From Berklee Valencia to the World: Meet the Class of 2025, Part 2
Verônica Gesteira Souza
Program: Music Production, Technology, and Innovation
Country: Brazil
Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what were your proudest achievement or project and your most memorable experience?
Being surrounded by such incredible people and artists has been the experience of a lifetime. Having the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with my fellow students and the faculty was truly an honor. Every class, every project—I’ll carry those moments with me forever.
If I had to choose a single highlight, it would be my Culminating Experience (CE) project: a synthesizer that merges generative AI with granular synthesis. It was a deeply meaningful project for me, and I’m especially proud that it was selected through an open call to be featured in a collaborative performance at Sónar Festival in Barcelona. That recognition—and the chance to share my work in such a respected setting—was truly unforgettable.
As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?
Berklee has absolutely strengthened my skill set and given me the confidence to keep pursuing my career as a recording and mixing engineer, as well as a researcher in music and technology. It’s a challenging path, but I feel more motivated than ever.
Beyond technical and academic growth, Berklee has helped reinforce something I’ve always believed in: the importance of enjoying the journey. While I aspire to build a successful and fulfilling career, what drives me most is the process itself! Being part of the Berklee community was an incredibly joyful and motivating part of that journey.
Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?
My biggest piece of advice would be: embrace every opportunity to collaborate. I'm a very collaboration-driven person, and working with such a diverse and talented group of artists was absolutely central to my experience.
While classes will take up a good portion of your time, the chance to create and connect with people from all over the world—each bringing their own artistic background and vision—is something truly unique to this environment. You’ll never again be in this exact space with this exact group of people, so make the most of it. Be open, be curious, and say “yes” as often as you can.
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Auriyan Tillman
Program: Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration)
Country: United States
Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what were your proudest achievement or project and your most memorable experience?
My proudest achievement would be getting the opportunity to be a part of the Berklee Holiday Video. It was such a beautiful project and an honor to represent Berklee Valencia.
My most memorable moment would be the first time I performed at Un Lagos de Conciertos. It was the first time performing for Berklee and with my band solTRAK., and I didn’t realize that it would lead to us gaining so many more opportunities after.
As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?
My dream is to be a world-renowned contemporary jazz vocalist and composer. When I first came to Berklee, I didn’t believe that I could compose my own songs, and now I’m leaving Berklee with a 10-song album that I fully composed myself. So, Berklee has contributed tremendously to my growth as an artist.
Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?
My advice to incoming Berklee students and graduates is to just be yourself no matter where you are. Always stay true to who you are.
Also, be kind and be open to working with as many musicians and producers as you possibly can because being here is all about building relationships for future opportunities.
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Tunmi Fawole
Program: Global Entertainment and Music Business
Country: Nigeria
Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what were your proudest achievement or project and your most memorable experience?
I had numerous proud moments here at Berklee Valencia and they have all been times that I pushed myself beyond what I believed I was capable of. From all of these moments, serving as the label manager for Disrupción Records stands out as a defining moment. In this role, I had the opportunity to collaborate with incredibly talented artists and music business professionals across diverse genres and regions. Working with these amazing professionals and artists taught me a lot about responsibility, leadership, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Other notable moments include being a part of the winning team during fall semester's Innovation Week, getting to speak to the legendary John Legend, and simply being surrounded by a vibrant, multicultural community, every day. It was a special year!
As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?
My aspiration has always been to support independent creatives, particularly in emerging markets. Berklee Valencia has been the launchpad I needed for that mission. While I came in with some professional experience, I needed a space to grow, reflect, and gain a truly global perspective. This program has provided that, exposing me to the nuances of the global music industry and how these intersect with local markets. As I move forward in my career, I am excited to keep learning and exploring new sounds and genres, all in an effort to create meaningful impact within the music business.
Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?
Challenge yourself. Step outside your comfort zone and allow yourself to grow through the process. Things can feel overwhelming at times, but you will get through it. Berklee won't hand everything to you, but it will show you the many ways to succeed in this ever-evolving industry—the rest is up to you. Be prepared to do the work. And don't forget to enjoy the experience, meet people, and make connections.
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Nick Adams
Program: Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games
Country: United States
Reflecting on your time at Berklee Valencia, what were your proudest achievement or project and your most memorable experience?
For my proudest achievement, I have the same answer that I imagine many of my classmates would have: recording at Air Studios in London. I put a great amount of work into composing my piece for that recording, and to hear it in that fantastic room being played by some of the best studio musicians in the world, while getting to share that with all of my classmates, was an incredible experience that resulted in an amazing final recording.
While London seems like an easy pick for my most memorable moment, I would have to say that what I will remember most of my time here at Berklee is the incredible relationships I built with my classmates and professors. It may not be one defining moment to remember, but when I think of Berklee I will remember them more than anything else. My classmates—who I am so lucky to call my friends—and I spent many nights hanging out, doing homework, and making music, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world.
As you graduate, what are your aspirations and how do you believe Berklee Valencia has prepared you for the future?
As I leave Berklee and head off into the professional world, I hope to write music and create sound design for video games. I also aim to open my own gaming studio so that I can make games of my own design with other impassioned, skilled, and creative people for a long time to come.
I feel that Berklee has prepared me well for this goal. In the 10 months I have been here, I feel as though I have gone from someone with a computer and composition knowledge to an individual ready to have a creative voice and be a genuine working professional in the industry I have dreamed about since I was a child. I have been taught every skill I can think to need for my journey, and been thoroughly prepared to think on my feet to take on any other challenges that could come my way. I am excited to see what is next and am confident I can handle it, thanks to my professors and classmates.
Finally, what advice would you like to share with future Berklee Valencia graduates now that you have lived the experience?
My advice to any Berklee Valencia student is to get out there. Go to the hangouts, spend time with your classmates, take advantage of every opportunity to be around them and build those bonds. You only have about 10 months to see them every day and that time will pass quickly.
I understand well that deadlines are strict, workloads are high, and the tasks given to you by the professors may seem monumental, but there is nothing more valuable here than the sense of community that comes from taking on each seemingly impossible task alongside the people who are right there with you. You will learn so much from them as they will from you. To me, the greatest thing about Berklee is how it brings like-minded individuals together who are at the same stage in life that you are. Be a part of that as much as you possibly can, and you will learn more here than you ever could without it.