Portrait of a smiling Michele Darling wearing blue and black jacket.

Michele Darling

Chair
mdarling@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-6559

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Michele Darling is an accomplished sound designer, composer, recording engineer, and educator. Her work—always rooted in the possibilities of sound—aligns futuristic thinking with music production and sound design. From national television shows and video games to electronic toys and music software, Darling shares her expertise across a range of media types and platforms. Working with Sesame Workshop, Warner Bros., Discovery, and 4Kids Entertainment, as well as Hasbro, Ableton, and iZotope, Darling’s work can be heard among Emmy-winning entertainment, on the top 100 most influential toys list, and throughout multi-genre music productions worldwide.

Darling is devoted to the future of music technology education and is the chair of the Electronic Production and Design (EPD) Department at Berklee College of Music. She leads the EPD department, educating students in electronic music production, sound design, sound for immersive platforms, such as video games and mixed reality, new musical instrument design, and electronic music performance.

Career Highlights
  • Contributed for a decade as part of the interactive production team at Sesame Workshop in New York City, engaging in projects that earned Emmy recognition
  • ​Collaborations with 4Kids Entertainment (of Pokémon, Sonic, and Yu-Gi-Oh fame), HBO Family, The Learning Channel, Toca Boca, Hasbro, Morton Subotnick, The Criterion Collection, and iZotope, working across various media, including national television shows, video games, online platforms, and electronic toys ​
  • Former member of the Ableton sound design team, creating presets for the widely used music production software, impacting multi-genre music producers worldwide
  • Member of experimental electronic music group, Aerostatic
  • Director of education at Dubspot, an innovative electronic music production and DJ school in New York City
  • Actively involved in initiatives promoting gender and racial equality in the music and technology industries, aiming to create supportive communities in these fields
Awards
  • Emmy Award for Sesame Workshop, digital media
Education
  • New York University
    New York
    Master of Music (MM)
    Music Production, Technology Innovation
  • Indiana University-Bloomington
    Indiana
    Bachelor of Science (BS)
    Music
In Their Own Words
"I want students to leave our classes with the skills and confidence to create original electronic music, design innovative sound experiences, and apply advanced audio technology in their work. I also want them to feel empowered as artists and professionals, ready to push creative and technological boundaries within collaborative and inclusive communities."
"My professional background as an electronic musician and as a sound designer for TV and games over the past 20-plus years allows me to bring industry experience to Berklee. Having worked on high-profile projects, I can provide students with practical insights into professional workflows, creative problem-solving, and industry expectations. My experience helps me mentor students on career paths, networking, and the evolving landscape of sound design and electronic music production."
"Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design (EPD) program stands out because it uniquely brings together a diverse range of creative disciplines—artists, producers, sound designers, coders, product designers, installation artists, electronic musicians, DJs, and more—all within one program. EPD provides a strong foundation in sound and music technology before students specialize in their chosen field. What truly sets us apart is our emphasis on innovation. We don’t just teach skills; we teach students how to learn, adapt, and push creative and technological boundaries. By integrating a high level of musicianship with cutting-edge technology, we create an environment where students develop into forward-thinking artists, technologists, and creators who shape the future of electronic music, sound design, and immersive media."
"Berklee is a great place to study because it is a global leader in contemporary music education, offering an environment where creativity, technology, and innovation thrive. It provides an unparalleled community of musicians, producers, sound designers, composers, and technologists, fostering collaboration across genres and disciplines. We do our best to encourage students to push artistic and technological boundaries, making it the perfect place for those who want to shape the future of music."
Additional Related Links
Aerostatic on last.fm