch the selection of the local talent interviewed. As such, the project will be a pitched series idea for the purpose of educating, informing, and entertaining an audience about a variety of music from around the world, which the average audience member may have never had a chance to see, and enjoy.
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The Dynamic Recording Sessions Series
Carlos Andrés Sierra Castrillón
2020This work is the result of recording and mixing series of live studio sessions aiming for an offbeat sounding record compilation by establishing a limited use of microphone types and the implementation of immersive audio technologies. The project represents a challenge due to its unconventional technical and stylistic approach, and pretends to deliver authentic music material that reflects current expressions from Berklee Valencia artists. In order to achieve this, different elements and technical decisions were previously taken into consideration, and a high level of importance has been given to the music and the performance.
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Sílla: A Personal Brand Portfolio
Melissa Silla
2020The Culminating Experience (CE) project will illustrate the creative/innovative abilities of the Master student, Melissa Silla, whose moniker is Sílla, as a versatile artist in music and technology. Through the creation of original sound design, graphic design, and computer/mobile application design, this project is in the form of an extended play (EP) and an online sound design portfolio website. To construct the EP, original recordings, varying from vocal sounds to nature/outdoor sounds have been used, utilizing new software and synthesizers. For the online portfolio, a user friendly/simplistic interface design has been constructed that will serve as a virtual portfolio, where users will be able to locate the artist’s music/video projects, contact information, and other creative projects. It is with aspiration that this project will aid in cultivating the artist’s personal brand and will serve as their music/technology portfolio.
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Desolation & Parallelism: An Audio Visual EP
Kshitij Singh
2020The goal of this project is to create a four song audio visual EP that investigates the importance and influence of close relationships with people, on an individual and how they affect their mental health. The concept is based on four things you can do have a thriving relationship. The significance of the project is to throw light on the individualist cultures, behaviour and how it is influencing the world. The idea will be conveyed using four animation sequences which are the four songs of the EP.
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Global Folk Music Evolution through Technology
Andrew Skinner
2020This artistic research project is an audio engineering, sound design, and electronic music production portfolio which explores the social, cultural, and political potential for furthering traditional and folk music styles through creative music production techniques and spaces. This topic is explored through a series of collaborations with folk musicians around the world, resulting in a collection of acoustic music recordings, and an EP of ambient electronic music. A sound design library and educational content component are created to accompany each recording. This project seeks to define new paradigms for producing folk music styles and challenges the dichotomy of acoustic and electronic music.
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Genesis
Luigi Tasso
2020The purpose of this project is to create a well-crafted animation that could then be used as music videos, live performances, surround sound experiences and installations. The theme of the project is space and more specifically the evolution of the universe, starting from nothingness and leading to the creation of human life. The timeline of the evolution of the Big Bang serves as the chronology for this project, and the science behind it as the main source of inspiration for all the creative content that was produced. The main challenge of the project was to create an interesting evolution in the music and visuals, all while tying aspects of the story to both sound and image. Through this experience was incorporated the art of sound design, instrumental composition, animation and video production. This project will hopefully serve as an inspiration to future students and any musician interested in audio-visual experiences.
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Enhancing the Educational Experience of Women in Music Technology Programs at the University Level: The Benefits of Studying in an All-Female Peer Environment
Liz Teutsch
2020Women are an overwhelming minority in music technology university programs throughout the globe and are subject to various forms of gender discrimination and harassment both inside and outside of the classroom. Improving the educational experience of these women is paramount, and distinct strategies can be employed to do so. One strategy is to provide these women with the opportunity to study in all-female learning environments. This study surveyed participants in an extracurricular music technology training program designed for female- identifying university students, and it found clear benefits to this learning environment including increased confidence and accelerated learning. Establishing and supporting this type of programming at the university level will improve educational outcomes for these women and better prepare them for successful careers in music technology.
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A Modern-Day Musical Melting Pot: Sounds that Span the Seas
Ryan D. Vazquez
2020This project is an original cross-cultural music and visual performance. Graduate student Ryan Vazquez plans to blend the genres of Reggae, Latin, and Electronica, spanning a variety of styles from each throughout history to create a modern and eclectic fusion sound. By conducting research on the various aspects of these genres over time, including rhythm, instrumentation, and cultural influence, Ryan narrows down the similarities between them in order to blend them, and accent their differences to give contrast. He uses a system where he can create, loop, layer, mix, and manipulate sound and video in real time with the combination of a keyboard, digital vocoder, Theremin, turntable, and digital controller. Using his knowledge from class along with research, innovation, and practice, he expands his capabilities as a performer using sound, video, and lighting that combines Reggae, Latin, and Electronic music to create a captivating, and new audio/visual musical experience.
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Roaring 20s: A Self-Produced Visual EP
Jorge E. Vidal
2020This project aims to develop a visual EP that will position the creator as a writer, musician, music producer, video producer, engineer & programmer. Through the process of pre- production, production, mixing and creating visuals, a project titled Roaring 20s will be developed that will innovate and push the creative boundaries within the creator. The EP will consist of four songs that will carry a theme, and originally were going to have a visual cohesive story, but due to unforeseen circumstances, evolved to accompanying lyric videos that illustrate and evoke the emotions each song is conveying. The author comes from a background of home studio audiovisuals. Therefore, this project aims to elevate the author’s skills with the goal of developing professional audiovisual production. This will be accomplished through the use of studio knowledge and etiquette applying songwriting, production, engineering and video production/editing learned throughout the year at Berklee College of Music.
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Brassy Hues: An EP and Arrangement Portfolio Featuring Brass
Kieran R. Wallace
2020This project is to further develop abilities as a music producer, primarily through expanding upon skills in writing, arranging, and sound design. I utilized my knowledge of brass instruments to create an EP (extended play record) and arrangement portfolio that combines previous understanding of music with the new knowledge gained through Berklee’s music technology, production, and innovation program. This was achieved this by utilizing knowledge of music theory and its foundational aspects, combined with newfound experience, applications, and techniques at Berklee to tell other people’s stories as well as a story of brass and its corresponding colors.
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The Chordboy Concerto for Guitar
Lawrence Wood
2020This three-movement composition combines live-recorded instruments with digital synthesizers in a manner that reflects the individual sections of a symphonic orchestra. Additionally, the goal of this work is to defy any pre-existing genre, in a manner that draws on various influences to create something entirely unique. The combination of the live rhythm section and the synthesized orchestra allows for more creative sonic possibilities than a pure live recording. Musically, the work combines highly expressive improvisation with various amounts of atonality and quartal harmony. Stylistically, it pulls influence from jazz, contemporary classical, and hip-hop/neo-soul.
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First Personal Nineties R&B Soul EP
Gan Xu
2020For this project, the artist Gan Xu made the first personal EP with 5 tracks including four full-length tracks and an outro. The purpose of this EP was to express the artist’s emotion and stories throughout this year in Spain, with its main theme of love, pain and growth. The genres focused on R&B, Soul, and Ballad. This EP would also be a brand new chapter and meaningful journey for the artist Gan Xu transforming from a physicist to a musician.
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AMOR8: A/V PERFORMANCE WITH ELECTRONIC MUSIC, COLOMBIAN INSTRUMENTS AND RYTHMS
Diego Amorocho Prados
2019Amor8 A/V Performance Project is a master project which includes a live act combining original music compositions in synchronization with live video content using programs such as Resolume Arena 6, Max 8, After Effects and Ableton Live 10. These compositions will be performed by the artist “Diego Amorocho” by using a live set and a visual projection on stage. The musical compositions will unite traditional Colombian rhythms with electronic music and modern mind set and techniques, using sampled and real instruments from the Caribbean region with beats like Cumbia, Bullerengue, Chande, Terapia and Andean rhythms. This thesis main objective is to reinvent the personal brand of “Diego Amorocho” into a hybrid all rounded artist, innovative performer and producer.
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VV: Exploring Self-Love through a Second- Generation Lens
Aarabi Baheerathan
2019This Culminating Experience Project is a creative project consisting of a visual EP, titled ‘VV’. The purpose of creating this EP derives from the lack of South Asian representation in Western media, and the desire to utilize South Indian Classical music, more specifically Carnatic music, with popular music such as the RnB and Electronic genres. Utilizing information from cross-cultural studies, the EP thematically focuses on second-generation (the children of immigrants) identity and self-love. This project was multifaceted in nature and challenging as it required the author to engage in the following with limited prior experience: producing, songwriting, experimentation with hybrid recording techniques, electronic production, mixing, video production and editing and collaborating with others. The main body of work is a five-track EP, and features self-produced, self-written music that explores themes such as identity, heritage, mental health, and love in the context of navigating through two cultures as a second-generation British Asian immigrant. The music falls into the genre of Alternative RnB and Electronic music, but also feature elements of South Indian Classical music. To accompany the music, there are two music videos that illustrate the themes further. ‘VV’ requires further development, but nonetheless fills an evident gap within contemporary music.
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Jamais Vu
Stephen Baynes
2019Jamais Vu is a physical representation of a journey taken and realized. Essentially, the project itself is an instrumental EP. It will tell a story to listeners that will evoke emotion that they themselves can tie into their own lives. The goal of the project will be to produce an instrumental EP that can stand on its own to be a playable body of work, and also be used by artists and other producers to make their own songs.
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Light Shift (The emergence of an artistic voice)
Sam Borrello
2019This project represents the emergence of the artist BPad through the creation of a 9- track album. The album is entitled Light Shift and it is an instrumental beat tape inspired by multiple musical styles including jazz, hip hop and flamenco. It represents a transition for BPad from sample-based production to live instrumentation. The title refers to a shift in environment for the artist as well as to changes in musical approach and lifestyle. Light Shift can be broken down as follows: 6 full-length tracks, introduction, outro and interlude. It uses varied instrumentation including: harp, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass, piano, synthesizers, turntables and saxophones. The project makes liberal use of resampling which is defined as: “A feature of some samplers which allows the performer to assemble one or more patches and samples, possibly with layering and effects and then play notes while the sampler simultaneously records new samples of the played notes.”1 This album was composed and recorded using the Digital Audio Workstation or (DAW) Ableton Live. Using Ableton was one of the many challenges that the artist faced during the creation of this album.
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Have Fun Be Lighthearted– A Creative Video Portfolio
Matt Capone
2019With a mission to convey the fun and lightheartedness that can be had with electronic dance music, this project is a creative video portfolio broken down into three original video series: LIGHT-hearted, Mini Racerz, and Ableton Live Performances. It is entirely self-produced and the videos utilize many different digital and technological mediums, including dance music, phone screens, animation, LEDs, and simple dance choreography. One of the biggest challenges faced was figuring out the longevity of the video series, and whether videos within each series should be tied together through a unique storyline or should simply be made to showcase the technical and creative processes explored throughout the year. While it was ultimately decided to go with the latter to maintain the videos’ fun and momentary nature, future projects conducted by the artist may be pushed further and will continue the mission of bringing fun and lightheartedness to music and art.
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SPIRAL
Iker Cedeno
2019Spiral is music video production divided in tree parts. The theme of the first part is the Universe, the creation and evolution of galaxies. The second part is about nature and its vastness, its richness and the interconnection between the micro cosmos and the macro cosmos. The final part of Spiral is about civilization and its isolation from nature and the Universe and his direction to an uncertain future. The artist will use the skills acquired in video production, photography and sound design to make his CE project.
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DAVE SHIVAT: TRANCENDENCE, THE EMERGENCE OF AN ARTISTIC IDENTITY
David Andrés Chivatá Duque
2019The basis of this project was to create the emergence of an artistic identity. The idea consisted on inventing a creative persona that throughout a look, a sound, and a concept incorporated Contemporary Christian music within Trance (Electronic Dance Music) as an EP of 5 songs and one remix. Essential resources needed for the completion of this project came from people contributions and the facilities provided by Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. The overall purpose of this project was to represent the world of Christianity through the language of Trance. Current generations, as well as the emerging ones not only will connect to this music genre, but also will relate better to the world of spirituality.
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From Nowhere to Everywhere: Lady Blackice Album
Audrey Cousineau
2019The culminating experience project called ‘‘Lady Blackice’’ is a 12 tracks album. This project was achieved by the female artist Audrey Cousineau. This album demonstrates different genres and influences like Electronic Dance Music, Deep House, Reggaeton, and Pop music. This Canadian DJ from Montreal is presenting the final project at the end of her formation in the Music Production, Technology & Innovation program at Berklee Valencia. A concert and listening party were also a part of the whole plan. For this event, the pieces were introduced by a live performance at a venue in Valencia (Spain). This project is the first album in her career as a DJ and producer. She integrated other musicians to her project as she wanted the music to be more collaborative and not only performed or created by one person only.
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Unplanned
Parth Desai
2019This project aims to produce four music tracks and videos through the production of a Visual extended play (EP), Unplanned. The goal is to merge forms of Indian folk and fusion music with electronic music and explore the dynamics of the relationship between music and video. The current Indian Electronic music scene and sound design methods were studied along with several film-making techniques. Tools like Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras and softwares like Ableton Live, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop were used to produce the videos. The challenge was to produce compelling music videos with limited resources at hand and to create an interesting fusion sound. This project aims to showcase the sound design and video production skills to the music and film industry at large and hopefully, inspire future sound designers and video producers alike.
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The Beauty of Living
Javier de Vicente-Retortillo Rubalcaba
2019The CE “The Beauty of Living” encapsulates three main projects: the production of a three songs EP, the development of artist branding and look, and the accompaniment of the music with visuals. With the songs the aim is to finish three songs at a professional level, leaving them ready to be released at a record label. With the visuals, complete visuals for the whole duration of the three songs, so there’s always a background and a story for the music. And the purpose of the artist branding is to have the presentation material ready when releasing the tracks in the future.
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Recording engineer portfolio: Transmitting a project through a personal approach and aesthetics
Elena Díaz
2019This Culminating Experience consist in the creation of a portfolio made of a set of recording engineering work made this year 2018-2019 at Berklee College of Music, along with a webpage to reach out possible customers in a personal and familiar way.
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Atomic Age: A Minimalist Approach to Music Production
Kate Ellwanger
2019Atomic Age is an electronic album that offers listeners a maximal sonic experience through the use of minimal resources. Created with a portable production set up during two years of transcontinental travel, this body of work breaks the perceived limitations of consumer-quality hardware and software by demonstrating what is possible when an artist sets out to share their story using affordable technologies. Through forward-thinking songwriting, unique sound design, and lyrical storytelling, Atomic Age seeks to inspire creators and listeners to honor the resources they have at any given time or place, and remind our society that much can be accomplished with very few resources.