Two Summers, Two Continents: How One Teen Found His Sound at Berklee In back-to-back programs in Boston and Valencia, Spain, guitarist Miles Sam sharpened his craft, expanded his community, and set the stage for the next phase of his artistic life.
By
Jennifer H. McInerney
January 29, 2025
Miles Sam
Image courtesy of Capture Thee Moments Photography, LLC
Each summer, thousands of young artists take part in more than 30 Berklee summer programs designed to hone their talents in music performance, theater, dance, music production, songwriting, and music business. The faculty for Berklee Summer Programs (BSP) includes Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners as well as acclaimed visiting artists who educate students in clinics and workshops. These comprehensive programs for students 12 and over range from beginner to advanced and from two days to 12 weeks in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain.
Recently, Miles Sam, a senior at Duke Ellington High School of the Arts in Washington, DC, had the rare opportunity to immerse himself in not one but two of Berklee's unique summer programs during consecutive summers-first in the Valencia program and then in the Aspire Five-Week Performance Intensive in Boston.
For Sam, both the Valencia and Aspire programs further fueled his musical ambitions and helped him to evolve in innumerable ways.
These experiences made me more open-minded as a musician, he says. It was amazing to meet a whole bunch of young musicians with a range of talents, tools, and resources. It really gave me a new perspective on the artist's mindset.
Elevate Your Musicianship in Just Five Weeks
Join students from 70+ countries at Aspire, the world's most comprehensive summer performance program. Sam grew up in a musical family in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his parents' colorful New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival posters adorning the walls of his home. He's even nicknamed after a beloved jazz legend. (His full name is Albert Devon Sam III.)
Though he started playing acoustic guitar at the age of 7, it wasn't until age 12 that he discovered his true passion: the electric guitar. During the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Sam moved with his family to the DC area, where they hunkered down along with the rest of the world. One night, Sam watched the 1984 film Purple Rain, starring Prince, and realized that music was my calling, he recalls. Having that time of reflection to focus on music really brought it all out in me.
While Prince continues to reign as his musical icon, Sam also counts Roy Hargrove 89, Miles Davis, and Carlos Santana among his enduring influences. Sam now plays many musical styles, gravitating toward jazz, R&B, and funk in school ensembles as well as solo.
Recognizing his burgeoning talents, Sam's parents encouraged his interests and researched additional musical training programs-ultimately narrowing the search to Berklee.
A Summer of Discovery in SpainDuring the summer before his junior year, in 2023, Sam's first musical adventure with BSP brought him overseas to the city of Valencia, Spain, a thriving cultural center where Berklee has a state-of-the-art campus. Students in the program engage in musicianship and theory courses, instrument seminars, and recording music ensembles that enhance their skills and improve their overall artistry.
[Valencia] was a beautiful learning experience; the whole time I was there, I never stopped learning.
- Miles Sam
Upon arrival, Sam became immediately immersed in the culture, music, and collegial atmosphere of this diverse community.
In Valencia, it was exciting to meet students from all over the world and see how music shapes us all, he says.
Over the course of the two-week program, Sam enjoyed the intimate small-group guitar technique classes, the diligent instructors, the strong ensembles, frequent jam sessions on stage, and forming bonds with other students while sharing the international language of music.
We had lots of opportunities for self-expression, he adds. It was a beautiful learning experience; the whole time I was there, I never stopped learning.
As an added bonus to his time in Spain, Sam discovered salsa music. For me, it was a whole new art form and I found out I loved it-the horns and the tight rhythm sections. It's punchy and in-your-face and beautiful.
A Summer of Opportunity in BostonAfter his illuminating experience in Valencia, Sam looked forward to spending another summer of music-making with Berklee, this time as part of the Aspire Five-Week Performance Intensive program at the college's Boston campus. This precollege program offers students the option to earn college credit while they study with the world's leading music educators in Berklee's top-of-the-line facilities. The core curriculum includes private instruction, instrumental labs, ensembles, musicianship, theory in performance, and more, as well as electives in production, composition and arranging, music business, music therapy, scoring, songwriting, and creative entrepreneurship.
Compared to the intimacy of the Valencia program, the Aspire community was much larger and even more multicultural, drawing students from 70-plus countries.
I knew most of the students in Valencia and got to know people really well, but in the Aspire program I met someone new every day and got to hear new players all the time.
And the Aspire program truly lived up to its name. It was intense in the best possible way, Sam observes. It was productive. I was growing musically every minute.
Spend the Summer of a Lifetime at Berklee
Join thousands of artists who come each summer to explore, create, and refine their artistry. In addition to the rigorous instruction, he appreciated the 24/7 open practice rooms, which gave him the sp
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
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
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Two Summers, Two Continents: How One Teen Found His Sound at Berklee In back-to-back programs in Boston and Valencia, Spain, guitarist Miles Sam sharpened his craft, expanded his community, and set the stage for the next phase of his artistic life.
