Music Production, Technology, and Innovation

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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Across Borders: An EP and Business Preparation Project

Christian Pardo Bernal
2021

Christian Pardo Bernal’s CE project is an R&B, Latin Trap, and Dancehall infused EP. The EP will consist of six tracks that will be utilizing production techniques and several production elements within the Latin R&B music genre. Through cross-national collaborations with producers and artists from Colombia, the United States, and Europe, this EP will show a unique yet familiar sound to all of the music mentioned above markets and tell six different emotions that say to the story behind the Artist Emoción. Moreover, the languages Spanish and English will be incorporated into each track consistently as bilingual lyrics. The mission to educate his audience will be introduced as one core value of Emocion’s artist Identity. Further, the goal of this project is to learn the best practices of artists and producers in the Latin R&B Genre and showcase an EP that introduces a unique yet familiar sound but also takes the lead in the new area of bilingual Artists like Paloma Mami.
Learning Effects: The Next Stage of Audio Effects Education

Nicholas Daniel Phang Wei Li
2021

Modern-day music education has changed drastically in the past decade. Globally, music education syllabi have started to include the use of technology in music, covering topics on recording and electronic music production through programs like Ableton Live. There is an increasing need to equip music-tech educators at every level with a set of tools that will aid in teaching various concepts within the software. This project aims to produce a set of customised Max MSP devices specifically tailored to aid educators in teaching the concept of audio effects within Live, hence providing a more standardised set of teaching materials at the disposal of the educator. The Max for Live (M4L) devices were designed with the needs of the students and educators in mind, helping to provide intuitive teaching material that boosts the overall learning experience. Covering such a large array of topics at varying levels of understanding proved to be difficult. Future cooperation and collaboration with Ableton and its Certified Trainer community will prove useful in bringing this project to its fullest potential. It is intended for this project to inspire innovation in music education and further integration of music technology in modern-day music education.
The Architecture of Musical Expression

Jesús A. Pineda Barrientos
2021

This project aims to explore the inherent relationship that exists between music and architecture. From the design of concert halls to how architecture can shape itself to sound as a means of reflecting space, this cross-disciplinary approach aims to investigate beyond the interweaving similarities between the two in terms of proportion and underlying rhythms. Apart from the circumscribed aesthetics and acoustics, this project will delve into music and architecture as an immersive experience by interconnecting directly the design of a space with a composition of music and research the experiential quality of inhabiting a space. Through audiovisual elements and 3D modelling tools, each piece of music presented here will have an ‘architectural space’ that has been created specifically from the same elements presented in the music, to not only showcase the final product of making the ‘architecture of music’ but also the process by which it can a spatial experience can be achieved.
We All Freakz: A Transformative Sound Journey to Encourage Self-Reflection, Challenge Perceptions and Inspire Transcendence

Angel Rose Schroder
2021

The multimedia, interactive and live-stream performance We All Freakz session wove together the broad topics of non-duality, intimacy, community, creation and healing. The focus of this session was to provide participants with a space to reflect, to connect and to observe universal connective strands within all beings. Through a January 2020 Q & A research conducted by this author (who is also the artist), disconnection, isolation and the unknown were the dominant, self-reported fears. Through the intentional use of sound design, video production and live-stream technology, this series enveloped the audience in a vibrant, flowing and reverent space. Strings, synths, vocals, sound design and percussion were the main instrumentation as they elicited a dreamy atmosphere. The aim of the We All Freakz session was for the participants to have an opportunity in the digital realm to solidify their authentic connection to themselves and to the world at large. This series gave hope to the philosophy that we can maintain a deep sense of connection and intimacy despite ever-changing personal and world circumstances.
“Time Is Not Real”: Revitalizing Vintage Recording Techniques for the Here and Now

Samuel C. Ruff
2021

This project aims to revitalize vintage recording techniques in the contemporary hybrid model of music production. Modern popular music has become increasingly electronic. While the current trend is to do everything “in the box”, this project seeks to find the best balance between analog and digital. Two full length albums will be recorded and mixed focusing on blending old and new. The coloration of tape machines, analog consoles, and vintage outboard gear will collide with modern immersive audio techniques and digital editing within ProTools and Ableton Live. The first album is a 13 song collection of jazz fusion compositions performed live in studio with the MarcO Poingt Trio and was recorded on a vintage Neve console. The second album is a 9 song psychedelic rock odyssey under the name Cloudgazer, which was initially mixed in the box but finalized through a 24 track tape machine, SSL console, and various hardware compressors. The author performed on, engineered, and mixed both albums and also produced one music video to accompany one song on the Cloudgazer album. Hopefully this project will inspire fellow musicians to look back in time to find new inspiration.
Sancocho. Sampling Traditional Colombian Culture

Sergio Felipe Ruiz Morales
2021

The culminating experience is based in exploring in depth the world of recording engineering and its possibilities to build an innovative bundle (sample pack) that showcases Colombian culture. The main idea behind the bundle musical wise: Provide tools to beat makers and producers that are unique and interesting but that also showcase the beauty and cultural traditions of Colombia. Engineering wise is for it to be very intuitive and that any person new or experienced in beatmaking can make good use of it. Designed to be a very musical pack, the samples will work with each other, this with the purpose of making the creation process more effective without losing the musicality. The pack will be divided in the following categories: One Shots, Loops, Kontakt Instruments, digital synthesizer presets and an audio effect rack. This way it would be possible to play the instruments on all the octaves of your MIDI Keyboard and to change certain dynamic and modulation parameters to taste. After the release, an EP will be composed using the bundle, featuring talents from Berklee in an attempt to promote collectivity during these COVID- 19 times.
Surmayi: Creation of an Audio-Visual Extended Play

Kanishk Seth
2021

The basis of this project is to compose and produce an EP (extended play) of three songs that is an amalgamation of Indian classical and electronic music. Each song is accompanied by a music video. Every song is different poetically and hence, is complemented by music videos that will have distinct audiovisual concepts/ styles. However, to ensure coherence within the project and maintain synergy, all videos are in black and white. By tackling personal challenges like audio engineering and video production as well as experimenting with music production styles and approaches, the artist wants to push the boundaries of his own skillset and of the genre. The artist (an independent musician) hopes that this project (that is a fusion of Indian classical and electronic music) helps the genre become more mainstream.
Quantum Entanglement

Yatharth Sharma
2021

This project was created to to showcase the psychology behind the artist’s music and in particular, the sounds used to create the EP using custom synth presets, custom wavetables and a collection of custom high quality processed sample recordings. This project was designed to be focused on sound design to achieve unique sounds that fit the requirements of the 4 track EP which will be created using custom sounds specifically. The main creative idea behind this project was derived from the concept of “Quantum Entanglement”from the field of Quantum Physics which is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group of particles is generated, interact, or share spatial proximity in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the pair or group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, including when the particles are separated by a large distance. The artist being from an Indian Classical Music background tends to inculcate rhythms and melodies from the music form blending with electronic sound elements. This project thrives solely on the kind and variety of sounds applied into complex rhythmic structures and melodies to make Experimental Indie-Electronic tracks which simply explain the idea of Quantum Entanglement by depicting the uniqueness of all the sounds which may seem far from each other but still come together to form renditions which are one in themselves and hold in unity.
REvive: A Livestream Performance

Paige Shephard
2021

This creative project takes live performance methods and techniques often found in electronic music and applies them to genres where it’s not usually seen, namely, soul, funk and gospel music. Further, it incorporates live and prerecorded elements into the performance in an engaging way as a result of social distance measures. In order to execute this project properly, further skill development will have to occur in the artist taking on multiple roles of creative director, playback engineer, producer, music director, and performer. The scope of the project includes becoming fluent in Pro Tools, achieving a live stream setup that works on an individual basis, producing writing and arranging songs, assembling a band or choir, rehearsing, putting on a live performance, and having that be captured and shared in high quality. There is much to gain in learning about what goes into a live performance, recording/streaming of performances, and the identity of the musician themselves. Future iterations include continuing to record performances and upload them to social media as well as apply production and engineering skills to others’ concerts.
Projection Lights and Electronic Digital Performance: Combining Modern Electronic Performance Mediums

Ryan Tram
2021

This project aims to combine skills from digital media and music production into a cohesive live performance that uses an electronic digital instrument fused with projection mapping to create motion graphic animations and Launchpad lightshows. These two visual mediums will use simultaneous MIDI message triggering in Ableton Live, and Resolume Arena, creating lightshows onto an installation as well as from a multiple Launchpad setup. The scope of the project includes learning new production techniques for music made for the show, as well as building and creating installations for the performance. Projection mapping and VJing are new skills that will help further augment the performance and act as the bridge between multimedia prowess and music. This project will explore new interactivity with sound and visuals and bring awareness to the modern EDI (Electronic Digital Instrument) musician.
MAGNETISM: MY FIRST EP

Guillem Vila Borràs
2021

The purpose of this Project is to write, record, produce, mix and master the first EP (Extended Play) released by Williaw (my artistic persona) which includes 5 songs that are influenced by his favorite music genres: House, Dance, EDM, Pop and Reggaeton. The songs arise from collaborating with two singer-songwriters that he met during his journey at Berklee. Apart from offering an auditory experience, this project wants to offer a visual experience that will consist of two lyric videos and a unique experience with the packaging. The release plan of the Extended Play consists on releasing a lead single available on every streaming service, its music video on YouTube and a post on every social media platform announcing the release date of the EP. It will be available to stream and purchase digitally and physically, being released on CD format. The lyric videos will be uploaded to the artist’s YouTube Channel.
The M.A.F. Machine: A Solution for Live Performance in Changing Systems of Equal Division of Octave

Samuel Vincent
2021

Though many applications for microtonality exist, few allow for the flexible changing of systems of microtonality during live performance. This project implements the M.A.F. Machine, a hardware controller implementation designed to facilitate live performance in arbitrary, and changing, systems of equal temperament. The hardware is a 3D-printed casing containing circuitry programmed to detect how many plastic blocks, or “keys,” have been placed in a single octave of the unit. This data is then sent to the software application using MIDI retuning algorithms, and the software application uses the information about which “keys” are in which slots to determine the system of equal temperament. Finally, the project explores compositional techniques and systems of notation for microtonality, culminating in the composition and performance of original music using this instrument along with percussion, fretless instruments, and other instruments that are compatible with microtonality.
Gazing Through the World - A 5 Tracks Album about the Sound Around the World

Zhaoqing Yin
2021

This project aims to combine modern music with various elements to show the new possibilities of musical storytelling of the world we are living in. Within five tracks of pieces written in different styles and themes breaking and blending among genres into one album, this project tests the boundary of the capacity of music and sound, discussing human and nature, light and darkness, philosophy and logic, time and space, all through her lenses of seeing the world. The album is creates with the artist’s skills of songwriting, digital producing, hybrid recordings, and mixing with sampling and live recording, immersive audio mixing. Features genres cross contemporary music, electronic music, futurism, minimalism, pop, rock, and various ethnic and world music styles.
Foundation of a Purpose: Self-Sufficiency in the Contemporary Musical Landscape

Ricky Young
2021

This project seeks to lay the foundations for a career in online content creation. Throughout the course of the coming year, each week will result in two YouTube videos related to music production, songwriting, and audio engineering. In addition to the main YouTube channel, an instagram, website, and other social media platforms will be created to direct traffic towards the content. By the end of the program, this project seeks to fulfill all requirements for monetization on YouTube, earn 1,000 subscribers, and produce a moderate monthly income stream. This paper describes the journey through developing an online content creation platform, as well as the challenges and future prospects for said platform. This paper will outline the struggles with content optimization, content scalability, personal health and mental development through the lense of content creation.
Complicated: An Exploration of the Bounds of Subjectivity

Nasir AlBashir
2020

“Complicated” is a pop album produced with genre fluidity in mind. The album provides a window into the artist’s psyche, comprised of seven songs exploring concepts such as love, fantasy, identity and self-doubt. The ultimate goal of the album was the production, mix, and master of a pop album that retains a central and unquestionable identity, while also exploring a number of genres and influences. The album was composed and produced in Ableton, and then mixed and mastered using Pro Tools. The album will be released under Berklee label Disrupcion’s subsidiary imprint – TALA records. The biggest challenge in producing the album was attempting to create a web that centered the different music throughout the album, and allowed the songs to be reminiscent of one another, while also taking risks in the explorations of musical style.
Elementos: A celebration of earth and human emotions

Mónica Andrade
2020

The purpose of this project was to create and produce the first album for the author’s music and find her artistic style and uniqueness through the process. The concept of it is oriented to celebrate human emotions, arts, and earth, as well as addressing climate change issues in the journey to create awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution because this is one of the artist’s main concerns. The first step was the production of eight songs, each named after one element of nature, followed by the design of the cover art. For the sound design and style, this album mixes tropical beach vibes, warm rhythms, fun pop melodies and electronic synths mixed with organic sounds recorded using recycled waste for example plastic and glass. The author hopes this album will deliver a message of wellness and inspire people to take action against global warming through small changes in their daily life.
JOEY ANGUS: AN ARTIST

Joey Angus
2020

This project from the artist is a springboard into the professional world of music and an establishment of a tangible online presence that is both professional and engaging, as well as provide a complete livestreamed concert, via YouTube Premier, in addition to the artists first EP release. By using a multitude of different platforms within the digital world, the artist has created a solid network for his work to be displayed and enjoyed by a growing fanbase, while using the concert to launch all channels. Despite various obstacles, the artist has been able to organize, curate and release content to the public through outlets such as Instagram and YouTube, as well as a website for a central hub. This project is perfect for the artist as it can always continue to grow.
Address: The Future of Life on Earth

Vittorio Arno
2020

The purpose of this Culminating Experience (CE) project is to address the climate crisis by creating an immersive Audio-Visual presentation. The first step is to carry out background research on the causes and effects of global warming, such as the melting of glaciers and rising sea level. Then, the creative process consists of video capturing known environments (i.e., seaside, mountains), editing and adding effects to the videos to give an abstract depiction of the alterations that are happening daily to our ecosystem, and composing music to reflect those visuals. The project is delivered as two main music videos, and four short animations, with the aim to raise awareness about the emergency and inspire spectators to take action.
Underwater: a Singer-Songwriter EP with electronic elements

Brigitte Blanchard
2020

For this project, Brigitte developed her artistic voice and experimented with incorporating electronic elements into her original acoustic singer-songwriter music. She wanted to experiment with combining acoustic and electronic sounds since prior to her year at Berklee she had used almost exclusively utilized acoustic sounds. During the project, Brigitte experimented with different production approaches, striving to incorporate new techniques and software into her creative process. Some of the techniques she experimented with include adding MIDI, sound design and using Ableton Live as a compositional tool. By the end of this process she composed and recorded an EP. Brigitte wanted to experiment with combining these two genres because she appreciates when producers are able to combine a singer-songwriter style with an electronic production. Many times this is achieved through remixes or collaborations, but Brigitte wanted to experiment with doing this herself as part of the original composition.
Dream-Folk EP & Watercolor Visuals

Delia Joyce Bowman
2020

This project combines three areas of interest that Delia Joyce grew up around — mixed media art, music, and social movements. It will be an EP of five original songs, woven together through watercolor visuals and abstract video. Each song will tell a different story. Themes of mental health, sexuality, intersectionality, social media, body image, sexual assault, and nature will weave throughout the entire EP. Delia’s objective for this project is to tell difficult and colorful stories from her own life in a way that is accessible to a diverse audience and connect those folks who share some of the same experiences.
The Black Girl’s Guide to Live Mixing: Understanding the Art of Live Sound Engineering as a Woman of Color

Destiny S. Carter
2020

This portfolio displays the processes of understanding basics of live sound through the personal experiences of a novice technician. Through observing how live sound is conducted within a male-dominated field, this project caters to marginalized audiences eager to learn live sound reinforcement with limited resources. With individual research, and partial supervision under the Berklee Production Team (BPT), the objectives presented explore the use of mixing boards, signal flow, set-up and more. This knowledge will be utilized by showcasing a live sound vlog series that includes 4-6 beginner tutorials, providing accessible knowledge to a diverse target market typically under-served within this field. A lack of live sound experience, learning terminology, equipment, and other crucial knowledge make it extremely challenging from a beginner's standpoint. However, a well-executed plan of both hands-on and technical application, engages other beginners to freely practice live sound engineering, while also supporting, and representing minorities within the field.
Developing and Marketing a Songwriting Portfolio

Wyatt Cmar
2020

This CE project consists of a songwriting portfolio made up of twenty individually written and co-written pieces. These songs range between a number of different styles of music including pop, folk, indie-pop, and indie-rock. Their production styles similarly range from purely acoustic performances to fully in-the-box productions, making use of professional studio recording equipment as well as at-home production techniques. Each initial songwriting session lasted approximately two hours, and final production was performed within Ableton Live and Pro Tools. The development of these pieces has been accompanied by research concerning the best practices for songwriting, the state of the songwriting industry, as well as new opportunities for songwriters to compete in the current marketplace. This thesis should serve as a guideline to other songwriters interested in practicing the craft at a professional level.
Tales of the Lost Worlds: An Immersive Audio Approach to Storytelling

Mirte de Vrieze
2020

The purpose of ‘Tales of the Lost Worlds: An Immersive Audio Approach to Storytelling’ is to compile an online immersive audio portfolio of three short stories made for YouTube and Facebook. The material is a mixture of pre-existing and new audio and visuals, each focused on an original story. The motivation behind this research is to consolidate a storytelling approach utilizing immersive audio to enrich the experience of a surrealistic world. A variety of techniques and plugins have been researched in order to mix ambisonics. The result is a diverse and coherent portfolio that displays competence in immersive mixing and a future of captivating storytelling.
Development of a Professional Audio Engineering Portfolio

Kartikeya Dixit
2020

This project aims to develop a signature style and a unique voice of the engineer as a working professional in the industry. The aim of this project is to mix and master several pieces of musical performances of different styles and genres. The engineer will explore different miking and post production techniques to make the artist’s vision a reality.
Chakram & Runthika Creative Collective: Bridging Cinema and Alternative Pop Audiences

Viraj R. Gandhi
2020

This project aimed to diversify the stylistic output of the artistic moniker Chakram under his burgeoning umbrella production company Runthika Creative Collective. Previously, this moniker focused on composing abstract and experimental music for the films also released under this moniker. Moving forward, this portfolio will grow to incorporate produced music from a lyrically driven EP to expand the range of audiences this moniker’s work appeals to, examples from the upcoming film, In Search of Sumitra, entitled ‘Mirror Image Neurons’ and ‘Elevator to the Dream Plane,’ a vocal single ‘Turtles,’ as well as a commissioned production ‘Evolution’ for Emily Shek, MPTI 2020. While this portfolio will retain the textural emphasis associated with previous work, its focus is to bridge the worlds of experimentalism and pop and join these often disparately categorized genres and divided audiences. Furthermore, at the crossroads of this unification, there will be a liminal space for cinephile audiences to explore the fringes of pop, while simultaneously introducing casual music listeners to accessible, yet uncanny reimaginations of lyrically driven content. Innovation occurs at the interdisciplinary confluence of two seemingly unrelated concepts, marrying pop with experimentalism is essential for the growth of both genres. This juxtaposition softens formulaic songwriting structures while utilizing the framework of established structures to allow for the diaspora of alternative music to new audiences. Ultimately, this portfolio contains a range of pieces that expand this producer’s musical skills and repertoire to unexplored territories with the challenge to package challenging and fringe artistic visions within an invitation to potential new audiences.