Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Student Spotlight: Ava Della Pietra

28/03/2025

Student Spotlight: Ava Della Pietra The singer-songwriter enrolled in the Harvard-Berklee Joint Studies Program talks about her love of medicine and music, overcoming writers block, and her new single, Marionette.

By

Editorial Staff

March 28, 2025

A still from Ava Della Pietras music video for Marionette.

Image by Georgia Nerheim

What's it like to study at Berklee? Our Student Spotlight series asks current students all about their Berklee experience-what they're learning in class, what kinds of projects they're involved in onstage or behind the scenes, how they recharge, and of course, what they're listening to. In this installment, get to know singer-songwriter Ava Della Pietra, a third-semester major in songwriting from Long Island, New York.

Follow Ava on Instagram, TikTok, and her website.

Tell us about your path to Berklee. What made you decide to come here?Ive always loved both medicine and songwriting, so when I heard about the Harvard-Berklee Joint Studies Program, it felt like the perfect opportunity to explore both paths. While I've been writing songs for years, I was excited by the idea of studying music in a more structured, academic setting. Berklee also offers an amazing way to connect with other musicians and collaborate. Over the past few years, I've performed with many Berklee students in various bands, and they've always impressed me-not just with their talent, but with how nice they are!

Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you? I've really been enjoying my Harmony 2 class with Jeff D'Antona! We've learned about concepts like voice leading, secondary dominants, and related II-7 chords.

Watch the music video for Marionette below:

Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about?I've been releasing a lot of original pop songs and music videos! In late February, I released a song called Marionette along with a music video. Marionette is about feeling controlled by someone who takes advantage of that power-like a marionette struggling to cut the strings.

How do you typically recharge or find new ideas outside of class?I try to seek out new experiences, whether it's traveling, meeting new people, or just doing something spontaneous! I've found that whenever I'm facing writer's block, it's usually because I've been stuck in the routine of everyday student life. Inspiration comes from living a little outside the norm.

When you think towards your own future, who inspires you most?I'm inspired by a lot of different people. My family inspires me with their hard work and support. Artists like Charlie Puth, Tate McRae, Lola Young, and Billie Eilish, or producers like Dan Nigro and Finneas motivate me to keep improving my sound and songwriting. But more than who someone is, I'm often inspired by what they've done-how hard they worked, how motivated they were, and how much they overcame to get there. For example, a few days ago, I met a fashion designer who started her brand at just 17, renting a tiny studio while she was still in college-and now she runs an international fashion label. Stories like that remind me that success comes from taking risks, staying focused, and believing that your goals are possible.

Whats one piece of advice youd give to your high school self?Surround yourself with people who genuinely make you feel good. It's easy to stick with people just because you've known them a long time and they are familiar, but familiarity doesn't outweigh kindness, respect, or positive energy. There are so many amazing people out there, and everyone deserves to spend time with those who truly support and uplift them.

Avas Current Favorite SongsWe asked Ava to share some of her favorite songs right now. Check them out below.

Vienna, Billy JoelThis song makes me feel so much! I really relate to the feeling of putting pressure on myself to strive for success, but Vienna is a reminder to slow down, take a breath, and appreciate the moment. You don't have to have everything figured out right now.

Changes, HaydThis song really resonates with me when I'm feeling overwhelmed. It reminds me to give myself grace and to accept change instead of fighting it. I also love the acoustic production because it feels intimate.

Messy, Lola YoungSuch a vibey, empowering track! It has this fun, edgy, girl-boss energy that I love. Also, I'm obsessed with Lola Young's voice because it's so rich and full of character.

Birds of a Feather, Billie EilishI love the contrast in this song-the melancholic title and haunting lyrics paired with the vulnerability of a love song. Billie's vocals throughout her album Hit Me Hard and Soft are incredible, and this track especially shows how she's experimenting with new textures in her voice that we haven't really heard before.

Meant to Be Yours, HeathersYes, yes, a theater song. I love how the song oscillates between beautiful, melodic phrases and intense, fast-paced rhythmic sections. J.D. says I was meant to be yours, which sounds romantic on the surface, but in the context of the song, it's extremely terrifying. J.D. uses poetic language to express rebellion against everything the Heathers represent, pulling Veronica into a twisted world where love becomes entangled with control, violence, and a disturbing thrill of playing with life and death.

Related Categories

Student Spotlight

Most Popular

Toto in the recording studio from Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary.

Photograph by Jim Hagopian/HBO

The Best Music Documentaries on Every Streaming Platform Explore groundbreaking music documentaries streaming across Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and more. From intimate artist portraits to legendary concert films, discover the stories b
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/student-spotlight-ava-della-p...
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 ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

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

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

05/08/2026

Thomson toolkit added to virtual hub built to strengthen climate storytelling

Thomson's Climate Crisis Toolkit for Media in Tanzania is being included in a new virtual library designed to ensure accurate and engaging storytelling arou...

05/08/2026

SVG Regional Sports Production Summit 2026: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

RSNs, teams, leagues, and streamers explore the present and future of local spor...

05/08/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Hitachi Vantara's Lenny Khaitov on Building Resilient Data Infrastructure for Sports Production

As sports-production workflows generate larger volumes of unstructured data and ...

05/08/2026

NESN's Women's Celebration Night Returns With Expanded Focus on the Next Generation

Three aspiring broadcasters will contribute on-camera and inside the production ...

05/08/2026

Union County Paints an Authentic Picture of Recovery and Community

Adam Meeks attends the premiere of his film Union County, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Sundance Institut...

05/08/2026

Steinberg celebrate VST & HALion anniversaries

Major discounts, updates & remakes of early VST plug-ins Steinberg are currently celebrating two significant anniversaries, with this week marking the 30th ...

05/08/2026

KRK introduce the V Series Five

Flagship monitor range gains wireless remote control KRK's flagship studio monitor range has just been upgraded, with three new fifth-generation models ...

05/08/2026

Rohde & Schwarz launches next phase of Airways New Zealand Air Traffic Control system upgrade

Rohde & Schwarz launches next phase of Airways New Zealand Air Traffic Control s...

05/08/2026

Rohde & Schwarz presents the R&SMP007, a man-portable tactical direction finding system for seamless signal detection from 9 MHz to 8 GHz

Rohde & Schwarz presents the R&S MP007, a man-portable tactical direction findin...

05/08/2026

Australia's retirement sector advertising rises more than 10% as millions plan for life after work according to Nielsen

Advertisers invested $53.6 million in the retirement sector in the last 12 month...

05/08/2026

New Nielsen data shows IKEA's New Zealand launch attracted more than 243,000 shoppers in the last month

Nielsen CMI and Ad Intel data reveals who's visiting IKEA, where else they s...

05/08/2026

Nielsen expands Four-Screen Ad Deduplication across CTV in Japan

Media buyers and sellers can now compare deduplicated campaign reach across computer, mobile, connected TV and linear TV across all measurable CTV publishers in...

05/08/2026

Stranger Things,' Bluey,' The Pitt' Top Nielsen's Streaming Charts Through First Half of 2026

Stranger Things' Leads All Streaming Titles with 23.3 Billion Minutes in Fir...

05/08/2026

Live Media Group, Gravity Media Strike Deal on U.S. OB Fleets

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/08/2026

Beyond VVC: Call for Proposals for Next-Gen Video Coding

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/08/2026

QuickLink Expands North American Team With Appointment of...

QuickLink, the leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest integration solutions, announces the appointment of Kane Peterson to its Nort...

05/08/2026

Seven in 10 UK advertisers exceed production budgets desp...

XR research reveals marketers believe they have control over production costs, yet budget overruns, campaign delays and creative cutbacks remain commonplace Se...

05/08/2026

Game On Live Studio Uses Blackmagic Design to Stream Tropical 7s

Game On Live Studio Uses Blackmagic Design to Stream Tropical 7s Brie Clayton August 4, 2026 0 Comments Every match of world's largest youth rugby...

05/08/2026

Chris Fitzgerald to Head TDC's Experiential Growth

Chris Fitzgerald to Head TDC's Experiential Growth Brie Clayton August 4, 2026 0 Comments Technical Direction Company promotes Chris Fitzgerald to...

05/08/2026

Gravity Media, Live Media Group Form Strategic Partnership

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/08/2026

Samsung Launches World's First HDR10+ Streaming on Prime Video

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/08/2026

Profuz Digital unveils new advanced search capabilities a...

Profuz Digital is set to launch a powerful upgrade to its Profuz LAPIS digital media management platform at IBC this year at Stand 8.A88. France Galop, Canal+ F...

05/08/2026

KRK Brings Advanced Wireless Control to Professional Moni...

KRK, a Gibson brand and leader in professional studio monitoring for nearly four decades, launches its new V Series Five Studio Monitors, the latest evolution o...

05/08/2026

Stable performance in line with plan - Magyar Telekoms H1 and Q2 2026 results

Network expansion, continued customer growth and stable financial performance characterized Magyar Telekoms business results for the first half and second quart...

05/08/2026

The Sky Foundation launches new bursary programme to support the future of UK dance

Wednesday 5 August 2026 The Sky Foundation launches new bursary programme to su...

05/08/2026

Charlie Sheen Launches Mostly Sheenius in Partnership with Red Seat Ventures

Charlie Sheen Launches Mostly Sheenius in Partnership with Red Seat Ventures After Decades as One of the World's Most Recognizable and Interviewed Celebr...

04/08/2026

MLB's Jason Hedgcock on Using the Cloud To Produce World Baseball Classic Games for Netflix Japan

Live production in the cloud is a growing trend across the industry, and Major L...

04/08/2026

Major League Soccer Names Larry Berg as Next Commissioner; Will Take Helm in 2027

LAFC co-managing owner will succeed Don Garber on Jan. 1, 2027, as league prepar...

04/08/2026

Foresight: Driving Growth Through Broadcast Flexibility - A Calrec + PGA TOUR Case Study

In 2022, when the PGA TOUR was breaking ground on its new, state-of-the-art broa...

04/08/2026

Dealer Cam Debuts as Omaha Productions Takes World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table Live on ESPN

Provided by POVORA, the new camera angle offers a dealer's-eye view of the c...

04/08/2026

USL To Trial FIFA's Football Video Support System During 2026 USL Cup

Spiideo will provide the camera setup, with NEP handling broadcast integration and off-site video operations...

04/08/2026

Game On Live Studio Deploys Blackmagic Design Workflow Across 15 Fields at Tropical 7s

Production team streamed more than 750 youth rugby matches using ATEM switchers,...

04/08/2026

NDI, KTC Partner To Develop Network-Native Commercial Displays

Agreement gives KTC early access to NDI's Advanced SDK for integration across commercial displays, digital signage, and interactive panels...

04/08/2026

IBC2026: IBC Innovation Awards Finalists Highlight Advances in AI, Cloud, Open Standards, and Accessibility

Twelve projects across four categories recognize collaborative work in productio...

04/08/2026

Ekstraklasa, Live Park Select Hawk-Eye for Tracking, Offside, and Broadcast Technology

Multi-year agreement will introduce SkeleTRACK, semi-automated offside, automate...

04/08/2026

Radio France Deploys Redundant Lawo AoIP Workflow for 2026 Concert de Paris

Three mc 56 consoles, dual A__UHD Core engines, RAVENNA networking, and HOME management supported live sound, monitoring, and international broadcast production...

04/08/2026

IBC2026: Haivision to Debut Makito ONE, Falkon X4 in Europe

New contribution products support ultra-low-latency video transport across fixed, remote, and mobile production environments...

04/08/2026

IBC2026: Chyron to Highlight AI, Cloud, HTML Graphics, and Sports-Analysis Tools

Company will showcase updates across PRIME, Chyron LIVE, Paint, virtual production, newsroom workflows, and venue control...

04/08/2026

TAB Show 2026: MultiDyne to Showcase Fiber-Transport and IP Infrastructure Tools

Exhibit will feature SilverBack, VersaBrix, VersaFrame, VF-9100, and FiberSaver-10G platforms...

04/08/2026

IBC2026: TAG Video Systems Adds MXL Support, Containerized Deployment, Expanded QC Tools

Platform updates target cloud-based production, high-density ST 2110 monitoring,...

04/08/2026

Gravity Media, Live Media Group Partner To Expand U.S. Mobile Production Facility Operations

Live Media Group will take control of Gravity Media's U.S. mobile-unit fleet...

04/08/2026

HeadRush update Prime, Core & Flex Core firmware

Amp-modelling rigs get major upgrade HeadRush have recently released a major firmware update that brings some powerful new features to their Prime, Core and...

04/08/2026

Am I Audio launch I Am Choir

Generate a choir from a single voice track Following years of development, Am I Audio have just officially launched their debut plug-in. Created in collabor...

04/08/2026

Universal Audio's EMT 140 & 250 plug-ins go native

Official EMT-endorsed reverbs now available to all Two more of Universal Audio's renowned UAD plug-ins have just gained new native versions that can be ...

04/08/2026

SBS helps Australians understand why every Census counts

SBS helps Australians understand why every Census counts Media releases As Australia prepares for the 2026 Census on Tuesday 11 August, SBS is helping ensur...

04/08/2026

Canada invests in the future of HF communications with Rohde & Schwarz solutions

Canada invests in the future of HF communications with Rohde & Schwarz solutions After selection by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) as the p...

04/08/2026

Blendkit Expands Beyond Blender

Blendkit Expands Beyond Blender Brie Clayton August 4, 2026 0 Comments Popular 3D Asset Library Launches Alpha Plugins for Maya, Godot, and Rhino Blend...