
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 ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
30/06/2026
Scripps Research scientists demonstrate a faster, cheaper route to making critical drugs using common table sugar New method illustrates how to build a tough ch...
29/06/2026
By Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest football tou...
29/06/2026
A new multi-country study from ESL FACEIT Group, Hero Esports, and Niko Partners estimates that 400 million Gen Z consumers regularly engage with esports, under...
29/06/2026
ESPN will mark America's 250th anniversary with a series of content initiatives across its linear, digital, and streaming platforms, including a special edi...
29/06/2026
The Esports Foundation has named OBSBOT the Official Camera and Webcam Partner for the Esports World Cup 2026, bringing the company's AI-powered imaging tec...
29/06/2026
Insight Productions has launched Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit designed specifically for esports production, live entertainment, and digital-fi...
29/06/2026
Gravity Media once again provided broadcast, streaming, and content-distribution...
29/06/2026
The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have introduced new and enhanced digita...
29/06/2026
Four-layer instrument aimed at dark electronic music
Excite Audio's latest software instrument has been designed with dark drum and bass, atmospheric te...
29/06/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
29/06/2026
Details environmental policies & results
The Focusrite Group have just announced that following a long audit process, they have published their 2026 sustain...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
CVP, one of Europes leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has announced the launch of CVP Warranty , a new extended warranty programm...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Anthropic's Claude models in Microsoft Foundry - hosted on Microsoft Azure a...
29/06/2026
Arvato Systems Achieves AWS Cloud Operations Competency
The team behind the AWS Cloud Operations Competency (from left to right: Philipp Hellmich, Johanna Bod...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
29/06/2026
Showcasing the importance of open source innovation in American AI, Palantir'...
28/06/2026
Half-size model joins Console 1 line-up
Shortly after the release of their new Flow Studio controller, Softube have announced the launch of another new surf...
28/06/2026
New EXO Series DSP control software announced
EVE Audio's EXO Series monitor range has just gained a new software element that provides remote access to...
28/06/2026
Freedman Labs Releases PrepMyMedia and ViewMyAttic for Post Production Professio...
27/06/2026
There's no doubt that you've seen the world through Amy Vincent's ey...
27/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
27/06/2026
A record 4.84 million Australians choose SBS as the Socceroos advance at FIFA Wo...
27/06/2026
Why CRAS Upgraded to Symphony I/O MK II When an audio school runs studios all day, every day, gear doesn't just need to sound good , it needs to survive rea...
27/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/06/2026
Krotos Video to Sound Plugin Now Available for Adobe Premiere Pro
Brie Clayton June 26, 2026
0 Comments
Editors can analyze footage, generate synchron...
27/06/2026
Mirai Media Elevates Digital and Broadcast Productions with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton June 26, 2026
0 Comments
Studio uses Ultimatte 12 HD and Po...
27/06/2026
DURHAM, N.C. - JUNE 26, 2026 - Lutra Cafe & Bakery has opened its first brick-and-mortar location at American Tobacco Campus after owner Chris McLaurin operated...
26/06/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
26/06/2026
Strike Fighter League (SFL), a professional air combat digital sport combining f...
26/06/2026
Wisycom has announced three new additions to its professional wireless ecosystem...
26/06/2026
Eurovision Services inaugurated an expanded Master Control Room (MCR) in Madrid on June 1, 2026, building on a broadcast hub the company has operated in the cit...
26/06/2026
Midco Sports and the University of North Dakota (UND) have announced a two-year ...
26/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall, both part of the Panoptec Technologies Group, have appointed Vutec (Pty) Ltd as exclusive distributor for their KVM and ...