Berklee and Spotify Announce 2019 EQL Residency Recipients
Rising audio professionals Sophie Ackroyd and Berklee alumnae Alissa Faratro and Jessica Taylor will embark on a six-month residency at Spotify's Secret Genius Studios in London, Los Angeles, and Nashville.
By
Tori Donahue
September 18, 2019
Alissa Faratro B.M. '19
Image courtesy of Alissa Faratro
Last year, Spotify’s social impact team and Berklee College of Music partnered to launch the EQL Studio Residency—a full-time, paid program that provides immersive experience, networking opportunities, and mentorship to emerging, women-identifying studio engineers and producers. Even though the 2018 residency was recognized by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative as a promising solution to an industry fraught with gender inequality, the work is not complete, and Spotify and Berklee are proud to introduce the roster of the second annual EQL Residency.
Starting this month, these three up-and-coming audio professionals will take on positions at the Spotify Secret Genius Studios in London, Los Angeles, and Nashville.
About the Recipients
Sophie Ackroyd
London-based songwriter, producer, and engineer Sophie Ackroyd is a graduate of Oxford University, where she studied English literature before beginning her musical career at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, working at Battersea Park Studios and collaborating with artists from across the globe.
Alissa Faratro B.M. '19
A Montreal native and Berklee graduate who majored in music production and engineering, Alissa Faratro B.M. ‘19 has assisted and interned for Grammy-nominated vocal producer and engineer Simone Torres B.M. ‘15, and worked as a stage manager and production assistant for some of Berklee’s biggest productions.
Jessica Taylor B.M. '19
Hailing from Northern Virginia, Jessica Taylor B.M. ’19 is a recent Berklee graduate who majored in music production and engineering. She has attended master classes with the acclaimed Ebonie Smith, Ann Mincieli, and Simone Torres and worked as a live sound engineer at Square Root Café as well as an office assistant at the Berklee Guitar Department. Taylor has also completed six studio internships.
