You can find the phrase in the first line of Berklee's About page. It's our handshake: Hi, we're Berklee, a contemporary music and performing arts school. This is how it's been since Lawrence Berk founded the school more than 70 years ago with jazz at the center of the curriculum. We were the first music school to take seriously the idea that music could be taught effectively through popular contemporary styles, and that idea continues to stand behind so much of what Berklee does.
But what do we mean when we talk about contemporary music these days? Certainly jazz is no longer the only contemporary music a student can learn here-not by a long shot. On the other hand, we can't mean contemporary as opposed to classical music-not while students at both Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee continue to explore, compose, and perform exciting and fresh work in the classical idiom (though we could spend many more words on the equally fraught question: What is classical music?). Instead, contemporary music, for Berklee, has more to do with an approach to music than it does with any particular type of music.
To better understand this approach, we spoke to members from across the Berklee community about what making and teaching contemporary music means to them in their particular disciplines. In the process, a few key features emerged that seem to be central to how many at Berklee approach the study of contemporary music:
Relevance According to vibraphonist Victor Mendoza, contemporary music is, simply put, music performed and created with what is rhythmically, harmonically, and texturally current. For Mendoza, a professor at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain, this means that his job is to teach students to employ current musical vocabularies-jazz, Pan-American rhythms, and global harmonies performed on acoustic, ethnic, and electronic instruments. But he also stresses that great music and musicians will always be relevant-that theres a timeless quality to compositions by musicians from Bach and Duke Ellington to Tito Puente, Stevie Wonder, and the Rolling Stones.
Great music and musicians will always be relevant.
-Victor Mendoza
Grammy-winning saxophonist Tia Fuller, a professor in the Ensemble Department, defines the work of contemporary music as excellence, influence, and exploration of what we know as popular music today-discovering the fundamental components of today's music through cultural influences, social constructs, and cross-pollination of genres. For Fuller, who has performed with Beyonc and directs ensembles focusing on the music of artists including Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Christian McBride, and Micki Miller, working in contemporary music is not just about what popular music today sounds like, but about each artist's pursuit of excellence and integrity through their performances.
Jonathan Bailey Holland, chair of composition, contemporary music, and core studies at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, describes the relationship between a classical grounding and a contemporary context at the Conservatory: The Conservatory curriculum is rooted in the western classical tradition, but our students are vibrant creative artists living today and responding to their current condition. For these students, creating and performing contemporary music means that their work is focused on communicating from an informed perspective, with a voice that is relevant to, and shaped by, the world in which they live. It also means that they each define exactly what this means on an individual basis. There are as many ways to be musically relevant as there are musicians creating and performing work today.
For some, including Annette Philip, artistic director of the Berklee India Exchange, relevance has a social dimension, as well: Contemporary, for us, means not only seeking to push boundaries musically, but also bringing topics that are socially relevant into our artistic choices. We strive to create concept-driven, socially conscious productions that embrace the integration of multidisciplinary art forms, perspectives, and cultural influences.
Cross-Pollination As the leader of an institute that works to strengthen creative exchange between Berklee and India, Philip also understands the ever-broadening interplay between cultures, genres, styles, and technologies. India is home to one of the oldest music traditions of the world. It is also one of the most diverse countries not only in terms of the number of languages, dance forms, or religions that flourish there, but also from a geographical, social, economic, and ethnicity point of view, she explains. Contemporary Indian music today is a confluence of Indian classical or folk idioms combined with nuances of pop, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and myriad other genres. This cross-pollination is on full display in Berklee India Exchange's most popular video on Berklees YouTube channel, Jiya Jale, which reinterprets a classic A. R. Rahman song with a string quintet, jazz influences, reharms, and what the students fondly call a dirty loops section.
Watch the Berklee Indian Ensemble perform Jiya Jale :
Video of A. R. Rahman, "Jiya Jale" (Dil Se) : Berklee Indian Ensemble (Cover)
Javier Lim n, artistic director of the Mediterranean Music Institute, sees a similar benefit in the vast array of styles on display across campus. Berklee is the world reference institution for contemporary music because of its balance between roots from all around the world and new vangard styles and techniques, he says. Only at Berklee can you find flamenco, jazz, blues, electronic dance, Latin, Middle Eastern music, Sephardic songs...all together played by young, great musicians.
Of course, part of what makes contemporary musics cross-pollination so successful at a place like Berklee is that the
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...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced its return as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the company will serve as the Official Connectivity ...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
You can find the phrase in the first line of Berklee's About page. It's our handshake: Hi, we're Berklee, a contemporary music and performing arts school. This is how it's been since Lawrence Berk founded the school more than 70 years ago with jazz at the center of the curriculum. We were the first music school to take seriously the idea that music could be taught effectively through popular contemporary styles, and that idea continues to stand behind so much of what Berklee does.
