![Berklee Online graduates with their caps and gowns on at Commencement.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/commencement_article_image_2024_1.jpg)
Berklee Online’s Class of 2024: A Testament to Tenacity
On May 11, members of Berklee Online’s class of 2024 will gather in Boston to take part in this year’s Commencement ceremony, alongside their Berklee campus peers. Read the inspiring stories of six Berklee Online graduates as they reflect on their experiences and share what’s in store for their futures.
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![A white music staff over a black background with two lightsabers making an X through it.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/john_williams_star_wars_music_article_image_2024.jpg)
John Williams and the Music of ‘Star Wars’
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the career of John Williams in the history and evolution of film music. In honor of Star Wars Day on May 4 (may the fourth be with you), we’ll explore how John Williams and his music became such an essential aspect of the beloved franchise.
![Breanna Dickerson Headshot](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/breanna_dickerson_article_image_2024_1.jpg)
Breanna Dickerson on Berklee Graduation and Entrepreneurship
Breanna Dickerson, who is a member of Berklee Online’s class of 2024, shares the lessons that she’s learned during her time in the Music Business program, which involve auditioning for America’s Got Talent, interning for Universal Music Group, and rebranding her award-winning Christian hip-hop duo, F.L.O.G.I.C.
![](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/berklee_onsite_2024_take_note_article_image.png)
Berklee Online Holds 2024 Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 31-June 1
On May 31-June 1, Berklee Online will hold its seventh annual Berklee Onsite conference at the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston. Berklee Onsite 2024 is two days of workshops, panels, performances, and networking events, open to Berklee Online students and the music community at large.
![Carlos Arana, course author and instructor of the Berklee Online course AI for Music and Audio is pictured against a white background. Photo credit: John Davenport](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/carlos_arana_AI_in_music_article_image_2024-1.jpg)
What is Generative AI and Should Musicians be Afraid? Carlos Arana Will Let You Know!
Carlos Arana, author of the Berklee Online course AI for Music and Audio, shares why it’s important for musicians to educate themselves about generative AI and to replace fear with curiosity.
![Person's hand writing in a notebook. Guitar on lap in background.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/taylor_swift_masterclass_article_image_2024_1.jpg)
Are You Ready for It? New Taylor Swift Songwriting Masterclass
Berklee Online instructor Scarlet Keys is leading a new Masterclass called “The Songwriting Secrets of Taylor Swift,” a two-hour session that serves as a bite-size online version of the popular course she teaches at the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston. Learn what particular Tay-Tay songwriting tricks Scarlet appreciates most.
![A graphic of a circle that is half a vinyl record on top, half Earth on the bottom. The vinyl record on top is steaming and the Earth below is melting. The background is orange and red ombre with speckles.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/songs_about_climate_change_article_image_2024.png)
Songs about Climate Change and the Environment
Earth Day is April 22, and now is a great time to listen to songs about climate change and the environment, to reflect on ways we can lean into our collective responsibility.
![Steve Zimmerman, fourth from left, looks out onto the city of Boston with the other members of the reunited Drop Nineteens.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/drop_nineteens_article_image_2024.jpg)
Drop Nineteens Return to the Road 30 Years Later
Steve Zimmerman has been Berklee Online’s Director of User Experience for more than 15 years. Before that he was a founding member of Boston shoegaze legends Drop Nineteens, a band he is happily reuniting with for a tour next month after a decades-long hiatus.
![A collage demonstrates the need for accessibility in concert venues.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/accessibility_in_live_music_article_image_2024_1-1.jpg)
Amping Up Accessibility in Live Music
Columnist Karli Drew discusses concert accessibility and what venues can do to make the live music experience more accessible for Disabled people.
![A VU meter on a stereo console shows the levels of a song when audio mastering techniques have been executed.](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1024,h_640/https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/audio_mastering_techniques_article_image_2024.jpg)
Music Mastering Techniques from the Pros
In music mastering, our ears, loudspeakers, and room acoustics play pivotal roles in shaping what we perceive as quality sound. In this excerpt from the Berklee Online course Audio Mastering Techniques, professors Marc-Dieter Einstmann and Jonathan Wyner discuss the importance of these three components.