The Contemporary Writing and Production Department provides many opportunities to develop and improve your composition, arranging, and production skills.
You will apply these skills by writing for and producing acoustic, electronic, and hybrid ensembles. You'll work in a wide range of creative settings, from small groups to orchestra. Whether these groups perform live or in recording studios, you'll have many opportunities to explore contemporary writing concepts, production techniques, and advanced notation practices.
You will gain valuable experience using digital audio workstations (DAWs), digital production suites, and your own portable laptop-based studio. You will learn how to recognize, analyze, and evaluate musical concepts of a wide variety of contemporary styles including electronic, jazz, Latin, pop, rock, musical theater, world music, and many others. You will develop the skills and knowledge to function as a professional writer, arranger, and producer for current and new media.
The Professional Writing and Music Technology Division and the Contemporary Writing and Production Department organize a series of faculty and student concerts, showcasing their compositions and arrangements. A series of prestigious awards and tuition credits are given to our most meritorious students in both the fall and spring semesters.
We support our students in their journey as they expand their skills and experiences in composing, orchestrating, and producing music in contemporary styles and encourage them to find and develop their own artistic voice.
—Contemporary Writing and Production
About the department
Our Programs
Our Faculty
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Abe, Tsunenori
Associate Professor -
Professor -
Dave Green
Associate Professor -
Image by Jandro Cisneros
Assistant Professor -
Assistant Professor -
Associate Professor -
Yossi Zwecker
Associate Professor -
Professor Emeritus -
Image by Amparo Edo Biol
Chair -
Image by Alyssa Wang
Assistant Professor -
Assistant Professor -
Ryan Goss
Rene Hermer
Assistant Professor -
Image by Martin Chalifour
Associate Professor -
Professor -
Phil Farnsworth
Associate Professor -
Image by Tim Hall, Roslindale
Associate Professor -
Phil Farnsworth
Associate Professor -
Photo provided by the artist
Artistic Director of Mediterranean Music Institute -
Image by Sarah Kruczynski
Assistant Professor -
Associate Professor -
Associate Professor -
Monica Cohen
Assistant Professor -
Professor Emeritus -
Assistant Chair -
Kelly Davidson
Professor -
Assistant Professor -
Dave Green
Professor -
Professor -
Millicent Harvey
Associate Professor -
Associate Professor -
Joel Benjamin
Assistant Professor -
Image by Penélope Santana
Assistant Professor -
Assistant Professor -
Photo by Phil Farnsworth
Professor -
Associate Professor -
Phil Farnsworth
Associate Professor
Facilities
Contemporary Writing and Production students have access to our state-of-the-art technology labs, production suites, studios, and classrooms.
Production Suites
Berklee production suites are designed for a composition and production paradigm, with each suite offering a MIDI keyboard and access to various sample libraries.
Technology Labs
Technology Labs support teaching music production and provide additional software and instrument libraries, integrating student laptops and mobile devices at each station.
Studios
Berklee's studios are designed to provide a professional studio experience within an educational environment, facilitating a wide range of studio experiences to support Berklee's curriculum.