Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Carla Patullo Howls and Heals on Grammy-Nominated Ambient Album

19/01/2024

Carla Patullo Howls and Heals on Grammy-Nominated Ambient Album On So She Howls, the film composer, songwriter, and alum guides listeners through a cycle of healing that chronicles her experience with a life-threatening illness.

By

Bryan Parys

January 18, 2024

Image courtesy of Carla Patullo

When composer and songwriter Carla Patullo B.M. '01, M.M. '13 was young, her grandmother often sang to her. With that singing came a reminder of the cycles of life, of what it gives, takes, and returns to us. She used to tell me, Record this [singing] on a little tape recorder, because when I pass, I want you to have this so you can listen to me and remember me,' Patullo said.

The image of the tape ribbon, winding and rewinding itself around its spool, is a powerful one, and not just because of how it preserved her grandmother's voice. The memory of those tapes would help Patullo rediscover her own voice as she fought through a nearly three-year cancer battle, emerging with So She Howls, which earned a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album.

In the early stages of treatment, Patullos primary focus was survival, with all the ups and downs that entailed-she wasn't thinking about her career or her art at all. As the months went on, however, she found herself needing to vocalize. Its funny how music circles back, she said. I began howling. I call it that because I didnt have any lyrics, and I had no motivation to write lyrics in the beginning. So, I just started like, you know, singing.

During her treatment and recovery, this singing served a primal, deeply personal need. But at some point, she remembered her grandmother's lessons, and thought, I should really just go and press record.

I hope that people can feel . . . me finding my voice again.

- Carla Patullo B.M. 01, M.M. 13

These were the first breaths of what would become So She Howls, an ambient collection of nine songs that feature those original vocal recordings, alongside contributions from the Scorchio Quartet, vocal ensemble Tonality, and violinist Lili Haydn. The album's instrumentation is rich in swelling synth textures and warm string arrangements, while the vocals soar and haunt, calling to mind the more cinematic side of Sigur R s. And much like that Icelandic band's early albums, where vocals eschew the use of lyrics, So She Howls is largely wordless. The first discernible lyrics dont emerge until track six.

That pacing was a conscious choice. She wanted the album's narrative to reflect the experience of finding herself through healing. The last track on the album does have lyrics, and I think thats because I finally got to this place where I could sing and articulate more what Im saying. she said. So I hope that people can feel . . . me finding my voice again.

More Than One Way to Tell a StoryThe way the narrative is felt rather than told speaks to Patullo's skill as a songwriter as well as a film and TV composer. As an undergraduate at Berklee, she studied songwriting, and 12 years later she returned to study film, TV, and video game scoring at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain. Now an award-winning composer, she's worked on a range of documentaries, feature films, and shorts that often align with her passion for supporting women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. Most recently, her work can be heard in Maxine, a short film from Disney+ starring Margaret Cho.

Each discipline has helped her build a sustainable career both as a multimedia composer and a solo artist, and she views storytelling as the thread that weaves together her dual interests. But while writing her own songs had always come naturally, composing for other collaborators was an interest she first discovered while working with the comedian and musician Sandra Bernhard. Working with her was interesting because it was the first time for me to take someone elses story and see it from a different perspective, Patullo said. That led me to film scoring, because all of a sudden I was just so receptive to these other stories and not just writing about my own personal story.

She enrolled at Berklee Valencia to help her gain the skills she felt she was missing. By the time I got to Berklee Valencia, I felt like an underdog in the class, because I didnt have some of those film scoring skills that some of my classically trained classmates had, she said. But it was so fun. And Ive been loving orchestrating and getting into this cinematic sound, which I really found to be something that resonates deeply with me. Her professor, Laura Karpman, who recently scored the feature film The Marvels, helped her land her first scoring job in Los Angeles, where Patullo now resides and runs her own in-home studio.

Balancing the Professional and the PersonalOne way that Patullo balances her musical passions is to try to give herself at least an hour a day to work on her own art. But as she points out, both practices feed and nourish the other. Her songwriting gives her composition work a more defined sense of voice, and the scoring provides her personal work a wider sonic palette-something that is very much on display on So She Howls.

Patullo's life and career is full of this looping back to help her move forward. She hopes that by sharing her journey, even through howling, people will feel less alone-especially if they're experiencing the isolation that a difficult period can bring.

We go through these cycles of healing, and we go back and we remember things, and then we close down, and then we open up, and its like this circle, she said. And I hope the album from start to finish can help guide people on that.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

15 of the Best Cover Songs (and Why They Work) From Fast Car to Ring of Fire, there's no formula to making a
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/carla-patullo-howls-and-heals...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

27/04/2026

CES Power Acquires Three Ireland-Based Businesses

CES Power, a provider of infrastructure for live events, has announced the acquisition of three Ireland-based businesses: GH Energy Rental Ltd, Event Power, and...

27/04/2026

Fubo to Launch Multiview on Select LG TVs Ahead of 2026 Football Season

FuboTV Inc. has announced it is developing its Multiview feature for the Fubo streaming service on select LG TVs, including 2024, 2025, and newer 4K and 8K mode...

27/04/2026

Shade Raises $14 Million in Funding Round Led by Khosla Ventures

Shade, a file management platform for creative teams, has announced a $14 million funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, br...

27/04/2026

AES to Present Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition on April 30

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition - Immersive Audio in All Flavors - on April 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ...

27/04/2026

DAZN Launches DAZN48 Creator Program for FIFA World Cup 2026

DAZN has announced DAZN48, a creator program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will recruit 48 creators - one representing each of the 48 qualified nations - to ...

27/04/2026

FloSports Acquires Streaming Rights to Four CrossFit Events

FloSports has announced exclusive streaming rights to four CrossFit competitions: Legends Del Mar: CrossFit Semi-Finals, Magic City Games, NorCal Classic, and t...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: Telestream Pulse Named NAB Show 2026 Product of the Year for Monitoring and Measuring

Telestream has announced that Pulse, its software-defined test and measurement p...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: Shade Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Shade has announced it is a Cloud Computing and Storage winner in the 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Winners were selected by a panel of industry exp...

27/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Kelsey Kjeldsen, Senior Director and Video Ads Platform Lead, DTC Products, Tech, and Operations, NBA

Leading the NBA's video-ads platform, this Penn State grad is at the forefro...

27/04/2026

DAZN Extends T100 Triathlon World Tour Rights to Africa

DAZN has expanded its international broadcast rights for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to include Africa. All races from the T100 calendar will be available for...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: NAB Show Announces 2026 Project and Product of the Year Award Winners

NAB Show has announced the recipients of its 2026 Project of the Year and Product of the Year Awards at a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Each wi...

27/04/2026

DIRECTV Launches on Meta Quest Headsets as Sports Season Heats Up

DIRECTV has launched on Meta Quest headsets, becoming the first MVPD to offer live TV through the platform. The timing coincides with the stretch run of the MLB...

27/04/2026

TBL Team Boxing League and MSG Networks Announce Broadcast Partnership

TBL Team Boxing League has announced a broadcast agreement with MSG Networks to air all remaining Season 4 fights live across MSG's television and digital p...

27/04/2026

Audio Exhibitors Showcase New Platforms, Innovative Solutions for Complex Issues

IP integration, interoperability, growth of intercommunications were key concerns for vendors and visitors alike Attendees at the recently concluded 2026 NAB S...

27/04/2026

Behind The Mic: Kenny Beecham to Launch NBA Radio Show on SiriusXM; Mike Tomlin to Join NBC Pregame Show

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

27/04/2026

On the Show Floor, the Microphone Is Still the Place Where Audio Begins

A pro-audio emphasis, spectrum changes, and on-field audio mark the new products and enhancements to existing offerings Microphones remain the primary point of...

27/04/2026

NAB Show 2026 In Review: Our Complete Collection of Video Interviews with Industry Thought Leaders

The Sports Video Group team was all over the NAB Show floor out in Las Vegas las...

27/04/2026

Svenska artister genererade nra 2 miljarder kronor frn Spotify under 2025

N r Spotify grundades f r 20 r sedan dominerades musikmarknaden av illegal nedladdning. Sedan dess har streaming bidragit till att teruppr tta betalningsvilja...

27/04/2026

Introducing Fitness With Spotify: A New Way to Bring Movement Into Your Daily Routine

Time on Spotify should feel meaningful and intentional, not something that slips...

27/04/2026

Brainworx release bx_tonebox

New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...

27/04/2026

Desert Island Boom Set from Schoeps

Kit includes supercardioid & shotgun capsules High-end mic manufacturer Schoeps have recently introduced another member of their Desert Island Set family. O...

27/04/2026

Sound Skulptor introduce the LA502T

LA2A-inspired 500-series module arrives Sound Skulptor have announced the upcoming launch of a new 500-series module that aims to recreate one of the most p...

27/04/2026

Stam Audio announce the SA-4000+

SSL-inspired compressor unit upgraded Stam Audio are well known for their painstaking recreations of vintage audio gear, with their extensive product range ...

27/04/2026

Study: Local TV Political Ad Spend to Top $4 billion in 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

27/04/2026

Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year Award at NAB 2026

Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year A...

27/04/2026

Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflows

Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflo...

27/04/2026

Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD Monitor

Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD ...

27/04/2026

Custom Consoles Completes Large Module-R MCR Desk and Med...

Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large Module-R desk and MediaWall monitor display mount for an expanded master control room at Gravity Medias West...

27/04/2026

Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot NVMe M.2 SSD Enclosure

Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot N...

27/04/2026

Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Damin Szifron starring Leonardo Sbaraglia

Back to All News Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Dami n Szifron s...

27/04/2026

Red Seat Ventures Announces Exclusive Multiyear Partnership with Kill Tony

Red Seat Ventures Announces Exclusive Multiyear Partnership with Kill Tony The Company is the New Monetization and Distribution Home for the Globally Popula...

27/04/2026

RT 2FM launches nationwide quest for next superstar DJ to play Forbidden Fruit Festival

RT 2FM is calling on aspiring DJs across Ireland to take their shot at the spot...

27/04/2026

RT is Supporting 32 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this May

RT continues to champion Ireland's creative life this May, supporting a broad range of festivals, exhibitions and performances across music, theatre, liter...

26/04/2026

Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), An Incisive Chronicle of a Second-in-Command

Back to All News Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), A...

26/04/2026

'Nine Queens,' Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts Production

Back to All News Nine Queens, Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts ...

25/04/2026

Spotify and Vogue Celebrate Music and Culture in Mexico City

In the heart of Mexico City, music, culture, and fashion converged last night as Spotify and Vogue Latin America welcomed guests to an intimate gathering at Soh...

25/04/2026

Brainworx introduce bx_tonebox

New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...

25/04/2026

Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of Show for Scheduling Optimization

Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of ...

25/04/2026

SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026

SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 24, 2026 0 Comments Compact modular set ideal for location sound ...

25/04/2026

Berklee Africana Studies Hosts Gospel Extravaganza 2026

Berklee Africana Studies Hosts Gospel Extravaganza 2026 The Signature Series event will honor three new inductees to the Berklee Gospel Hall of Fame and celeb...

25/04/2026

Student Spotlight: Siva

Student Spotlight: Siva Maja Gierszewska, who performs under the artist name Siva, shares how she found her songwriting confidence at Berklee. April 24, 2026...

25/04/2026

WNBA Offers Free Streaming of all Preseason Games

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/04/2026

Churchill Downs Inc. Acquires Preakness Stakes for $85 Million

Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1/...