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Vivian Aguiar-Buff sits cross-legged and looks directly at the camera in this portrait set against a gray background.
Vivian Aguiar-Buff on Hans Zimmer, DreamWorks, and Her Emmy Win

What do Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, and Gabby’s Dollhouse have in common? Emmy-winning music supervisor Vivian Aguiar-Buff helped shape their sound. In this deep-dive interview, the Music Supervision and Film Scoring instructor reflects on her path from law school dropout to Remote Control Productions, the secrets behind music supervision, and why being part of a creative team means leaving your ego at the door.

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An illustration shows the side profile of a woman's head, and inside her mind we see that she is thinking of how she plays her oboe.
Mental Practice Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide for Musicians

As a musician, not all of your practice will be on your instrument. Some of it will be in your head, and some of it may even be on objects that just look like your instrument. We call this mental practice, and in this excerpt from Barbara LaFitte’s Practicing Techniques for Musicians course, the former principal oboist in the Boston Ballet Orchestra shares tips on how to practice your instrument when you just aren’t able to actually play your instrument.

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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.
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.

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Cindy Blackman Santana photographed by Jimmy Bruch
Drummer Cindy Blackman Santana on Carlos, Lenny, and Visitations from Jazz Greats

Cindy Blackman became Lenny Kravitz’s drummer after a lifetime of jazz drumming. In this wide-ranging interview she discusses being visited by the spirits of the jazz greats she befriended during her time in New York City, and how she and husband Carlos Santana stay in harmony, onstage and off.

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Brad Hatfield

Brad Hatfield is a five-time Emmy–winning composer, keyboardist, and educator with credits in The Sopranos, Iron Man 2, and performances with the Boston Pops. His music has been featured in film, television, and commercial projects around the world, and he has collaborated with artists including James Taylor, Bono, and Martina McBride. For Berklee Online, he is the author and instructor of Music Supervision and Music Licensing.



A graphic of an old television set with soundwaves going through the air and onto the screen.

Music Supervision: Choosing TV Theme Songs

By Brad Hatfield

What makes a TV theme song stick? Go behind the scenes as music supervisors weigh creative instincts, licensing hurdles, and budget realities in this excerpt from Music Supervision 2. If you are unable to open this free lesson, sign up to learn more about the upcoming Music Supervision Graduate Program and gain access to this material.

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A photo of a music supervisor working with an editor at a computer.

Music Supervision: What Does a Music Supervisor Do?

By Brad Hatfield

You never know when a music supervision opportunity might present itself, which is why adding music supervision to your skill sets could set you up to be a valuable member of a production team.

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