Alum

Matthew Davidson

Associate Professor
Faculty Bio E-Mail
mdavidson@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-6352

For media inquiries, please contact Media Relations

Career Highlights
  • Cycling ’74: Product manager for MaxForLive and audio features in Max
  • MOTU: User interface designer of a number of award-winning software products including Digital Performer, MX4, Cuemix, Volta, and others
Education
  • B.M., Berklee College of Music, music synthesis and film music composition dual major
  • Graduate studies, University of Texas at Austin, music composition
In Their Own Words

"I believe I’m from the first generation of musicians who grew up with computers. As a kid I had an interest in both music and computers, even though personal computers weren’t common at the time. I learned how to compose by trial and error using the computer, which gave me immediate and nonjudgmental feedback. The turning point for me was in the mid-'80s, when MIDI came out and the technology became affordable. This dual interest is what got me into Berklee as a student."

"I spent most of my professional life in the music software industry, so I know firsthand how quickly technology evolves. I teach the generalized concepts underneath the technology so my students can apply what they learn to any future technology they’re going to encounter. I want to give them the base of the pyramid: the information to solve their own problems or know where to go to solve them."

"Everything inspired me when I was a student at Berklee. I kept a notebook of projects I wanted to do after I finished my homework, when I had downtime. I give my students strategies for capturing their own inspiration as they’re completing their assignments. By the end of a semester, I want my students to be armed with techniques and ideas they can spend the rest of their lives exploring."

"I used to define ‘success’ as the ability to make a living with music, but that got a bit more refined when I started doing work for hire. Since then, ‘success’ for me is more a matter of artistic integrity, being able to achieve what I set out to achieve." 

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