Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement The legendary mixing engineer and producer, known for his work with Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones, will be honored on Saturday, June 28.
By
Tori Donahue
June 4, 2025
Pioneering mixing engineer and producer Bob Clearmountain will receive an honorary doctorate from Berklee NYC on June 28.
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee NYC will present an honorary Doctor of Music degree to Bob Clearmountain, a mixing engineer and producer whose work has shaped many of the most influential recordings of the past five decades, at its annual graduate commencement on Saturday, June 28. The ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. ET in the Appel Room on the sixth floor of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Clearmountain will be the fifth person to receive an honorary doctorate from Berklee this year, joining Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles, recognized at Berklee College of Music's commencement on May 10, and Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara, honored at Boston Conservatory's ceremony that same day. Composer Patrick Doyle will be celebrated by Berklee Valencia at its commencement on July 7.
It's a privilege to award Bob Clearmountain an honorary doctorate, not only in recognition of his extraordinary impact on the music industry but also in celebration of his deep connection to Power Station at Berklee NYC, where his work helped define the sound of generations, said Betsie Becker, executive director, Berklee NYC. His legacy lives on and continues to inspire the artists and producers who create on our campus today.
About Bob ClearmountainBob Clearmountain is a pioneering mixing engineer and producer whose influence can be heard on some of the most iconic records of the last five decades. Described by Sound on Sound as having his name on more hit records than anyone else in the history of popular music, Clearmountain has helped define the sound of modern rock, pop, and R&B through his work with legendary artists, such as Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bryan Adams, Roxy Music, INXS, the Pretenders, Crowded House, and Hall & Oates.
Born in Connecticut in 1953, Clearmountain began his career in New York City at Mediasound Studios, where his first session was with Duke Ellington. He quickly rose through the ranks, engineering for Kool & the Gang and Sister Sledge. In 1977, he became one of the most requested mix engineers at the newly opened Power Station, helping shape the sound of late 1970s and early '80s recordings.
Clearmountains mixing credits include Bruce Springsteens Born in the U.S.A., Bryan Adamss Reckless, and Chic's self-titled debut. He also worked on albums by the Pretenders and Crowded House. His live mixing r sum features some of the most significant broadcasts in music history, including Live Aid (1985), the Concert for New York City (2001), 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief (2012), and the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts at Wembley Stadium and Los Angeles (2022). His film and TV credits include The Lost Boys, Legend, Meet the Robinsons, Happy Feet, the Rolling Stones concert documentary Shine a Light, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shows in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He has earned multiple Grammy and Emmy awards, including wins for Springsteens We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and NBCs Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special.
In 1994, Clearmountain built his private MixThis! studio in Pacific Palisades, California, centered around a custom SSL G Series mixing console. In 2020, he upgraded the space for immersive Dolby Atmos mixing. Following the loss of his home and studio in the 2025 Palisades fire, he is now putting the finishing touches on a new mix room, MixThis! FTA (From the Ashes), located behind Apogee Studios in Santa Monica. The new studio features a highly customized, upgraded SSL G Series console similar to the one lost in the fire and is scheduled to open later this year.
At Apogee Studios, Clearmountain records on the iconic Neve 8068 console originally from New York's Power Station, the very same desk he used in early sessions with Kool & the Gang, Sister Sledge, and David Bowie, bringing his career full circle. Apogee Studios is a unique creative space that functions both as a professional recording facility and an immersive audio performance venue. It is also home to KCRW-FM's renowned Apogee Sessions, which have featured more than 100 artists, including Beck, Norah Jones, Alabama Shakes, and Vampire Weekend.
Clearmountain is also closely tied to Apogee Electronics, where his wife, Betty Bennett, serves as CEO. With over 200 major credits and a legacy of innovation, he remains a towering figure in audio production. His commitment to sonic clarity and emotional resonance continues to inspire generations of engineers and musicians.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Image by Maddie Ross, courtesy of Tape Op magazine
Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on any budget.
Latest
Courtesy of the City of Boston
Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers Created by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment, the mixtape celebrates local music and the start of summer.
Image by Elizabeth Friar
Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast Whether you head east or west, Berklee offers aspiring songwriters the chance to find their voice and build lasting connections.
Ray Seol, an assistant professor in the Professional Music Department, has been awarded a Fulbright US Scholar Program award in music.
Image courtesy of Ray Seol
Berklee Professor's Fulbright
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement The legendary mixing engineer and producer, known for his work with Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones, will be honored on Saturday, June 28.
