Sounds of Berklee

Goose's live act attracts a devoted following—and the band's studio work highlights the sharp songs that spark their legendary jams. So on this summer edition of the podcast, we're exploring both sides of the Goose experience, from the studio to the stage, and hearing from the band as well as their fans along the way. Episode credits: Produced, engineered, and edited by John Mirisola Coproduced by Bryan Parys Theme music by Sleeping Lion Media excerpted (all songs by Goose, available at goosetheband.bandcamp.com): "The Whales" and "Feel It Now" from '2023​/​07​/​06 Thompson's Point, Portland, ME' "Hungersite" from 'Live at the Salt Shed' "Dripfield," "Arrow," "Honeybee," and "Hot Tea" from 'Dripfield' Enjoy the show? Have thoughts or questions for the Sounds of Berklee team? Let us know at soundspodcast@berklee.edu.

The Berklee student and Boston Calling–bound indie folk artist explores how discovering songwriting and a supportive queer community led to deeper self-discovery.

"Electro-symphonic” composer David Ibbett breaks down his process for turning scientific data into musical notes.

The alum and leader of Illuminati Hotties discusses the long road to her latest album and how her work as a producer gave her the confidence to finish the record. [Image by Courtney Cole]

Composer Ray Soul takes us behind the making of his track, "Seu Aprendiz," which is an honest, moving, and cathartic reckoning with his mother's suicide.

The author and trumpeter discusses his new book, which features intimate interviews with jazz greats from Bertha Hope to Robert Glasper. The book and its companion album shine a light on how personal history is cultural history.

There are three hashtags at the bottom of the YouTube page for the song "Outliers," by the band Aviations. The first two are #aviationsband and #progressivemetal—pretty standard. But the last one is a bit surprising: #cozymetal. In this episode of Sounds of Berklee, the band's drummer, James Knoerl B.M. '15 talks about why you might want to curl up with cup of tea when listening to this 11-minute prog metal epic . Take a listen.

Michela McDonagh B.M. '19, who goes by the artist name MHIC (pronounced “Mick"), remembers sensing the uneasiness in the air just before lockdown began in Manhattan, where she worked while living at home with her parents on Long Island. The ambient tension made her think about how her generation, the last to have a memory of 9/11, was brought up in an anxious world and is graduating into a particularly distressed moment.

The Turkish guitarist and producer shares his musical arrangement of a poem by the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

The long-time Berklee faculty member talks imagination, her opera 'Rumpelstiltskin,' composing without computers, and more. Note to listeners: this episode refers to a planned performance of 'Rumpelstiltskin' at the Kennedy Center that has now been canceled.

The Berklee alumna discusses her shift from instrumentalist to singer/songwriter, her love of sad music, and how translating lyrics can be a metaphor for making music in general.

The Berklee student, already a successful jazz pianist and composer at 18, talks to the BIRN about exploring new musical territory.

Amanda Addleman B.M. '09 always assumed she had stage fright, but after years of not being able to shake it she sought help and learned that she had something else: post-traumatic stress disorder. In this episode of Sounds of Berklee, she talks about how PTSD affected her career and how she used music, including writing a new album, to work through it.

In this episode, Kris Davis breaks down her song, "Corn Crake," and how it brought together jazz improvisation, turntables, and the voice of Olivier Messiaen.

The alumnus goes behind the scenes of some of 2019’s top releases, including Bon Iver's 'i, i' and Big Thief's 'U.F.O.F' and 'Two Hands.' We also asked Sarlo to curate a collection of some of the most memorable tracks he’s produced over the years. Listen and read see what Sarlo had to say about each track he selected on Berklee Now: https://www.berklee.edu/news/berklee-now/andrew-sarlos-big-year-producing-bon-iver-big-thief-and-more Theme music by Sleeping Lion.

Award-winning Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana B.M. '09 talks about the inspiration for her latest album, struggles she has faced in her artistic journey, and how she stays at the top of her game.

In this episode, Pedro Osuna talks about deadlines, working in L.A., and finding his compositional voice.

Hawkins recruited a team of Berklee alumni, former students, and others to write and build the song "Champagne" using the online collaboration platform Splice. Here's how they put the song together.

Take a moment to clear your mind with the alumna synth composer's organic, meditative music, featured on this episode of Sounds of Berklee. This episode features music from "Abstractions," “Tides VII,” and “Tides I” by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. For more information, visit touchtheplants.com.

Leah Driscoll B.M. '03, director of Student Wellness Promotion and Services, and student Lyzz Zinn discuss mental health tips and resources for musicians.

Even if you've never heard of shoegaze, there's a good chance some of your favorite artists are fans. With a focus on heavily effected guitars and ethereal vocals, the underground rock genre came to prominence and was critically panned in the '90s. But the genre and its influence has made a comeback. In this episode, we look at the implications of that return and why the underground plays a vital role in music.

The legendary 'In Utero' producer engineered the Cotones’ “The Final Cut” and dropped priceless studio wisdom in Berklee’s Studio 2. Listen to the track premiere on Sounds of Berklee.

Niu Raza, a Berklee alumna and Madagascar native, gets audiences to dance with her pop track "Moramora."

“Great Escape,” the new single by Jackie Foster B.M. '18, has all the trademarks of a classic pop summer anthem: life-affirming lyrics, high sing-along factor, and a killer hook. It’s hard to believe a track that feels so destined to be heard blasting from rolled-down car windows was written during a low point in the singer’s career. Recorded by Tony Brown Engineered by Darcy Davis Theme music by Sleeping Lion

Recorded shortly after his soundcheck at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Kishi Bashi talks about the genesis of his new album (and an upcoming film) 'Omoiyari,' his approach to telling difficult stories as a songwriter, and much more. (Image by Max Ritter)

The Ruta Beggars, a student bluegrass band from Berklee, share "The Trains Don't Run No More in Boston," a song inspired by the MBTA.

Oakland-born singer Dalaun (Jordan Holly B.M. ’17) sings with the laid-back confidence of a seasoned R&B star on her first single, "Beggin.'" Catch her at BAMS Fest (https://www.bamsfest.org) on Saturday, June 22. Engineered by Tony Brown Edited by Darcy Davis Theme music by Sleeping Lion

After graduating from Berklee's film scoring program in Valencia, Spain, Félix Carcone M.M. '15 co-created the highly successful game The Live Thriller in Paris. He tells us why it's been such a hit, and we take a listen to the theme song.

Shirly Spikes, an electronic production and design major and CEO of Virtuo Studios, shares her insights into the rapidly evolving industry of virtual reality and its potential to transform music education. Theme music 'You Made Me' by Sleeping Lion.

In this episode, we hear a soulful track from rapper, singer, and producer Myia Thornton, a current student studying music production and engineering. Thornton recently brought her skills to the 2019 commencement concert, where she covered a couple Missy Elliott tunes while Elliott herself was in the audience.

Buck Meek B.M. ’10 discusses returning to Berklee on tour with Jeff Tweedy, writing and recording with Big Thief, how a surreal encounter with Joni Mitchell helped him finish his song “Halo Light," and more. Image by Shervin Lainez.

Dancer and choreographer, Ebony Williams (B.F.A. '05, contemporary dance), noted for her work with Beyoncé, was recently honored with an Alumni Achievement Award. She talks here about her road to a dance career and how she uses stories to inform her choreography. (Image by Nikita Alba)

Berklee alumna Nella Rojas muses on solitude with a Latin beat in the title track from her upcoming album.

Listen to Hakim’s slow-burning single, "Bet She Looks Like You,” ahead of his April 19 show at the Red Room at Cafe 939. Engineered by Zanne Hanna Edited by Darcy Davis

As a player and an educator, Berklee's new Guitar Department chair balances deep roots in tradition with stylistically diverse collaborations. Visit kimperlak.com for links to more music by Kim Perlak and the Perlak/Tronzo Duo.

Bands ranging from Americana and jazz to Berklee’s Balkan Choir and Indian Ensemble reimagined Metallica songs for Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Center Stage dance concert, 'Limitless,' April 11–14. Visit bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/centerstage for tickets and more information.

Berklee and Women in Music recently released the first-ever study of women working in the music industry. Erin Barra, who helmed the project, and researcher Becky Prior delve into the report's process, its findings, and how the industry can do better.

Alumnae folk trio Lula Wiles—featuring Eleanor Buckland '15, Isa Burke B.M. '16, and Mali Obomsawin '14—craft songs steeped in folk traditions, but with a raw and modern perspective. Listen to the ethereal triple harmonies in their ballad of heartbreak, "Love Gone Wrong."

Molsky's Mountain Drifters Search for a 'Bright Side Somewhere' by Berklee College of Music

Krystal Banfield, who leads Berklee City Music, talks with Stefanie Henning of the Career Center about how City Music helps disadvantaged young people develop musically while at the same time giving them an artistic community to thrive in.

Grammy-winning Brazilian vocalist and songwriter Luciana Souza B.M. ‘88, a featured performer at Larry Klein Meets Berklee on February 21, sets music to poetry on her latest album, The Book of Longing.

As Boston Conservatory at Berklee prepares to stage 'Hydrogen Jukebox,' a chamber opera collaboration between composer Philip Glass and poet Allen Ginsberg, director Nathan Troup shares his vision for adapting the experimental piece for today’s audience.

The incoming Woodwind Department chair’s versatility and lyricism are on full display in his new band, co-led with guitarist Matthew Stevens B.M. ’04. The band’s album was released on Whirlwind Recordings, owned by renowned bassist and composer Michael Janisch B.M. ’02.

Veteran Chinese music producer Billy Koh shares the insights he's gleaned from four decades working in the industry.

As we break for the holiday recess, 'Sounds of Berklee' flips the mic to our student engineer, Darcy Davis, whose band of fellow Berklee students, Lonely Path, just released their first single, "Continuum" on Spotify. Take a listen to the energetic, funked-up song and see if you're not humming that chorus all week.

The assistant chair of Berklee's Music Business/Management Department offers her practical, tough-love wisdom on making it in today’s industry.

Berklee Indian Ensemble Brings "Untold Stories" to Life by Berklee College of Music

Berklee's fall events calendar is stuffed full of senior recitals—each one telling its own story from showing up on campus with one idea, to graduating with many more to draw on. Here, three of those students share how they went about creating their final show at Berklee.

Berta Rojas and Paquito D'Rivera's Dia y Medio sprang from their four-year tour across the Americas. Here, we listen to "Las Abejas." Catch their Signature Series performance at Berklee on November 15.

Silkroad artists Cristina Pato, Galician bagpipes, and Edward Perez, double bass, discuss the collective's vision for education and its collaboration with Boston Conservatory at Berklee. And we listen to their song "Joropo-Festejo: Muiñeira de Chantada” from Pato’s album Latina, arranged by Perez.

Keyboard wunderkind and performance major Domi Degalle (a.k.a. DOMi) teams up with multi-instrumentalist Louis Cole (of KNOWER) for the synth and live-loop driven "Dark Webb," the first of a three-song collaboration.