For the fifth consecutive year, Enrique Gonzalez Müller, Berklee Online’s director of the Music Production master’s program, has partnered with iZotope, Slate Digital, and Sweetwater Sound to award six outstanding Berklee Online alumni. This year’s winners are Merrily James, Jerod Jerry, Canita Rogers, Todd Urban, Andrew Veres, and Dean Vitale.
“Our graduates’ achievements showcase not just great technical prowess, but also their passion for exploration, innovation, and creating music that resonates and inspires audiences worldwide,” says Gonzalez Müller.
At the end of the Spring 2025 semester, Berklee Online’s graduate music production instructors were invited to review students’ culminating experience projects from the previous year in a blind deliberation process. The culminating experience is the final requirement that music production master’s students need to graduate, showcasing everything that they’ve learned in the program. This year, the instructors judged the winners on the following criteria in music production: excellent performance, excellent mixing, and excellent creativity.
“Each award stands as a testament to their unwavering dedication to both their craft and to one another,” says Gonzalez Müller. “For the course authors, instructors, and myself, it is a true honor to guide such a dynamic and visionary community of artists and producers.”
Merrily James
Merrily James is the winner of the Slate Digital Award Honoring Excellent Mixing in Music Production. James was born in London, raised in Seattle, and has lived in NYC for nearly a decade.
“I’m really proud of allowing myself to be a learner again—to get curious, to try new things, and to be challenged,” says James, who in addition to her work as an artist and producer, is also the associate dean and program director for songwriting and production at BerkleeNYC.
“I want to thank the incredible professors, mentors, and especially Enrique for his vision and dedication as program director,” she says. “I love being a learner, and continue to be humbled by how much more there is to discover.”
James describes her sound as living in the space between indie and pop, with a lean towards R&B. Lyrics are a cornerstone of her music, drawing inspiration from artists such as Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Frank Ocean, and Bon Iver. As a teen, she toured with the internationally acclaimed Total Experience Gospel Choir, where the works of Mahalia Jackson, Donny Hathaway, and Etta James shaped her appreciation for soul music.
“I’m drawn to emotional honesty, interesting textures, and melodic clarity,” she says.
James is currently finishing a self-produced and self-written EP. She also regularly collaborates with other artists in New York and continues her work as an educator, which she says brings her joy and keeps her creatively engaged.
“One highlight was diving into psychoacoustics and acoustic modeling and design” she says, “areas I hadn’t explored before but found fascinating. That sense of discovery is something I’ll carry forward.”
Jerod Jerry
San Antonio-based Jerod Jerry is the recipient of the Sweetwater Sound Award Honoring Excellent Performance in Music Production. He is the technical director for the Buena Vista Theater, which he helped design, and is the event manager and a professor of practice for the University of Texas at San Antonio.
“For several weeks, I have been considering whether to share my music with various publishers and record executives, grappling with self-doubt about whether my productions could stand up to the current industry standards,” he says. “This recognition not only bolstered my self-assurance but also revitalized my creative thinking as a marketer, enabling me to move forward and present my work in the best possible way.”
Originally from Miami, Jerry enjoys merging contemporary sounds with classic music structures and incorporating elements of musical theater. Recently, Jerry spent 12 hours with Justin Timberlake’s live production team on his Forget Tomorrow tour, facilitating the learning opportunity for his students at UTSA. He points out that he and Timberlake share an affiliation with Disney.
“He began his career on the Mickey Mouse Club in 1993, while in 1997, I became the first collegiate audio engineer in the United States selected to participate in Walt Disney World’s inaugural technical program,” says Jerry, who was also an official Disney cast member for two years. “Justin has long been one of my key inspirations.”
Beyond Timberlake, Jerry’s musical influences include Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Usher, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, and many more.
Currently, Jerry is working on a documentary project focused on mariachi music and dance, showcasing performers from the Guadalupe Arts and Cultural Center in San Antonio. He’s also working on an SNL-like show called Gridiron, scheduled for release at the end of the summer. In addition to producing the live show, he is the audio engineer and editor.
Canita “QuietGirl” Rogers
Producer, mixing engineer, and music instructor Canita “QuietGirl” Rogers is the winner of the Sweetwater Sound Award Honoring Excellent Performance in Music Production. Rogers, who is originally from Montgomery, Alabama and is now based in Panama City, Florida, says her musical style blends elements of classical, soul, gospel, R&B, and jazz to create a timeless sound.
“When I first received the email about me winning the award, I couldn’t believe it!” she says. “Winning this award gives me the motivation and confidence to keep working hard toward my goals to become a successful music producer. Also, to know that Berklee’s faculty recognizes my music lets me know I’m on the right path in my career.”
Rogers draws inspiration from artists and producers including Quincy Jones, Prince, Babyface, D’Mile, and Carlos Battey (of Jackie’s Boyz), a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who has also been a collaborator in her recent work.
Her culminating experience project, Back to Basics Vol. 1, an album by soul artist Noel Gourdin, is now available on all major streaming platforms. In addition to that release, Rogers is working with many local and major artists who will be releasing their projects this year.
The title track to Canita “QuietGirl” Rogers’ culminating experience project titled Back to Basics Vol. 1. by soul artist Noel Gourdin.
Rogers says she’s most proud of the connections she made with other producers and engineers during her time at Berklee Online.
“Attending Berklee has definitely taught me to be creative, to know my worth as a producer, and to not be scared to think outside the box,” she says.
Todd Urban
Multi-instrumentalist Todd Urban from Northern New Jersey is the winner of this year’s Slate Digital Award Honoring Excellent Mixing in Music Production. As the founder of Urban Sound Studio, Todd has more than 25 years of experience in recording and production. He also has a popular YouTube channel where he answers music tech questions and explores new gear.
“As the engineer and producer of this EP, I feel that I made a connection to an audience that felt something from the music,” he says about his winning culminating experience project. “The artistic statement that was made and the emotion that was conveyed via this album was not the voice of the artist in solitude. It was a collaborative experience that involved a lot of pushing and growth for the artist, as well as myself.”
Already holding a master’s degree in string education, Urban began his graduate studies at Berklee Online, taking individual courses, eventually choosing to complete the entire music production program.
“The Berklee classes were an excellent opportunity to push my skill set into new territory,” he says. “The paperwork of another master’s degree wasn’t going to move my career forward. I paced myself with this degree to hone my skills one class at a time. In between each class, I used the downtime as an opportunity to reflect on what was learned and put it into practice in my real-world session work.”
Urban is inspired by a wide range of artists and producers, including Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Trent Reznor, and Jack White, along with pop artists such as Harry Styles, Charlie Puth, BTS, Dua Lipa, Mammoth WVH, Muse, and Taylor Swift.
He is currently working on several major projects, which include recording and producing a classical album, working with different artists on musicals, some of which are headed to Broadway, and recording an intricate performance of a mallet player and a guitarist. He also has plans to collaborate with his fellow Berklee Online graduates.
“Making it to the end wasn’t about the end, it was about a new beginning,” he says.
Andrew Veres
Andrew Veres from Cleveland, Ohio, is the recipient of this year’s iZotope Award Honoring Excellent Creativity in Music Production. When he’s not producing music, he’s teaching audio engineering for Cuyahoga Community College’s Recording Arts & Technology program, which has a transfer agreement with Berklee Online.
“It’s incredibly flattering, especially knowing how much talent is in the program,” says Veres. “I was consistently inspired and pushed by the work of my peers.”
Veres started out as a drummer and moved into experimental electronic music 15 years ago. He’s inspired by a wide range of artists such as trumpet player and composer Jon Hassell, Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus through their Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound projects, producer and drummer John McEntire from Tortoise, composer Uwe Schmidt, and pop producer Ian Kirkpatrick.
“As a producer, I think my approach is shaped a lot by the artist I’m working with,” he says. “Understanding their vision and finding a way to bring something to it that’s also coming from my own voice is a balancing act that’s always in motion.”
Currently, Veres says he’s producing a three-song EP and finishing up new material for a long-term project he’s been working on with a friend. He also performed with Organic Dial in Detroit at the annual event called No Way Back, which takes place around the Movement Music Festival.
“I’ve been fortunate to be involved with it for almost 10 years—it’s always a lot of work, but a great experience playing for such an engaged crowd alongside artists I really respect,” he says about the event.
Reflecting on his time in the program, Veres says, “I’m really proud of my culminating experience project and how it brought everything together at the end of the program. Professor Slade was incredibly supportive, giving us the freedom to bring our own creative process while still drawing from all the work we had done up to that point. I also got a lot out of the courses with Professor Gonzalez Müller. They were demanding in the best way. Even in moments when I felt like I was hitting a wall, those classes pushed me to rise to the occasion and do my best work.”
Dean Vitale
Based in Meriden, Connecticut, Dean Vitale is the recipient of the Sweetwater Sound Award for Excellent Performance. A singer, songwriter, and producer who goes by the artist name “sir” Luminous, his musical style draws on a wide range of genres and eras.
“School was always difficult for me, so to be recognized for my hard work was absolutely amazing,” he says. “I’m extremely honored and blessed.”
Inspired by artists like Ryan Leslie, Bruno Mars, and Prince, Vitale channels their influence into making his music universal. He’s currently working on projects for popular artists in the reggae, dancehall, and soca community, which he says sparked ideas for personal projects in these genres.
Looking back on his time in the master’s program, Vitale says he’s most excited about the practical skills he’s gained.
“I am most proud of the skills I have added to my toolbox throughout the courses,” he says. “I have applied many of the lessons I learned to my work, and feel that it has enhanced my skills as a producer, singer, songwriter, and mixing and mastering engineer. I am also extremely grateful for my classmates, as we all helped each other out.”
