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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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Circle of Fifths
Circle of Fifths: The Key to Unlocking Harmonic Understanding

The circle of fifths is arguably the most helpful way of visually organizing Western music theory’s 12 chromatic pitches for learning. This primer, featuring excerpts from Music Application and Theory and Music for Beginners will give you several new tools to commit this concept to memory.

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An MC raises a fist while rapping into a microphone during an onstage performance at a hip hop concert.
How Hip Hop Culture Became a Global Force in Black Creative Expression

Take an in-depth look at the rise of Hip Hop Culture—from Bronx block parties to global stages—as a powerful expression of Afro-Diasporic identity, resilience, and artistry in this lesson excerpt from Black Creative Expression.

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Huey Lewis is pictured on the cover of his 2020 album, "Weather."
Huey Lewis and the News on His Hearing, the Power of Love, and More

Huey Lewis: Some of his lies are true, including the ones about stowing away on a plane to Europe, playing soccer with Black Sabbath and Ozzy, and being dressed by Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He also touches upon his meteoric rise to fame in the 1980s and his struggles with Ménière’s disease.

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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

In this excerpt from Music Marketing 101, discover how to create merch that fans actually want—while boosting your brand, building loyalty, and growing your income.

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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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