
Student Spotlight: Aileen (Ping-Chen) Shen The tenth-semester DJ and producer talks about discovering her passion for electronic performance after being trained in classical percussion and explains how international travel influences her musical voice.
By
Editorial Staff
July 31, 2023
Image courtesy of the artist
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.This week, get to know Aileen (Ping Chen) Shen, who performs under the name DJ ALYN. Aileen is a tenth-semester percussionist, producer, and DJ from Tainan, Taiwan, about to complete her double major in music production and engineering (MP&E) and electronic production and design (EPD) with a minor in electronic performance.
Follow Aileen on Instagram.
Tell us about your path to Berklee. What made you decide to come here? Growing up multicultural in Taiwan, Macao, Shanghai, Japan, and the UK, and trained as a classical percussionist from a young age, a traditional conservatory was more in line with my career goals at the time. However, I was inspired by different cultures and art forms such as dance, theater, music technology, electroacoustic music, and more. I decided to come to the US when I saw that Boston Conservatory was merged with Berklee, which would make it possible to express my creativity to the fullest potential. I also valued the diversity of culture at the college. Later on, Berklee expanded my horizons to different paths in the music industry. I transferred to Berklee College of Music for production, engineering, sound design, and electronic music, and found my passion in electronic performance.
Experiencing as much as possible of what Berklee can offer-and through that, finding my true passion-was the biggest project for me. Berklee felt like a candy store.
- Aileen (Ping Chen) Shen
Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you? Instead of naming the course, I think the professors are the key to making classes incredible. In production, Prince Charles Alexander and Patrick Viala brought me closest to the real world, teaching me to be as professional as possible to the current market while still conveying emotions to the audience. Jason Petrin, Richard Mendelson, and Mark Wessel taught me the knowledge and tools for mixing, producing, and engineering that can last for a lifetime. Daedelus brought the most out of me as an artist deeply rooted in dance culture; Zebbler Peter Berdovsky and Jason Dawson brought unique classes in VJ and DJ techniques to Berklee, which led me to my future career goal. Michele Darling and Rodney Alejandro are my closest mentors who get the best out of their students. Tonya Butler and Christopher Wares took care of my courses in legal and business related subjects.
Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about? Experiencing as much as possible of what Berklee can offer-and through that, finding my true passion-was the biggest project for me. Berklee felt like a candy store. I have done a range of projects from coding for video games and visuals, surround sound mixing, immersive audio, AR/VR/XR, film and video game sound design and implementation, recording, producing, live sound engineering, lighting art, visual art for performance, stage management, photography, dance, producing, tutoring, joining Berklee professional show productions, collaborating with outside colleges such as MIT and Harvard for technology-related art projects, volunteering at a career seminar, student jobs, taking on a leadership role as president of the student DJ Club, inviting artists, holding shows, performing, and being a student ambassador to represent college and visit other campuses. After trying all of that, you may not find what you love, but you will figure out what career you might not be as passionate about, and it was through the processes of elimination that I found my true passion.
How do you typically recharge or find new ideas outside of class? Art is related to life. I will travel to different countries to see the local cultures, how people express themselves through gestures such as art exhibitions, films, literature, photography, and languages, and by listening to what music is played by DJs and at shows. I am also a heavy vinyl collector; wherever I travel, I will visit record stores and ask the locals or the owner to introduce a record that represents them. You will be surprised how different musical languages were expressed through other lenses. After that, your interpretations and merging those with your musical sound is the most exciting part.
What careers are you interested in pursuing in the future? I would like to be an artist, DJ, and producer. What keeps me going for music is the performance aspect and interacting with audiences. You feel the power of music circling back and forth during the performance. Energy in the room moves everyone, and seeing the smile on their faces, connecting people with music and emotions, is the magic moment for me. I have so much story to tell through my experience of life and my curiosity for different sounds. I hope I can translate my passion for life and music through the speakers and connect with audiences. As a producer, I love to collaborate. Trying to bring the most authentic character of the artist out and make music that connects and lasts is exciting for me.
When you think towards your own future, who inspires you most? Thinking deeply, I thought of an artist called Yaeji. Shes the person who brings a fresh sound to current electronic music, blending her own culture and Korean and English languages into her soun
More from Berklee
09/05/2025
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...
08/05/2025
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...
02/05/2025
Students, Alumni, and Faculty Represent Berklee at International Computer Music ...
02/05/2025
Four Boston Conservatory Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards Fifteen alumni from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music contributed to nomin...
30/04/2025
Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...
30/04/2025
Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...
25/04/2025
Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Af...
24/04/2025
Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro...
24/04/2025
Detach Yourself from the Herd': Fito P ez Inspires at Berklee In a session hosted by the Mediterranean Music Institute, the influential Argentine musician...
23/04/2025
Berklee Abu Dhabi's Jazz Night Kicks off Global Celebration of Music and Cul...
19/04/2025
Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC This season features faculty member Arun Pandian as the new host and interviews ...
18/04/2025
Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The drummer secured a spot among the elite winners in this years competition.
By
Maddie...
18/04/2025
Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway The Latin American immigrant community takes center stage in a new musical featuring Tatian...
17/04/2025
In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behin...
17/04/2025
Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lewis has more than 20 years of industry experience, leading fundraising initiati...
16/04/2025
Charlie Puths Homecoming Was Also a Victory Lap The pop star, songwriter, and producer talked about his career and shared stories behind his biggest hits, inc...
12/04/2025
Career Jam 2025: Insights, Images, and Inspiration Charlie Puth, Tiny Desk, top A&Rs, and more came together for a day of professional development and energet...
11/04/2025
Electronic Music Genres: A Guide to the Most Influential Styles Discover some of the many types of electronic music and how they've shaped contemporary mu...
05/04/2025
Students to Perform with Earl Slick in David Bowie Tribute Concert Known for his work with Bowie and John Lennon, the influential guitarist will also visit cl...
04/04/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Present Beloved Works and World Premieres at S...
03/04/2025
Berklee's Ty-Juana L. Flores Appointed Board Chair of the Boston Cultural Co...
03/04/2025
Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association to Host All-Ages Concert The student-led event, Mehfil, will feature songs in eight different languages and blen...
03/04/2025
Berklee Announces Paul Dworkis as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial O...
02/04/2025
Music Therapy Students Awarded First Internship Stipend from Children's Musi...
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, ov...
28/03/2025
Berklee's Africana Studies to Host Gospel Extravaganza 2025 The Signature Series event will celebrate over 40 years of gospel music at Berklee.
By
Colet...
28/03/2025
Berklee Online CEO Debbie Cavalier Recognized for Extraordinary Leadership Cavalier receives the rare Julius M. Nolte Award from UPCEA.
By
Colette Greenstein
...
26/03/2025
New Music USA and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Announce 2025 Nex...
22/03/2025
Antonio S nchez, B la Fleck, and Edmar Casta eda Push Boundaries on BEATrio The trio's debut album drops May 16, but you can hear the first single, Archi...
21/03/2025
Neil Leonard's Matanzas Sound Map Turns Sound into Place at Tate Modern The Berklee professor's immersive installation transports visitors to Matanzas...
21/03/2025
Berklee to Host Annual Jazz Composition Festival Performances will feature modern jazz masters Sean Jones, Ayn Inserto, Miguel Zen n BM '98, and Christine...
21/03/2025
PARADEs National Tour Is a Procession of Boston Conservatory Talent Michael Tacconi BFA '12 and fifth-semester musical theater major Olivia Goosman talk a...
21/03/2025
Neil Leonard's Matanzas Sound Map Brings Immersive Sonic Cartography to Tate...
21/03/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents the Tony Award-Winning Musical Natasha, ...
20/03/2025
Berklee's Trailblazing Music Inclusion Ensemble Debuts at Berklee Performanc...
19/03/2025
Music Marketing: 5 Proven Strategies to Engage and Grow Your Fanbase Find out how you can get your work in front of more people with these music marketing str...
19/03/2025
Watch Berklee Valencia Alum Wow the American Idol Judges with an Otis Redding So...
17/03/2025
BPMI Presents 2025 Festival Artists at 23rd Annual Showcase The Berklee Popular Music Institute will showcase eight artists performing at this summer's ho...
15/03/2025
Student Spotlight: Rachel McFarlane The Canadian composer talks about being drawn to the storytelling power of scoring for film and video games, working with ...
14/03/2025
Singaporean Singer-Songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity The artist shared candid insights into his musical evolution, personal challenges, and ...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
11/03/2025
New Book Explores How the Quiet Storm Shaped Modern R&B In The Quiet Storm, Berklee Online alumnus Amani Roberts explores how the radio format defined America...
11/03/2025
The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Presents the Grand Gathering The Signature Series concert will feature performances by all nine of the instit...
10/03/2025
Berklee and FIFA World Cup 26 Debut Official Boston Host City Theme Boston is the only host city to work with an educational institution to create its unique,...
06/03/2025
Boston Calling and Berklee Partner to Showcase Student Talent When Boston Calling comes to Allston this May, student performers will light up the festival'...
06/03/2025
Building a Home Studio? Start Here. Berklee professors and alumni break down the basics of setting up your home music studio, and share tips on how to get the...
03/03/2025
The Art of Connection Alums Melanie Bacaling and Gabriella Reyes share a deep bond that's carried them to the heights of the opera world.
By
Sarah Godch...
03/03/2025
Scripting Her Path Writer Alexis Scheer takes on a wide range of subject matter, from the stage to the screen.
March 3, 2025
Alexis Scheer
Photo by Gabriel...
27/02/2025
Student Spotlight: Manuela S nchez Goubert The vocalist from Bogot , Colombia, talks about releasing and touring her album, RA CES (roots), and how Berklee ha...