
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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
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, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
11/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/04/2026
Pilot phase begins for a new national infrastructure designed to safeguard academic and research data with full local data control, sovereignty, resilience, and...
11/04/2026
How to Stream Coachella 2026 at Home Check this years stacked schedule for the annual music festivals full lineup, including when Berklee artists from Laufey ...
11/04/2026
Time Travel As Berklee on the Road programs in Puerto Rico and Italy mark decades-long anniversaries, we journey into the past and step into the future.
Apri...
11/04/2026
Improving vaccine design for Ebola, HIV and more Scripps Research scientists and colleagues develop a nanodisc platform that offers a clearer view of how key vi...
10/04/2026
The Invisible OPEX Killer: Is Your Server Room Dragging You Down? In the broadcast world, we talk a lot about uptime. We talk about talent retention, latency...
10/04/2026
Imagine Communications will showcase its multiviewer portfolio at NAB Show 2026 (April 19-22, Booth N1328, Las Vegas Convention Center), including Prismon and t...
10/04/2026
Chyron has released PRIME VSAR 2.3, an update to its virtual set and augmented reality solution for broadcast. The release adds compatibility with Unreal Engine...
10/04/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2267, April 19-23, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating new tx darwin features including consumer multiview,...
10/04/2026
NDI will exhibit at NAB Show 2026, demonstrating its IP video ecosystem through live partner integrations, NDI 6.3 features, AI metadata workflows, and creator ...
10/04/2026
FOR-A has announced the acquisition of all shares of Tamu Radiance Corporation, a new company spun off from the Information Equipment Business of Tamura Corpora...
10/04/2026
InSync Technology will showcase new and updated video conversion products at NAB...
10/04/2026
TNT Sports and DAZN have announced a partnership to air monthly boxing events in the United States under the brand The Fight. The series will be promoted in p...
10/04/2026
Panasonic Projector and Display has announced the SQ3 Series of 4K LCD displays as part of its MEVIX professional display portfolio. All sizes will be available...
10/04/2026
Amagi has announced the addition of Agentic Media Operations to its Amagi NOW platform, integrating AI reasoning agents across its media supply chain workflows ...
10/04/2026
LTN has announced enhancements to its global IP video network targeting broadcasters transitioning from satellite distribution. The updates come ahead of US fed...
10/04/2026
Daktronics has installed new LED displays at Yankee Stadium, upgrading the main centerfield board, two flanking boards, and two ribbon displays spanning the 200...
10/04/2026
Harmonic has announced updates to its hybrid streaming solution, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectivity for AI applications, cloud-native deploymen...
10/04/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will introduce two new fiber transport products at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C4425, April 19-22): the FiberSaver-10G waveleng...
10/04/2026
Telos Alliance and ip-studio will demonstrate STUDIO ZERO, a cloud-hosted virtual studio, at NAB Show 2026. First introduced at NAB Show 2023, STUDIO ZERO integ...
10/04/2026
d&b solutions, a London-based audio-visual, lighting, and media integration grou...
10/04/2026
ARRI and SmallHD have announced a new expansion license for ARRI's Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX hand units that displays lens data overlays on supported SmallHD monitor...
10/04/2026
Roku and the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) have announced an exclusive streaming partnership to bring five BBCL games to the Roku Sports Channel in 202...
10/04/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
10/04/2026
The Peabody Awards don't just recognize great storytelling, they spotlight t...
10/04/2026
After launching the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico last year, we brought the fan-voted celebration to Paris this week for its first edition in France. Hosted ...
10/04/2026
Powered and unpowered live PA ranges upgraded
Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements...
10/04/2026
Underlying plug-in & VI technology now available to others
UJAM's latest announcement sees the company open up' Gorilla Engine, the development pla...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Bitcentral, a leading provider of professional media solutions for broadcast and digital video, will showcase its latest innovations at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W28...
10/04/2026
Ikegami to Introduce Expanded Range of Broadcast Production Solutions at NAB 202...
10/04/2026
AJA Debuts SMPTE ST 2110 and openGear Solutions Ahead of NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 10, 2026
0 Comments
New gear and updates address evolving hybrid ...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Frequency, the engine behind the worlds leading streaming television channels, today launched its AI platform for Frequency Studio, powering the entire channel ...
10/04/2026
What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week?
This week on UKTV and the free streaming service U, viewers can watch a range of new and returning programm...
10/04/2026
J nger Audio Joins EBU ADM Integration Group as Founding Member to Help Advance...
10/04/2026
Five-part Sky Original drama airs nightly on Sky Mix and Sky Atlantic from 20 Ap...