From Berklee Valencia to the World: Meet the Class of 2024

Roy Benshimol

Program: Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration)
Hometown: Holon, Israel

Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what would be your proudest achievement or project, and your most memorable experience?

As I graduate, my goal is clear: to thrive as a versatile musician, performer, and cultural ambassador. I see myself not only performing but also touring, sharing my cultural heritage through music globally. Moreover, I aim to refine my skills as an arranger and music producer, utilizing my education to craft creative compositions.

During my time at Berklee Valencia, I've gained crucial insights into planning, organizing, and executing musical projects. These lessons will be invaluable as I navigate the music industry and pursue my aspirations.

As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?

When reflecting on my time at Berklee Valencia, I hold my Culminating Experience (C.E.) project in high regard. It was the pinnacle of my master's program journey, driven by a strong desire to reconnect with my heritage, inspired by the melodies my grandmother recorded in the late '80s. These songs encapsulated the essence of my tradition, motivating me to preserve and share it with others.

Crafting arrangements for these cherished tunes wasn't just an academic exercise—it was a deeply meaningful endeavor. It allowed me to blend my artistic vision with a respectful homage to my ancestors. Witnessing these arrangements come to life on the prestigious stage of the Royal Reina Sofia Conservatory in Madrid was an incredibly gratifying experience. It underscored the enduring power of music and its ability to transcend time and space.

Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?

Keep yourself open to learning from different cultures and music styles—they can truly enrich your artistic journey. Stick to what you love and dream about, but always be ready to adapt and keep an open mind when you encounter challenges or new opportunities. Make the most of the resources and facilities you can find on campus, such as studio hours, practice rooms, and counseling services. Don't hesitate to ask for guidance or collaborate with others. Explore Spain! It's a beautiful country, and I wish I had explored it more. Most importantly, have faith in your skills and believe in your music and talent.

Follow Roy on Instagram or YouTube, or visit his website.

Mallika Guhan

Program: Global Entertainment and Music Business
Hometown: Montreal, Canada

Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what would be your proudest achievement or project, and your most memorable experience?

One of my most memorable experiences: the people I’ve met. It’s so rare to be around this many people who have dedicated their lives to working in music, whether on the scoring side, or as a songwriter, producer, or on the music business side. The connections you form from seeing each other every day in the hallways to regularly collaborating is something that will stick with you forever—it’s such a vibe.

Another memorable experience was getting to test my leadership and management skills in a more formal capacity through my role as label manager/CEO at Disrupción Records. I think it’s such a unique experience to get to work in a role like this for a year, trying out new ideas and building something with a community of people who are just as passionate about music and culture as you are. We had a really strong team and did some innovative work in such a short amount of time. I learned so much from this experience personally and professionally!

As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?

This year at Berklee Valencia was really affirming for me. My time here has made me feel a lot more confident through the skills I’ve developed and the resources and insights I’ve gained. It has given me a clear picture of the music industry and where it is heading, as well as where I fit within it. Due to the fast-paced environment, I’ve also learned to work smarter, and I have a good understanding of my strengths and areas I need to improve on.

My aspirations moving forward are to work as a marketing manager or label manager/project manager for a music label or company. I also plan to continue growing my own label and artist management company, behave.

Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?

Based on my experience, my advice is: Prepare yourself mentally for a busy and challenging year. I would also say don’t forget to take breaks and have fun, too. Valencia is a beautiful city–the beach is so nice and the people you’ll meet here are lovely. For as much hard work as you put into growing your career, take advantage of the scenery and the opportunities around you to disconnect from class work even if it’s small pockets of time here and there. At one point earlier this year, I wasn’t doing that enough and my experience was vastly different from the one I’m having now. Finding your own rhythm and balance is key.

Follow Mallika on Instagram @behave.wav, @mallisound, and LinkedIn.

Kyler Hamilton

Program: Music Production, Technology, and Innovation
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what would be your proudest achievement or project, and your most memorable experience?

At the risk of sounding cliche, my C.E project, which aims to diversify the musical palette within Christian music, has pushed my musical skills and prowess to their limits and is personally the greatest achievement in my musical career so far. The project, which resulted in a seven-song EP with a different genre of music for each song (Afrobeat, R&B, rock, classical, hip-hop, electronic, and jazz), has allowed me to conquer new territory in my artistry and exposed me to new possibilities in my career that I could never have imagined before. I am very satisfied with the outcome of all my hard work and what I’ve learned from it. However, my most memorable experience at Berklee actually happened during the fall semester, when I was chosen to represent Berklee at the International Writers Camp held at the Conservatorium Haarlem. It was there, among only three other Berklee peers, that I built my most intimate and trustworthy friendships for the rest of the school year.

As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?

I am super excited to start my entrepreneurial journey after graduating from Berklee. The rigorous course schedule and deadlines have filled me with more than enough confidence to surpass the hardest step, which is starting. Alongside my best friend, we will be starting an audio and video production company in Memphis, Tennessee, called Monitor Master Media. Berklee has not only given me technical skills for quality work, but has sharpened my soft skills, which has allowed me to build a reliable team that can handle large-scale projects for collaborating with other companies.

Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?

At the beginning of the school year, Berklee shared a video with my incoming class. The thing that stuck out to me in that video was probably the most helpful advice I could have received, and that is: “Don’t wait to do your assignments!” Having a week to do your assignments seems like plenty of time; however, when you’re taking six classes, that time quickly disappears. So my advice is to schedule, schedule, schedule!

Follow Kyler on Instagram.

Shiva Mohammadi

Program: Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games
Hometown: Tabriz, Iran 

Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what would be your proudest achievement or project, and your most memorable experience?

For sure, it was having the chance to record at Air Lyndhurst Studios, one of the best recording studios for film music, in which some of the composers I’ve admired since I was a child have recorded their music. This was a big opportunity, which I was really excited about even before coming to Valencia and which felt like a fairy tale coming true.

I truly believe that I gained a deeper comprehension of the complex interrelationship between music and visual narrative as a result of this project. Hearing my music, which I dedicated days and nights to composing, played by some of the best musicians in the world, could be the moment I was most proud of myself and what I achieved in this program.

As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?

My main aspiration is to work in the field of film scoring, which I feel the most connection with. This program got us ready to work in almost any field related to composition for media by recreating the workload demanded by this industry throughout the year. This improved my ability to deal with different projects at the same time and to manage strict deadlines. Furthermore, having the chance to meet and talk with film composers who are currently active and involved in different projects helped me appreciate the industry and the way things move in it in a more realistic way.

Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?

My advice for future students is that, to make the most of it, they should be aware that they are getting immersed in an environment where skills and experience can be acquired from everyone. Of course faculty is a main source of information, but students, staff and other people from the scene are also going to supply you with knowledge. Building a strong network of people with whom you can cooperate  is an enriching experience and will also lead to lasting friendships.

Follow Shiva on Instagram, YouTube, and Soundcloud.