Visiting 12 Majors at Berklee College of Music: Che Ziyu

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杨光：哈喽大家好，欢迎来到探访伯克利12个专业的第三期。今天呢，很高兴邀请到了我的好朋友车子玉，来介绍professional music专业。
Yang Guang: Hello everyone, welcome to the third episode of exploring the 12 majors at Berkeley. Today, I am delighted to invite my good friend Che Ziyu to introduce the Professional Music major.

车子玉：大家好，我是车子玉。
Che Ziyu: Hello everyone, I am Che Ziyu.

杨光：车子玉，你是为什么会选择考伯克利这个专业？
Yang Guang: Che Ziyu, why did you choose to study this major at Berkeley?

车子玉：其实这个真的是歪打正着。我就是13年的时候还在美国上高中，然后那个夏天，我妈妈的一个朋友正好给她的小孩报了那个summer program，就是five week。然后我妈看到她的朋友报了，名也说那不然，她帮我也报一个，就等于是不知道是怎么的就跟着去了。然后我那之前对伯克利也没有任何的了解，但是自从那个夏天以后，我就会觉得，我自己其实对这方面还真的挺有兴趣，有去想深究的这个想法。所以2013年之后就开始准备考伯克利。
Che Ziyu: Actually, it was a fortunate accident. In 2013, I was still in high school in the United States. During that summer, one of my mom's friends enrolled her child in the summer program, which was a five-week course at Berkeley. My mom saw that her friend had enrolled and suggested, "Why not enroll my child too?" So, without knowing much about it, I ended up going. Before that, I had no knowledge about Berkeley whatsoever. But after that summer, I realized I had a genuine interest in this field and the desire to explore it further. So, starting from 2013, I began preparing to apply to Berkeley.

杨光：我也听说你是在美国读的高中。对的，那你觉得就是在美国考试什么样的感受？
Yang Guang: I heard that you went to high school in the United States too. So, what was it like taking exams in the U.S.?

车子玉：我其实前前后后考了两次。因为他们那个夏季program的话，他们会在结尾给你安排一个相当于早鸟audition，就是那样子。所以我那个时候去考了一次，然后后面就是大家正常的那个时间又去考了一次。如果你在国内考，你肯定不会有怎么说两次机会这样子。但是就是他们考的内容什么的，我觉得应该是不会有太大的区别。
Che Ziyu: I actually took the exam twice. Because for their summer program, at the end, they arrange something like an early bird audition, it's like that. So, I went to take the exam once during that time, and then later, during the regular period, I took it again. If you take the exam in China, you definitely won't have, let's say, two chances like this. However, in terms of the content of the exams, I don't think there should be a significant difference.

杨光：那我们说说进了伯克利以后吧。因为进了伯克利，我们第一个学期大家都是会读核心课程，大家都是差不多的课程。到了第二个学期以后，有一些同学就有机会可以开始选专业。那当时怎么会选择Professional Music这个专业呢？
Yang Guang: Let's talk about life at Berkeley. In the first semester, everyone studies core courses, so the classes are quite similar for everyone. Starting from the second semester, some students have the opportunity to choose their majors. How did you decide to pursue the Professional Music major at that time?

车子玉：其实在开始我大一生活之前，我就小小的研究了一下伯克利的这几个专业。伯克利吸引我最大的地方就是说，他不仅仅有表演专业，因为我知道，很多音乐学院就是国内外的，他们只有表演专业，然后可能最多的分爵士表演和古典表演这样子。所以伯克利当时有那么多选择，对我来说吸引力还是很大，而且我从小就非常喜欢游戏。然后我那个时候发现伯克利它其实有一个video game scoring，但是它是一个minor。唯一可以去就是学习到这个专业的地方，就是通过promusic把它作为我的一个concentration。
Che Ziyu: Actually, before my freshman year, I did a little research on Berkeley's majors. What attracted me most about Berkeley was that it not only had performance majors. You see, I knew that many music schools, both in China and abroad, only offered performance majors, and at most, they had jazz and classical performance. So, Berkeley having so many options was very appealing to me. Additionally, I've loved games since I was a child. I discovered that Berkeley had a minor in video game scoring. The only way to study this specialty was by making it my concentration through the Professional Music program.

杨光：对，刚才我听你也提到了concentration这个词。在这个Professional Music里面呢，他的这个专业的设置可能和其他的专业还不是很同。那能再给我们介绍一下？
Yang Guang: Yes, earlier you mentioned the term "concentration." Within the Professional Music program, its structure might be different from other majors. Could you provide us with more details about it?

车子玉：Pro music它的优点就是它的灵活度非常大，你可以像选套餐那样子，自己规划自己的学分。Pro music的话，他会给你2-3个concentrations，让你自己去选。我选的两个，因为我想把那两个学得更透彻一点，这样子，我选的是cwp跟video game scoring。我知道很多人还选了第三个，就更多有点像business这样子的课，多一点。所以就是说它的灵活度非常高，你可以随便如何搭配都行，只要在规定的时间内完成一定的学分，随便你怎么去学就可以的。
Che Ziyu: One of the advantages of the Professional Music program is its high flexibility. It's like choosing a set meal; you plan your own credits. In Professional Music, they offer you 2-3 concentrations for you to choose from. I chose two because I wanted to delve deeper into those areas. I chose Composition for Contemporary Media and Video Game Scoring. I know many people also choose a third one, often something related to business, to have a broader selection of courses. So, its flexibility is quite high. You can mix and match as you like, as long as you complete the required credits within the designated timeframe. You can learn in whatever way suits you best.

杨光：那看起来这个Pro Music还是一个很人性化定制的那种专业，对的。
Yang Guang: It seems like the Pro Music program is indeed a very personalized and customized major, right?

车子玉：对，我有锻炼的，就是我的自律和自我规划。因为它的灵活度太高了，很多人其实完成不了那个学分。而且我们最后就是大四的时候，他会有一个汇报project，就是你要去给大家present一个进入Pro Music来做的一个完整的作品。然后我觉得那个很多人都不能非常尽人意地去完成它，因为Pro Music非常的松弛，你一定要自己把握好时间才能有可能拿出让自己也满意的作品。所以这是优点，也是对自己一个非常大的挑战。
Che Ziyu: Yes, it provided me with a training ground for my self-discipline and self-planning. Because of its high flexibility, many people actually struggle to complete the required credits. Also, in our final year, during the senior project, we had to present a comprehensive piece of work related to our Pro Music studies. I believe many find it challenging to meet the high standards. Pro Music allows a lot of freedom, so you really have to manage your time well to produce work that satisfies both yourself and the requirements. So, it's an advantage but also a significant challenge for oneself.

杨光：你有没有印象最深的课或者是老师想和大家分享的？
Yang Guang: Do you have any most memorable classes or teachers that you'd like to share with us?

车子玉：记忆犹新的一节课还是Vocal Writing。它是算在CWP里面的一节必修课吧。那是我大三的时候学的。我觉得那个课给我印象很深，就是因为大家可能对其他composition方面的课比较上心，但是其实我觉得vocal怎么写好人声是一件非常重要的事情，也是个很容易被忽视的学问。然后我觉得那节课就是给我带来很多新的认知，就是你自己的声音也是一件需要去钻研的乐器，然后也有很多道理在里面，我觉得非常有意思。然后那个老师也确实教得非常好，我不知道她现在还在不在。
Che Ziyu: One of the most memorable classes for me was Vocal Writing. It was a mandatory course within the CWP (Contemporary Writing and Production) program, and I took it in my third year. The reason it left a deep impression on me was that while many students focused on other aspects of composition, I believe learning how to write vocals well is incredibly important. It's a skill that often gets overlooked. This class provided me with a lot of new insights. It made me realize that your own voice is an instrument worth exploring, and there are many nuances and techniques involved. I found it very intriguing. The teacher was excellent, although I'm not sure if she's still teaching there.

杨光：那个老师叫？
Yang Guang: What is the teacher's name?

> **Sharon Broadley-Martin**
> Sharon Broadley-Martin is an associate professor in the Contemporary Writing and Production Department
>
>

车子玉：他的名字非常长，我已经忘记了。不过希望后期可以打在屏幕上。
Che Ziyu: Her name is very long, I've forgotten it. But hopefully, it can be displayed on the screen later.

杨光：我一会告诉你。还想再聊一下，就是毕业以后。那你现在也毕业一段时间了。那毕业以后，你当初在伯克利的一些同学，包括你自己，现在从事的这样的一个职业大概是什么样的？可以跟我介绍。
Yang Guang: I'll tell you in a moment. I also want to talk more about what happened after graduation. It's been some time since your graduation. What kind of professions are you and your classmates from Berkeley currently engaged in? Could you introduce that to me?

车子玉：那可以啊，我是19年5月份毕业的嘛。那之后我就马上从波士顿去了纽约。然后，我在纽约的时候从事的是广告配乐工作。也是非常的碰巧，我觉得也非常幸运，因为我知道，广告配乐其实这个行业挺难进入而且挺难做好，因为它是个非常高强度而且快节奏的一个地方，而且特别是应届毕业生一般。我当时19年，很多朋友是在做实习生，都是在洛杉矶做一些studio的这种engineer，这样子。你要实习一段时间才能真的做到那个本职工作。对，我知道就很多是这样子的。所以我在纽约那边呆了两年吧，我是今年四月份回到国内的。原来计划其实是6、7月份就要回纽约或者回洛杉矶这样子。但是真的在国内找到了一家非常好的某著名公司，然后真的是我一直以来都梦寐以求的工作，说实话。所以我就是毫不犹豫的就留了下来，然后我们现在从事的是游戏配乐工作。
Che Ziyu: That's right. I graduated in May 2019. After that, I moved from Boston to New York. During my time in New York, I worked in the field of advertising music, which was quite fortunate, I think, and very lucky. I knew that breaking into the advertising music industry is challenging and requires a lot of effort because it's a highly intense and fast-paced environment. Especially for recent graduates, back in 2019, many of my friends were doing internships, some working as studio engineers in Los Angeles. You need to intern for a while before you can really do the job you're trained for. So, I stayed in New York for about two years. I returned to China in April this year. Initially, my plan was to go back to New York or maybe Los Angeles around June or July. But unexpectedly, I found a fantastic job opportunity at a well-known company in China, a job I've always dreamed of, to be honest. So, without any hesitation, I decided to stay here. Right now, I'm working in the field of game music composition.

杨光：说说你的同学呢。
Yang Guang: Tell me about your classmates.

车子玉：我同学呢，因为两年之内发生的事情还是挺多的，就可能当时我以为他们要走有一条路，但现在他们走上了完全不同的一条路，这样子。现在呢，我最好朋友她在美国准备发她第一张正式专辑。她是一个真正的艺人啊，开始那种像popstar那样子的。还有很多朋友，他们在给非常有名的rapper做engineer和producer。还有一些就是他们真的在自己做自己的独立音乐，就像我们之前讲的一样，就是不靠厂牌，自己在发歌，然后同时获得了很多的粉丝那样子。我觉得就是大家做的事情都非常不一样，但是可以看出两年来，他们都在坚持这件事情，然后真的会有回报。我觉得一定会，是的。
Che Ziyu: As for my classmates, a lot has happened within these two years. I thought they were heading in one direction, but now they've taken completely different paths. Right now, my best friend is preparing to release her first official album in the United States. She's a true artist, starting out like a pop star. I also have many friends who are working as engineers and producers for well-known rappers. Some of them are creating their own independent music, just like we discussed earlier, without relying on record labels. They release their own songs and have gained a substantial fan base. Everyone is doing very different things, but you can see that over these two years, they've all been persisting, and there are tangible rewards. I believe there will definitely be, yes.

杨光：所以看起来伯克利还是一个非常接地气的音乐学院，对的。相比起一些古典音乐学院，他可能更多就是这些音乐人就在我们身旁。他们就会在电视上面啊，或者是身旁的任何地方。
Yang Guang: So it seems that Berkeley is still a very down-to-earth music school, yes. Compared to some classical music schools, there, musicians are right beside us. They could be on television or anywhere around us.

车子玉：现在一打开电视就是可以看到，可能这个人就是在伯克利在读，或者已经毕业几年的那种，真的到处都是。
Che Ziyu: Nowadays, as soon as you turn on the television, you might see someone who is either currently studying at Berkeley or has graduated a few years ago. They are really everywhere.

杨光：那回顾一下整个，想当初刚刚来到波士顿的时候，到现在，你觉得伯克利给你带来最大的变化，或者你最大的收获是什么？
Yang Guang: Looking back from the beginning when you first arrived in Boston until now, what do you think is the most significant change that Berkeley has brought to you, or what is your biggest takeaway?

车子玉：他发掘了，我自己都不知道我有的一面。因为我可能第一次进入到伯克利的是我15岁夏天的时候，我真的对自己音乐方面没有任何的，不能说信心，连这个认知都没有。那个夏天度过以后，我觉得他好像激发出我埋藏的很深的一个热情吧，我感觉。而且在这四年中，我做出了很多自己以前都想象不到的事情，就是不管说是音乐风格还是合作过的人什么的，你就会不断的surprise yourself。我觉得这是一件非常难得的事情，而且特别是现在，艺术行业这么的难做，我觉得有热情，然后你自己会喜欢自己作出的歌曲，是会一直让你继续走下去的一个事情。
Che Ziyu: It discovered a side of me that I didn't even know existed. When I first entered Berkeley at the age of 15 during the summer, I had no confidence or knowledge about my musical abilities. After that summer, it felt like Berkeley ignited a passion in me that was deeply buried. Throughout these four years, I've done things I never imagined I could do, whether it's experimenting with different music styles or collaborating with various people. It continuously allows you to surprise yourself. I think that's a very rare thing, especially in the current challenging landscape of the arts industry. If you have passion and genuinely enjoy the music you create, it becomes a driving force that keeps you going.

杨光：那好，我们今天的这个视频呢就到这里。如果大家对车子玉的音乐感兴趣的话呢，我们也会把她的专辑放在屏幕的下方，大家可以点击来收听。就先这样了，下期再见，好。
Yang Guang: All right, that's it for our video today. If you're interested in Che Ziyu's music, we'll have her album link below the screen for you to click and listen. That's it for now, see you in the next episode. Goodbye!

车子玉：谢谢。
Che Ziyu: Thank you.