Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Academic Leadership from Boston, Valencia Return for Abu Dhabi Educators Symposium

10/10/2024

Academic Leadership from Boston, Valencia Return for Abu Dhabi Educators Symposium Viktorija Pilatovic and Enrique Gonzalez M ller are among faculty who will be participating in the two-day intensive for the second straight year.

By

Daniel Pesquera

October 8, 2024

Academic leaders from across the global campuses of Berklee will once again connect with arts educators throughout the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region at the second annual Berklee Abu Dhabi Creative Arts Educators' Symposium. The two-day intensive, which takes place October 10 and 11 at the Berklee Abu Dhabi Center, engages local educators on a wide range of subject matters, from teaching popular music to incorporating new technologies such as AI to reigniting passion and inspiring creativity in the classroom.

Session facilitators include Dr. Krystal Banfield, vice president of Education Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship; Tonya Butler, chair of the Music Business/Management Department; Misael Martinez, assistant vice president of social entrepreneurship and creative youth development; Lucas Mart n, assistant professor at Berklee Valencia; Kenrick John, director of the Berklee City Music Preparatory Academy; and Marek Dykta, senior assistant director of admissions. (Berklee will hold auditions and interviews in Abu Dhabi for undergraduate applicants this December.)

Also returning are Viktorija Pilatovic, assistant professor at Berklee Valencia, and Enrique Gonzalez M ller, an associate professor of music production and engineering who also founded the Pedagogy Arts Collective. We caught up with them ahead of the event to explore what they took away from the last symposium and what they hope to contribute this time.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What did you learn at the last symposium that made an impression on you?Viktorija Pilatovic: The educators that I met shared a genuine desire to help students succeed and make our lessons more engaging and meaningful. After the symposium sessions [last year], many of the teachers said to me, I want to go to school and learn from you! They were so inspired to pursue further development and education, and it was really a positive takeaway for me.

Enrique Gonzalez M ller: In many ways the symposium felt very much in line with the work I have done for years at Berklee, including founding and running the Pedagogy Arts Collective and the Global Open Pedagogy Arts Collective. Going into the symposium, I thought I'd encounter educators similar to those I've engaged with in other settings. The similarities are that educators in Abu Dhabi are deeply, emotionally invested in what they are doing. I felt a very uniform sense of pride for their job and a desire to have a positive impact on their students and their community. However, many of the educators we met also taught a vast gamut of ages, from college students to four-year-olds. The challenge became: How do you teach students to tap into the potential for creativity they all possess, while making those concepts applicable across a very wide range of ages?

Viktorija Pilatovic leads a group exercise at the 2023 Berklee Abu Dhabi Creative Arts Educators Symposium.

Berklee Abu Dhabi

Viktorija, youll be talking about actively listening and analyzing music, as well as creative techniques for music making. What aspects of the ways we engage with music do you feel translate across cultures?VP: For active listening and analyzing, I wanted to do a session that inspires teachers to look at music layer by layer and show their students the many aspects they can listen for. The harmony, the rhythm, how the melody moves, the arrangement, and the mood are all part of the international language of music. Regardless of how these nuances change, music speaks to something fundamental in all of us. For creativity in music making, we will play a game where you would go into the hallway, for example, and grab an object that is not a musical instrument. You bang it or you tap it, and maybe it inspires a song in you or a melody. I wanted to do something very nonconventional to inspire them to try it with their students.

Enrique, youll be working with educators to help rediscover their passion for the arts as a way to inspire fresh lesson ideas. Can you talk about why helping educators reconnect with their love for the arts is an area of focus for you?EGM: What I find is that experts understandably often forget how it felt to be a beginner. It's important for experts to viscerally remember what it was that brought them to this craft, to start this complex yet rewarding adventure into the creative arts. Its essential that educators reconnect with the original reasons they chose music, rekindling the passion that first inspired them. When they do, they become more empathetic to their students journeys, which in turn allows them to teach more effectively and with greater purpose. Missing this opportunity means overlooking the key to fostering a deeper connection and more impactful learning experience.

Are there differences in the way you approach conversations with arts educators in the Abu Dhabi region versus how you would engage with similar communities in Boston, Valencia, or other places where you have taught and learned?EGM: I try to approach this in two distinctive ways. First, I do extensive homework to understand what makes the culture unique, with 90 percent of that effort focused on asking thoughtful questions and deeply listening to the community. This helps me become aware of realities that may differ greatly from my own and allows me to learn and better support them. Second, I aim to celebrate the things that unite us as humans-like the pursuit of health or creating space to observe, tangibly explore, and share the things we love. The challenge then is to develop ideas that honor those universal
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/academic-leadership-from-bost...
See more stories from berklee

North America Stories

20/11/2025

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: NBC's New Three-Year Deal Covers Sunday Night Baseball,' Peacock-Exclusive Games, and More

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: NBC's New Three-Year Deal Covers Sunday Night Bas...

20/11/2025

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: New Deal Will Bring 30 National Games to ESPN's Linear Platform, MLB.TV Exclusively to ESPN App

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: New Deal Will Bring 30 National Games to ESPN's Li...

20/11/2025

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: Netflix Lands Opening Night, Home Run Derby, Field of Dreams

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: Netflix Lands Opening Night, Home Run Derby, Field of ...

20/11/2025

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup Overview: ESPN, NBCU, Netflix Ink Three-Year Deals

MLB Media-Rights Shakeup Overview: ESPN, NBCU, Netflix Ink Three-Year DealsESPN gets new 30-game package, MLB.TV; NBC extends Sunday nights; Netflix adds tentpo...

20/11/2025

SVG Students To Watch: Henry Thuss, Indiana University

SVG Students To Watch: Henry Thuss, Indiana UniversityThe Southern California product has his goals set on the front benchBy Brandon Costa, Director of Digital ...

20/11/2025

Done+Dusted's Guy Carrington on Creating the Spectacular League of Legends World Championship Opening Ceremony

Done+Dusted's Guy Carrington on Creating the Spectacular League of Legends W...

20/11/2025

FIA Extreme H World Cup Host Broadcaster Aurora Goes Inside the Production of the Hydrogen-Fuelled Motorsport

FIA Extreme H World Cup Host Broadcaster Aurora Goes Inside the Production of th...

20/11/2025

Platinum White Paper: Amagi Utilizes Cloud Production for Sports Events - Multi-Camera Live Workflow with Remote Commentary and Graphics

Platinum White Paper: Amagi Utilizes Cloud Production for Sports Events - Multi-...

20/11/2025

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Marc Herklotz, Steady Hand Behind the Scenes

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Marc Herklotz, Steady Hand Behind the Sce...

20/11/2025

NFL Deep Dive: How 32 Cameras at Each Stadium Drive Virtual Measurement, Boundary Replays, and Skeletal Tracking

NFL Deep Dive: How 32 Cameras at Each Stadium Drive Virtual Measurement, Boundar...

20/11/2025

Zodiac Killer Project Refuses to Kill Its Darlings With an Avant-Garde Essay Film

Charlie Shackleton attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Zodiac K...

20/11/2025

Cracking the Code for Resilient, Secure Space-based Communications

L3Harris has achieved NSA Cybersecurity Directorate certification for its KSV-650 space hub end cryptographic unit, ensuring secure, adaptable communications fo...

20/11/2025

Continued Commitment and Investment in Poland

L3Harris is strengthening its long-term partnership with Poland through the opening of a new facility in Warsaw to serve as a central business hub for regional ...

20/11/2025

Oklahoma Community Television Overcomes ATSC 3.0 Translator Challenge

CINCINNATI Oklahoma Community Television (OCT) has selected GatesAir and Triveni Digital as key technology partners in an ATSC 3.0 deployment that establishes a...

20/11/2025

FCC Launches Wide-Ranging Examination of Network Affiliate Relations

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has opened a wide-ranging inquiry into the relations between broadcast networks and their affiliates that could...

20/11/2025

IAB: Creator Economy Ad Spend Now Dwarfs Ad Spend for Total Media Industry

NEW YORK Ad spend in the creator economy has more than doubled since 2021 from $13.9B to $29.5B in 2024 and that amount is projected to reach $37 billion in 202...

20/11/2025

Graduate Spotlight: Krysta Mirsik DePuy

Graduate Spotlight: Krysta Mirsik DePuy The educator from Hackettstown, New Jersey, shares how it took her 11 years to find the right graduate program for her...

20/11/2025

Rise Awards 2025 Celebrate the Industry's Best

LONDON The winners of the Rise Awards 2025, which recognize women and companies whose achievements have stood out in the media technology industry, have been an...

20/11/2025

Lionsgate, Debmar-Mercury Launch MovieSphere Gold Diginet

SANTA MONICA & NEW YORK Lionsgate's Worldwide Television Distribution Group and Debmar-Mercury have launched MovieSphere Gold in more than 30 million homes....

20/11/2025

Clear-Com Unveils New 4-Channel HelixNet Beltpack

ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has introduced its four-channel HelixNet beltpack, a next-generation advancement of its widely used two-channel model, and anticipates...

20/11/2025

Kiswe Core Aims to Simplify Cloud-Based Streaming Distribution

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. Streaming technology and services provider Kiswe has launched Kiswe Core, a next-generation cloud-based platform designed to simplify the s...

20/11/2025

Dolby Partners Up With Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Dolby Laboratories has signed on as an official signature partner of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) for the 2026 Super Bowl and the we...

20/11/2025

Telus TV+ Expands Distribution to Samsung and LG Smart TVs

STUTTGART, Germany 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has announced that the Canadian multiservice operator Telus has launched its Telus TV+ entertainment platform on Sam...

20/11/2025

MLB Strikes Rights Deals With ESPN, NBCUniversal, Netflix

Major League Baseball has announced deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix covering 2026-2028 that make ESPN the exclusive distributor for MLB.TV, put regula...

20/11/2025

Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and GenNext All-Stars' Noel

Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and ...

20/11/2025

Netflix Celebrates the Launch of 'Troll 2' With a Spectacular Show in the Sky

Back to All News Netflix Celebrates the Launch of Troll 2 With a Spectacular Sh...

20/11/2025

Into the Omniverse: How Smart City AI Agents Transform Urban Operations

Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on how developers, 3D practitioners and enterprises can transform their workflows u...

20/11/2025

Ultimate Cloud Gaming Is Everywhere With GeForce NOW

The NVIDIA Blackwell RTX upgrade is nearing the finish line, letting GeForce NOW Ultimate members across the globe experience true next-generation cloud gaming ...

20/11/2025

The Largest Digital Zoo: Biology Model Trained on NVIDIA GPUs Identifies Over a Million Species

Tanya Berger-Wolf's first computational biology project started as a bet wit...

19/11/2025

Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music Hall

Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...

19/11/2025

The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, and More

The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...

19/11/2025

One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video Production Layout with the LA Clippers

One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...

19/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital Trends Report

SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...

19/11/2025

Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's Fan-First Media Machine

Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10 Print This Story Brighton & Hove Albion'...

19/11/2025

Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebuilt David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...

19/11/2025

Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video-Production Infrastructure

Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...

19/11/2025

MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Peacock Exclusive Game, and More

MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...

19/11/2025

Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) Takes a Tender View on Queer Relationships

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...

19/11/2025

Sundance Institute-Supported Seeds, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Selena y Los Dinos, and More Earn IDA Documentary Awards Nominations

Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...

19/11/2025

L3Harris Breaks Ground on Arkansas Advanced Propulsion Facilities

Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...

19/11/2025

L3Harris and PentenAmio Team to Advance Sovereign Cryptographic Capability and Innovation in the UK, Australia and Canada

L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...

19/11/2025

The Gauge: Poland | October 2025

October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...

19/11/2025

Nexstar Urges FCC to Waive Ownership Rules, Quickly Approve Tegna Acquisition

IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...

19/11/2025

Vitec Buys Datapath, Expanding Product Portfolio, Engineering, Support

Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...

19/11/2025

Telestream Unveils ARGUS V2.3 With Live Look Stream Validation

NEVADA CITY, Calif. Telestream has introduced ARGUS Version 2.3, which introduces Live Look, a feature that lets operators inspect live and on-demand streams vi...

19/11/2025

Charter Taps AWS for Generative AI Solutions

STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK Charter Communications, Inc. has announced a major deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that establishes AWS as one of Charters stra...

19/11/2025

Atomos Adds New Camera Control Features to Ninja TX

TOKYO Atomos has announced a major firmware update that brings integrated camera control to the Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX its new CFexpress-based monitor-recor...

19/11/2025

Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Coldplay

Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...

19/11/2025

PlayBox Neo Wraps NAB Show New York 2025 with Big Energy...

PlayBox Neo departed the NAB Show New York 2025 on a high note. The company's all-new PlayBox Neo Suite made a splash on the show floor, drawing strong inte...

19/11/2025

AAVBR Boosts Event Production Efficiency With Pliant Tech...

AAVBR (American Audio Visual Baton Rouge), a leading full-service event production company serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, has enhanced its product...