You know Butch Vig as the drummer and producer of Garbage, or the producer of mammoth 1990s recordings from Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. But there is a lot more to him than that. For one, he has been playing with most of the people he makes music with for nearly 40 years.

If you’ve heard any reggae music in your entire life then you’ve heard Sly Dunbar’s drumming, or at the very least, his influence. As one half of Sly and Robbie, Sly says he’s probably played on a million songs.

The music industry was experiencing a mental health crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it has intensified even more.
Learn about the organization Backline that is helping people in the music industry get the care they need.

Learn the fascinating journey of the classical guitar and its evolution across multiple continents, seas, and centuries.

Dr. E Michael Harrington is one of the preeminent figures in the world on music copyright and intellectual property matters. Famously, he worked as a consultant and expert witness to return “We Shall Overcome” and “This Land Is Your Land” to the public domain. In this Q&A, Harrington talks about falling into the music business accidentally, his extensive background in music, and the lessons he’s learned along the way in his career where music law and business intersect.

Anna Bulbrook began studying violin at four. She quit at the age of 21, but then changed the terms of the relationship after a gig with Kanye West, and went on to become a founding member of the Airborne Toxic Event.

Bonnie Hayes wants you to throw out the idea that songwriting can only be done when inspiration hits. Hayes is the director of Berklee Online’s new Master of Arts in Songwriting degree program, and has designed the curriculum to prepare students to write marketable songs at a moment’s notice.

Hailu Mergia is an accordionist, keyboardist, and bandleader from Ethiopia, where he played with Walias Band and Dahlak Band before defecting to the US.

This is the second year that Berklee’s Commencement will be held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 graduates have been through their share of adversity to get where they are today, but they are stronger, more resilient, and ready to take on the music industry.