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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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Christopher Wares

Christopher Wares serves as the assistant chair of the Music Business/Management department at Berklee College of Music. He has worked in artist management, marketing, copyright administration, and distribution, leading campaigns for Grammy and Juno winners and securing funding for artists and companies. He wrote and teaches Berklee Online’s Music Marketing 101 course.



A graphic displays the types of merch that musicians might use to promote their brand.

How to Create Music Merch to Grow Your Brand

By Christopher Wares

Your merch table could be doing a lot more. In this excerpt from Music Marketing 101, discover how smart artists use audience insights, pricing strategy, and creative product ideas—from apparel to limited editions—to turn branded items into brand momentum.

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A woman listening to her music on a Spotify playlist

How to Get Your Music on Spotify Playlists

By Christopher Wares

Playlists have become the ultimate music discovery tool, helping artists reach new audiences and boost their streams. From algorithmic to editorial, getting your music on a Spotify playlist is a marketing tactic artists need to hack. In this excerpt from Music Marketing 101 you’ll learn how to navigate the process and maximize your chances of your music landing on a playlist.

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