
Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Annual EA Day The second annual EA Berklee Day celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship to students Carol Gao and Rachel Ray McFarlane.
By
Tori Donahue
April 10, 2024
(Center left to right) Students Carol Gao and Rachel Ray McFarlane were presented with Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarships by (left to right) Berklee Interim President and Provost David Bogen, Worldwide Executive and President at EA Music Steve Schnur, and Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon at the college's annual EA Berklee Day.
Scott Zuehlke Photography
(Left to right): Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Stephanie Economou, Natalie Holt, Nainita Desai, and Kathryn Bostic participate in a panel discussing the state of the media scoring landscape moderated by Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and president at EA Music (far left).
Scott Zuehlke Photography
Berklee and Electronic Arts (EA) celebrated the second annual EA Berklee Day Charting Change at the college's Boston campus with a day of activities, which included a panel of groundbreaking composers and musicians and the presentation of the Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship to students Carol Gao and Rachel Ray McFarlane.
As part of the EA Berklee Day celebrations, a panel of acclaimed composers including Stephanie Economou (Assassins Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnar k), Natalie Holt (Loki), Kathryn Bostic (Women of the Movement), Nainita Desai (The Deepest Breath), and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch (Living) shared their insights and expertise on working in the entertainment industry, concluding with a Q&A section with students. The panel was moderated by Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and president at EA Music, and introduced by Sean McMahon, chair of the college's Screen Scoring Department. At the panel's conclusion, all composers offered advice to students. Bostic spoke to the importance of authenticity as an artist, saying, Your voice is always changing-the constant is you.
In February 2023, the Screen Scoring Department at Berklee College of Music and EA Music announced their partnership, which will enable greater equity in the entertainment industry and world of screen scoring. Each semester, the Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship will offer one qualified woman or non-cisgender composer studying in the Screen Scoring Department the chance to not only receive a financial scholarship but to be mentored by an industry-leading team and learn how they compose, orchestrate, and arrange an original score for an EA video game title.
This year's EA Berklee Day celebrated the next generation of great composers with the current generation of great composers, said Schnur. Together we've made an unprecedented commitment to the future of music composition, and to the women who will create.
Ahead of the panel, the Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarships were awarded to Carol Gao, the fall semester recipient, and Rachel Ray McFarlane, the spring semester recipient. In a special virtual appearance, Pinar Toprak BM '00 (Captain Marvel, Fortnite, NFL Thursday Night Football) presented McFarlane's scholarship. Both students received $15,000 and professional mentorship opportunities with a team of world-class video game composers at EA after they graduate.
Gao, a native of Toronto, Canada, is double majoring in game and interactive media scoring and electronic production and design at Berklee. She is a pianist and member of the leadership board of Berklees Video Game Music Club. After graduation, she will move to Los Angeles for an internship with Sparks and Shadows Inc. While in LA, she hopes to build her career as a media composer and secure an in-house position at a game company or production house, in addition to freelance work. Gao's other passions include session playing and teaching piano, composition, and music theory.
McFarlane, also a native of Canada, is double majoring in game and interactive media scoring and film scoring at Berklee. She is currently a member of the Composer Diversity Collective and intern at Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. She currently works with Orchestral Tools, EastWest Sounds, and Spitfire Audio as a social media influencer to promote positive inclusion within the video game scoring community. After graduation, McFarlane hopes to continue elevating her skills by attending a master's program at either the University of Southern California or New York University.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa will receive honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music at its 2024 commencement ceremony.
Ron T. Young
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee 2024 Commencement The ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 11.
Latest
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship Lee, an assistant professor of composition, creates music based on unconventional and nonlinear structures that weaves together acoustic and electroacoustic mediums.
Youssou N'Dour
Image courtesy of the artist
Youssou NDour to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Valencia's 2024 Commencement The ceremony will be held on Monday, July 8.
(Center left to right) Students Carol Gao and Rachel Ray McFarlane were presented with Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarships by (left to right) Berklee Interim President and Provost David Bogen, Worldwide Executive and President at EA Music Steve Schnur, and Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon at the college's annual EA Berklee Day.
Scott Zuehlke Photography
Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Annual EA Day The second annual EA Berklee Day celebrated women in the screen scoring indust
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
26/08/2026
For large media companies, the content archive is a gold mine. There are thousands of hours of existing, high-value assets just waiting to be tapped for highlig...
26/08/2026
Ad Supported Viewing Represents 71.5% of TV in Q2
Streaming Captures Over 48% o...
26/08/2026
Charity sector ad spend reached $278 million as 44% of Australians donated to ch...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
MediaKind today announced that CNBC UK has selected Beam to modernize its contribution and distribution infrastructure, bringing greater flexibility, resilience...
26/08/2026
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, today announced the next evolution of Telestream UP, expanding the cloud-native platform introduced ...
26/08/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced its 2026 Honorees, recognizing individuals and organizations whose contrib...
26/08/2026
New solution bridges connected TV (CTV) and ecommerce to make shoppable performance advertising easier to scale for streaming platforms and broadcasters
Broadp...
26/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Recent advances in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence...
26/08/2026
How WeFX Made From's' Monsters Feel Uncomfortably Real
Brie Clayton August 26, 2026
0 Comments
From eight-foot dolls and feathered birds to R...
26/08/2026
Eleanor Roosevelt High School Elevates Student Rallies with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 26, 2026
0 Comments
Student led production team uses...
26/08/2026
K-Frame and Maverik X innovations extend familiar production control into AMPP, alongside new replay, audio, commentary and communications capabilities.
At IBC...
26/08/2026
New products continue to enable any signal, anywhere for creators...
26/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a new integrated newsroom experience with Agence France-Presse (A...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
PTZ Camera Manufacturer and FPGA Design Specialist Join Alliance to Advance IPMX and Open AV-over-IP Standards
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today...
26/08/2026
BATON offers ZOO Digital advanced audio and video quality analysis, and scalable architecture
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assuran...
26/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the continued expansion of its managed coach communications partnership with Scottish Rugby Union. Now entering its third ...
26/08/2026
Zixi brings Broadcaster V19 and showcases interoperable platform on Stand 5.A76
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will be exhib...
26/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Jeffery Kelly, the H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry at Scrip...
26/08/2026
Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Fi...
26/08/2026
BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Brie Clayton August 25, 2026
0 Comments
Award winning filmmaker Travis Henry elevat...
26/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a new integrated newsroom experience with Agence France-Presse (A...
26/08/2026
As RT marks 100 years of public service broadcasting in Ireland, today we announce a season of fresh, original content, while preparing to move into a second c...
25/08/2026
Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...
25/08/2026
NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...
25/08/2026
Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...
25/08/2026
The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...
25/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
25/08/2026
Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...
25/08/2026
FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...
25/08/2026
TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT.
Our indust...
25/08/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...
25/08/2026
Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...
25/08/2026
IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...
25/08/2026
FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...
25/08/2026
JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...
25/08/2026
Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...
25/08/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...
25/08/2026
Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...