This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs Experiential Design Lab students take on creative briefs from Red Bull, Disney, and more, building portfolios and industry connections before they graduate.
By
Nick Balkin
August 22, 2025
Teesa D'Agostino BM '25
Image by Ryan Nava
Teesa D'Agostino BM '25 took her seat at Vienna Synchron Stage, held her breath, and listened as a 60-piece orchestra launched into her score. As her music filled the storied recording facility-a space where Marvel, Sony, and Netflix regularly capture their soundtracks-she began to hear it in an entirely new way.
Before Vienna, my music existed only as a rough pencil sketch, D'Agostino said. When the orchestra played, that sketch burst into color and transformed into a fully painted landscape. The emotions I usually feel alone while writing became real and tangible.
That larger-than-life moment set the stage for what came next for D'Agostino: licensing deals, campaign scores, and a career path that traces directly back to Berklee's Experiential Design Lab, the program that brought her to Vienna in collaboration with Red Bull.
Classroom Learning with Real-World StakesBerklee's Experiential Design Lab (EDL) puts students to the test with real-world creative briefs from industry partners like Disney, Red Bull, Splice, and more. These semester-long projects simulate the professional process from pitch to deadline, giving students credits, confidence, and career momentum before graduation.
Curated by the Career Center in collaboration with Academic Affairs, EDLs connect students with faculty mentors and industry leaders on compositions, arrangements, or productions for actual clients. The results range from orchestral recordings to live performances, and sometimes, full-time jobs.
Whenever our students get to work with the industry, it's like a huge wow' moment followed by, Okay, let's get real,' said Rodney Alejandro, dean of professional writing and music technology. Having professors involved to guide them, alongside professionals from the field, connects our curriculum directly to what's actually happening in the industry right now.
Partnering with Berklee gives us access to some of the most exciting new talent out there.Martin Brem, head of global music services, Red Bull
Professional Credits Before GraduationThe Vienna session was part of one of Berklee's most ambitious EDLs: a partnership with Red Bull Media House that tasked students with composing bold, original orchestral works for its Sounds of Red Bull series.
From hundreds of demo reels, 20 students were chosen to refine their pieces with Berklee faculty and Red Bull supervisors. Seven finalists then traveled to Vienna, where their scores were orchestrated by Bill Ross (John Williams, Whitney Houston) and Tim Davies (Frozen) and recorded in Dolby Atmos at Synchron Stage. Those recordings now live on The Orchestrals II, an album distributed worldwide through BMG Production Music.
For the students, the week was life-changing. Recording at Synchron Stage was a dream come true-it is the home of scoring giants whose footsteps I've always wished to follow, said Miles Clark BM '25. Fellow participant Rachel McFarlane BM '25 described it as a profound affirmation of my path as a composer.
Red Bull called it a win, too. At the core of our brand is the idea of giving wings to people and ideas, said Martin Brem, head of global music services. We were genuinely impressed by Berklee's student composers-their preparation, their agility with feedback, and the professionalism they showed in working with a live symphonic orchestra.
Without this opportunity, it would have been much harder to get in the door and demonstrate what I could do. Now I'm living in Miami with a full-time job doing what I love.Sim n Mart nez BM '24
Finding Confidence in Creative RiskEDLs extend beyond film and media into live performance. In one collaboration, Berklee partnered with Nu Deco Ensemble, a genre-bending chamber orchestra, to give students the chance to orchestrate for pop artist and alum Betty Who '13 at her Miami Beach Bandshell concert earlier this year.
For arranger Sim n Mart nez BM '24, one of three students selected, it was a leap from campus stages to the professional world. I had spent years preparing to write for large ensembles and hearing my work at Berklee concerts, he said. But this was different-a professional orchestra at the Miami Beach Bandshell, performing with an incredible artist like Betty Who. It truly felt like living a dream.
The project also reshaped his creative mindset. Sam Hyken, Nu Deco's artistic director, pushed him to write fearlessly and tailor his arranging to the ensemble's strengths. At Berklee, I used to hold back, worried about writing something impossible.' But Sam encouraged us to push the limits and trust the musicians.
The payoff was immediate: Hyken offered Mart nez a full-time role with Nu Deco as a writing and production associate. Without this opportunity, it would have been much harder to get in the door and demonstrate what I could do, Mart nez said. Now I'm living in Miami with a full-time job doing what I love.
What Jobs Can You Get with a Music Degree?
Explore Berklee's guide to careers in performance, songwriting, production, film scoring, business, and more. Opening Doors to IndustryOne standout project with Disney Television Animation challenged students to compose and produce original songs and scores for storyboards, learning how music drives character, pacing, and emotion in animation. The process mirrored the real industry pipeline: students worked from a professional creative brief, developed demos, received client notes, and refined their work to broa
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This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs Experiential Design Lab students take on creative briefs from Red Bull, Disney, and more, building portfolios and industry connections before they graduate.
