Student Spotlight: Rafael Heredia
03/10/2024
By
Keerthana Sudarshan
October 2, 2024
Image by Kelly Davidson
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. In this installment, get to know percussionist Rafael Heredia, a sixth-semester electronic production and design (EPD) and composition major from Hiroshima, Japan. His rich flamenco heritage and an inherently curious and explorative mind have led to some exciting new projects, including his trio Intersync, which creates a unique blend of traditional sounds and electronic music.
Follow Rafael on Instagram.
Tell us about your path to Berklee. What made you decide to come here?The Spanish side of my family, including my father, grandfather, uncle, and aunt, are all professional flamenco artists-percussionists, singers, and dancers. My mother, who is Japanese, is also a dancer. So, it was natural for me to learn flamenco growing up, and I performed on stage for the first time at age three.
I started working as a flamenco percussionist when I turned 15 in Japan. At age 18, I was fortunate enough to be asked to work with a popular flamenco company in Spain and tour with them. The work came to a standstill during COVID-19, so I acted upon my desire to formally learn music and applied to Berklee.
Although I had originally applied to Berklee Valencia, Fernando Huergo, the professor who auditioned me, encouraged me to apply to Boston instead, and somehow things panned out.
Given Berklees vibrant international community, how do you think that your roots and cultural origins have played a part in your Berklee journey so far?Berklee boasts a uniquely curious and open-minded community of students. My Spanish heritage deeply connects me to the Latin culture at Berklee, while my Japanese heritage connects me to the Japanese students.
Despite the stark differences between both cultures, I have been met with a lot of interest from all my peers here. Feeling so welcomed has greatly helped in my musical growth and has allowed me to remain open-minded while honoring my flamenco culture.
Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you?My favorite classes were Conducting 1 and Conducting 2 with Kristo Kondak i, who is a wonderful conductor and teacher. His class is full of inspiration and changed me as a musician. Through conducting, he taught us how to work on anxieties and insecurities and become confident and empowered musicians.
Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about?Recently, I founded a trio called Intersync, with Arman Wali on keys and Dexter Callender III on saxophone, born out of the necessity to experiment. We create a unique blend of traditional sounds and electronic music. We're seeking newness from this experiment and nothing else, which is personally an exciting direction in music exploration.
Rafael Heredia (center) plays with his ensemble, Intersync.
Image courtesy of the artist
How do you typically recharge or find new ideas outside of class?I prioritize good sleep and set aside time to do nothing; these are essential for me to recharge and come up with new ideas. Conversing with people whom I admire, about music and beyond, also helps inspire me a lot.
When you think towards your future, who inspires you most?I have been working on deepening my connection with myself. Nothing is more important than my relationship with myself, and when I focus on this, it helps propel me along my journey and inspires me to pursue a future in music.
Whats one piece of advice youd give to your high school self?I would tell my high school self to trust the process and know that I will meet incredible people along the way. But I would also advise myself to start ear training earlier on.
Rafaels Top Five Songs Right NowWe asked Rafael to tell us his favorite songs of the moment. Heres what he said:
1. The Wind, Keith Jarrett '67I heard this tune when I was about 15 and it blew my mind. It is one of the primary reasons I wanted to study music.
Keith Jarretts New Album Features Unheard Gems
The first single from The Old Country takes us back in time while still making a vital addition to the pianists influential catalog.
Listen now.
2. Hikoutei ( ), King GnuThis one is just a blast and hypes me up. The lyrics are great!
3. Antonia, Paco de LuciaWhen I was five, my dad encouraged me to play this tune on percussion. It was challenging but it is such a beautiful piece and I fondly remember it.
4. The Way Up, Pat MethenyThe entire album tells a compositional story. Its a masterclass in composition, illustrating how to connect pieces seamlessly. This album is a must-study in jazz popular music, as its both written and improvised within a contextual narrative.
5. Huelva City, Sandra CarrascoShe is one of my favorite singers in the world and is a great example of traditional flamenco-style singing. Ive had the honor of performing live with her; she is one of the best!
Related Categories
News
Student Spotlight
Most Popular
Jim Lucchese
Image by Kelly Davidson
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.
Latest
Farayi Malek
Image by Najee Visuals
Signature Series Presents Country Music: Black Roots and Branches New Dangerfield, Dom Flemons, Donna McElroy
LINK: | https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/student-spotlight-rafael-here... |
See more stories from berklee |
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
13/11/2024
John Palma Joins Lawo as U.S. Media Infrastructure Senior Sales Manager
Lawo has named John Palma as senior sales manager for media infrastructure in the U.S....
13/11/2024
Netflix Ad Tier Hits 70M Monthly Active Users Two Years After Launch
Netflix is celebrating the second anniversary of the launch of its advertising business, with the release of new data showing that the ad supported tier now rea...
13/11/2024
Evergent Achieves AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status
SUNNYVALE, Calif. Evergent, a provider of customer management and monetization for streaming and digital subscription businesses, has announced that it has ach...
13/11/2024
Blackmagic Design Levels Up New Rockstars' ComicCon 2024 and Disney D23 Livestream
Blackmagic Design Levels Up New Rockstars' ComicCon 2024 and Disney D23 Live...
13/11/2024
Sony's Beyond Sports Technology Powers Upcoming ESPN Monday Night Football Alternate Presentation-The Simpsons Funday Football
Sony's Beyond Sports Technology Powers Upcoming ESPN Monday Night Football A...
13/11/2024
Colorists' Best-Kept Secret for Skin Tone Matching
Colorists' Best-Kept Secret for Skin Tone Matching Kasia Jarco November 12, 2024 0 Comments Are you looking for precision, reliability, and ease i...
13/11/2024
Berklee to Hold Blue Ridge Benefit Concert for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts
Berklee to Hold Blue Ridge Benefit Concert for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts The event, featuring headliners Langhorne Slim and Kashus Culpepper, takes plac...
13/11/2024
Eastern Airlines Technic and Thales extend MRO cooperation
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Eastern Airlines Technic (EASTEC) and Thales renewed their Maintenance Partnership Agreement, strengthening their collaboration ...
12/11/2024
Dinner and a Movie: Adam Piron on Fox Maxy's Gush and Frybread
by Adam Piron Food and film are two universal languages that connect us. They can draw upon long forgotten memories, take us to a place we've never been, a...
12/11/2024
Never Look Away Delivers Us to War's Front Lines With Fearless Photojournalist Margaret Moth
(Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Patty Consolazio I...
12/11/2024
Podcasts Are Booming in Spain-Here Are Five Shows Driving the Surge
In recent years, Spain's podcast scene has exploded, becoming a top source of entertainment, education, and conversation. From comedy to thought-provoking c...
12/11/2024
Spotify Reports Third Quarter 2024 Earnings
Today, we announced our third quarter 2024 earnings where we outperformed across key metrics, moving us one step closer to a full year of profitability. Take a ...
12/11/2024
Spotify rapporterar intkter fr tredje kvartalet 2024
Idag rapporterar vi int kter f r det tredje kvartalet 2024, ett kvartal d vi vertr ffade f rv ntningarna f r v ra nyckeltal och tog ett steg n rmre ett helt ...
12/11/2024
Exail Selects ST Engineering iDirect's Manufacturing Competence Center as Strategic Partner for Belgian-Dutch Navy Program
Leveraging MCC's expertise in cutting-edge electronics for underwater minesw...
12/11/2024
L3Harris Opens Service Center in Italy for WESCAM MX-Series EO/IR Systems
L3Harris' WESCAM MX -15 EO/IR sensor system onboard Leonardo's HH-139....
12/11/2024
A Major Milestone in Unmanned Systems Technology: The Delivery of Lithium-ion Batteries for Submarine Use
Sailor aboard USS DELAWARE turns an Iver4 900 AUV around for storage outside the...
12/11/2024
Prime Video Remains Top U.S. Streamer for Third Consecutive Year
DALLAS Amazon's Prime Video remains atop Parks Associates' annual list of the 10 most-popular U.S. streaming services for the third straight year. Parks...
12/11/2024
Sling TV Adds 145,000 Pay TV Subs While Dish Sheds 188,000 in Q3
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., EchoStar, which hopes to sell its pay TV operations to DirecTV, continued to hemorrhage subscribers in its third-quarter earnings report, wit...
12/11/2024
Media Links Sees JPEG-XS Service Adoption Soar in Broadcast Quality Media Transport
Media Links Sees JPEG-XS Service Adoption Soar in Broadcast Quality Media Transp...
12/11/2024
DirecTV Launches App-Based Free Streaming Service
Hoping to tap into the fact that one in four U.S. consumers are now viewing free curated video services daily, DirecTV is working with programmers like A&E, Fox...
12/11/2024
Salford University grows film hub with four new sets
The complex provides the perfect setup for young filmmakers to learn their trade, said the university By Matthew Corrigan Published: November 12, 2024 The...
12/11/2024
S4C appoints Geraint Evans as chief executive
Currently interim chief content officer at the channel, Evans starts his new role in January By Matthew Corrigan Published: November 12, 2024 Currently in...
12/11/2024
Skandha launch SyncView real-time Ad delivery tracking da...
Customizable cloud-based / on-prem dashboard seamlessly maps to any playlist associated with each live stream providing instant visibility of Ad delivery signal...
12/11/2024
G-Mana and VisualOn to Revolutionize Client-Side Reportin...
G-Mana, a leading provider of innovative ad insertion and OTT monetization solutions, and VisualOn, a renowned provider of multimedia software solutions, are pl...
12/11/2024
Rise Names NBCU's Megan Mauck Its 2024 Woman of the Year
LONDON Rise, the advocacy group for gender diversity in the media technology sector, said the winner of its 2024 Woman of the Year Award is Megan Mauck, senior ...
12/11/2024
Spectrum Promotes Elena Ritchie to SVP, Video
STAMFORD, Conn. Spectrum has promoted Elena Ritchie to senior vice president of video. In the new role, she will lead teams working on the cable operator's ...
12/11/2024
Netgear Introduces Engage 2.0 Upgrade For AV Network Management
SAN JOSE, Calif. Netgear has launched Engage 2.0, a free upgrade to its AV network management platform that can be downloaded from the company's website....
12/11/2024
SBS Medianet in Korea Acquires More Ikegami UHK-X700 4K Cameras
SEOUL Korean cable television network SBS Medianet has expanded its production base with the purchase of additional Ikegami UHK-X700 cameras for live coverage o...
12/11/2024
Dan ONeill uses SmallHD Indie 7 for Rugged Wildlife Docum...
Filmmaker, research biologist, and adventurer Dan O'Neill is known for his incredible photography and documentary films using camera trap technology to stud...
12/11/2024
Media Links Sees JPEG-XS Service Adoption Soar in Broadca...
Media Links, a pioneer in IP-based media transport solutions, is experiencing strong demand for JPEG-XS compression services across its broad product portfolio ...
12/11/2024
SBS Medianet Introduces Ikegami UHK-X700 4K Cameras
Korean cable television network SBS Medianet has expanded its production base with the purchase of Ikegami UHK-X700 cameras for live coverage of a major golf to...
12/11/2024
Enter to Win the Final Week of the RE:Vision Effects 2024 Raffle at Creative Cow!
Enter to Win the Final Week of the RE:Vision Effects 2024 Raffle at Creative Cow...
12/11/2024
AJA Corvid Powers I/O for RT Software's Live Broadcast Graphics Solutions
AJA Corvid Powers I/O for RT Software's Live Broadcast Graphics Solutions Brie Clayton November 11, 2024 0 Comments Catamaran racing is an elite s...
12/11/2024
Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival Powered by Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival Powered by Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 Brie Clayton November 11, 2024 0 Comments Ruima Video Art tackled the s...
12/11/2024
Japan Tech Leaders Supercharge Sovereign AI With NVIDIA AI Enterprise and Omniverse
From call centers to factories to hospitals, AI is sweeping Japan. Undergirding...
12/11/2024
Japan's Startups Drive AI Innovation With NVIDIA Accelerated Computing
Lifelike digital humans engage with audiences in real time. Autonomous systems streamline complex logistics. And AI-driven language tools break down communicati...
12/11/2024
NVIDIA and Global Consulting Leaders Speed AI Adoption Across Japan's Industries
Consulting giants including Accenture, Deloitte, EY Strategy and Consulting Co.,...
12/11/2024
Lab Confidential: Japan Research Keeps Healthcare Data Secure
Established 77 years ago, Mitsui & Co stays vibrant by building businesses and ecosystems with new technologies like generative AI and confidential computing. ...
12/11/2024
Japan Develops Next-Generation Drug Design, Healthcare Robotics and Digital Health Platforms
To provide high-quality medical care to its population - around 30% of whom are ...
12/11/2024
Japan's Market Innovators Bring Physical AI to Industries With NVIDIA AI and Omniverse
Robots transporting heavy metal at a Toyota plant. Yaskawa's robots working ...
12/11/2024
Every Industry, Every Company, Every Country Must Produce a New Industrial Revolution,' Says NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at AI Summit Japan
The next technology revolution is here, and Japan is poised to be a major part o...
12/11/2024
VEON Announces Special General Meeting for the Laying of the 2023 Audited Financials Before Shareholders
12 Nov 2024 VEON Announces Special General Meeting for the Laying of the 2023 A...
12/11/2024
2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Charlie Carlucci Profile: A Legacy Unlike Any Other as a CBS Sports Graphics Operator
2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Charlie Carlucci Profile: A Legacy Unlike...
12/11/2024
SVG All-Stars: Cindy Pennington, Operations Specialist, ESPN
SVG All-Stars: Cindy Pennington, Operations Specialist, ESPN The Kentucky native is an integral behind-the-scenes leader on countless remotes By Brandon Costa,...
12/11/2024
SVG Summit 2024: State of the Remote Production Business Panel Brings Dome, GCV, MTVG, NEP, PPI to the Stage
SVG Summit 2024: State of the Remote Production Business Panel Brings Dome, GCV,...
12/11/2024
Live Cloud Production - Dispelling Some Myths
FutureSPORT 2024: Live cloud production - Dispelling some myths By Jo Ruddock Monday, November 11, 2024 - 12:10 Print This Story We are now at a point whe...
12/11/2024
Rohde & Schwarz presents the R&S RTB 2, a new entry level oscilloscope with class leading specifications
Rohde & Schwarz presents the R&S RTB 2, a new entry level oscilloscope with clas...
12/11/2024
Top 10 Week of Nov. 4: Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson' Enters the Ring; Meet Me Next Christmas' Unwraps #1
Back to All News Top 10 Week of Nov. 4: Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson' Enters ...