A collage of graduate headshots that include Meriem Ben Amor, Hannah Crouch, Jerico Del Castillo, Mattie Diaz, Karen Watanabe, and Paul Zarvis.

Berklee Online’s Class of 2026: Lessons Conclude, and Lessons Continue

Berklee’s 2026 Commencement is taking place on May 9, which is a big deal for most graduating students, but is an especially big deal for Berklee Online students, who will be traveling to Boston from around the world. We are sharing the stories of six members of the Class of 2026, who range in age, experience, and degree programs. However, what they all share is their desire to keep on achieving, and keep on learning. 

An illustration of an open laptop, featuring the title card for Berklee Online’s YouTube interview series entitled 4/4

Eight Questions, One Conversation: Revisiting Berklee Online’s 4/4 Interview Series

What happens when you ask musicians four serious questions and four unexpected ones? Berklee Online’s 4/4 interviews deliver candid stories, creative insights, and memorable moments. From JR Robinson and Alex Isley to rising artists and esteemed Berklee instructors with a few tales to tell, this roundup revisits standout conversations from the video series.

A portrait of Berklee Online instructor Isabeau Miller framed inside of a circle, with a gray background.

Register for the Next Berklee Online Live Q&A

Have a question? Register for the next Berklee Online live Q&A, and meet the folks who advise, teach, and lead at the world’s largest online music college.

Berklee Online students waiting in line to walk at Commencement.

7 Important Things to Know for Undergraduate Commencement 2026

Are you attending Commencement 2026 in Boston? Here’s the important information Berklee Online graduates need to know for Berklee College of Music’s undergraduate Commencement weekend—key dates, tickets, regalia pickup, deadlines, and more.

Berklee Online alums Dean Vitale and Todd Urban

From Classmates to Collaborators: Dean Vitale and Todd Urban Release New EP

After graduating from Berklee Online’s Music Production master’s degree program in 2025, Dean Vitale and Todd Urban have reunited—this time as collaborators—on a new four-song EP titled Urban Sound Studio Presents “sir” Luminous and Todd Urban.

A photo of Mark Ethier, Executive Director of Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab ( also known as BEATL), where he is wearing a pink shirt and a gray sports coat.

Mark Ethier on BEATL, iZotope, and SPIN win

Before AI was controversial, Mark Ethier was building it into the tools that producers grew to love. The iZotope cofounder and SPIN Most Influential honoree now leads Berklee’s Emerging Artistic Technology Lab. In this Q&A he reflects on innovation, student skepticism, and why musicians don’t have to embrace AI, but they do need to understand it.

Kristen Long wears a bright purple shirt and stands in front of green trees.

Kristen Long on Building the Skills (and Studio) She Needed to Produce Music

When Kristen Long wanted to develop her animated children’s music series, she realized she needed more than songwriting skills—she needed production mastery. The Royal Caribbean music director returned to Berklee (via Berklee Online) to build her own studio, earn her master’s degree, and expand her creative range without stepping away from work.

Cindy Shea of Mariachi Divas wears a black jacket, a flower in her hair, and blows on her trumpet.

Cindy Shea: Grammy-Winning Mariachi Breaks Barriers and Redefines Music Education

By Ale Gil

Cindy Shea didn’t just win Grammys with the Mariachi Divas—she built a label, launched a music academy, and survived a life-threatening stroke before enrolling at Berklee Online to sharpen the skills behind her success.

Vivian Aguiar-Buff sits cross-legged and looks directly at the camera in this portrait set against a gray background.

Vivian Aguiar-Buff on Hans Zimmer, DreamWorks, and Her Emmy Win

What do Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, and Gabby’s Dollhouse have in common? Emmy-winning music supervisor Vivian Aguiar-Buff helped shape their sound. In this deep-dive interview, the Music Supervision and Film Scoring instructor reflects on her path from law school dropout to Remote Control Productions, the secrets behind music supervision, and why being part of a creative team means leaving your ego at the door.

Josh Misko headshot

Event Ticketing Is Broken. Berklee Online Alum Josh Misko Wants to Fix It.

Think concert ticketing is broken? So does Berklee Online alum Josh Misko. In 2025 he co-founded Seatfun, a live event platform challenging everything that’s wrong with ticketing. And he did this all while earning his master’s degree in Music Production. The company recently closed a multi-million-dollar funding round and launched a new, invite-only app.