Berklee College of Music and Electronic Arts (EA) recently hosted the inaugural EA Day on the college’s Boston campus. The event celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the first EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship to Katie Rupinski, a talented student from the Screen Scoring Department.
EA Day featured a panel of distinguished composers, including Hildur Guðnadóttir (Battlefield 2042, Joker), Stephanie Economou (Assassin’s Creed: Dawn of Ragnarok), Nami Melumad (Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond), Chanda Dancy (Devotion, I Wanna Dance with Somebody), and Dara Taylor (The Tender Bar, The Invitation). The panel discussion, moderated by Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and president at EA Music, and Sean McMahon, chair of the college’s Screen Scoring Department, provided valuable insights and expertise on working in the entertainment industry. The panelists shared their experiences composing for various platforms, from video games to television and film.
EA Day festivities commenced with a special Screen Scoring Studio Orchestra class featuring 45 orchestral student musicians and concluded with one-on-one mentoring sessions between panelists and students. The event aimed to showcase the partnership between Berklee College of Music’s Screen Scoring Department and EA Music, which seeks to promote greater equity in the entertainment industry and the world of screen scoring.
The EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship, awarded each semester to one qualified female or non-cisgender composer studying in the Screen Scoring Department, not only provides a financial award but also offers the opportunity for the recipient to be mentored by an industry-leading team. Scholars gain hands-on experience composing, orchestrating, and arranging an original score for an EA video game title.
Rupinski, the inaugural EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship recipient and a senior studying screen scoring, expressed her immense gratitude for the award. Originally from Sherborn, Massachusetts, she discovered her passion for composing music for video games after joining the college’s video game music club in 2020. With plans to move to Los Angeles and work in the gaming industry after graduation, Rupinski looks forward to experiencing both AAA and indie game settings and contributing to the ever-evolving world of video games.
Through events like EA Day and initiatives such as the EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship, Berklee College of Music and EA Music continue to support and celebrate the achievements of women and non-cisgender composers in the screen scoring industry.
