ABOUT
RACHEL MCFARLANE

Rachel McFarlane is a Canadian composer who began as a violinist in the Claude Watson Program at Earl Haig Secondary School. She is previously known for her breakout piece “Beyond the Challenger Deep” which was played by the Gryphon Trio at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Rachel studied under Deborah Pady, Leona Davidson, Kevin Lau, Jennifer Smele, Tanya Charles-Iveniuk, and Janal Bechthold and continued to create pieces for ensembles such as The Oriana Women's Choir and The Amici Ensemble. Rachel is currently on track to be the first black woman at Berklee College of Music to graduate with a Bach.Mus with a double major in Games and Interactive Media scoring and Film Scoring.

In addition to her ongoing studies as a dual major student at Berklee College of Music, majoring in Film Scoring and Video Game Scoring, Rachel has recently been awarded the prestigious EA/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship. This esteemed scholarship, a collaboration between the Screen Scoring Department at Berklee and EA Music, recognizes Rachel's exceptional talent and her demonstrated support of women and non-cisgender individuals in the industry. As the recipient of this scholarship, Rachel not only receives a significant financial award but also gains invaluable mentorship from an industry-leading team at Electronic Arts. This opportunity allows her to delve deeper into the craft of composing, orchestrating, and arranging original scores for EA video game titles, setting the stage for even greater accomplishments in her career.

Outside of school, Rachel continues to compose music for the Scarborough Philharmonic (SPO), which aims to empower and develop the arts and audiences through high-quality performances of symphonic and chamber music. Supporting and promoting Canadian composers, the SPO fosters and mentors young musicians like McFarlane. Her involvement includes creating original scores for animated shorts in collaboration with Sheridan College, benefiting from mentoring by experienced film composers. Additionally, McFarlane is writing commissioned pieces for The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Oscar Peterson Program. The Royal Conservatory, one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, provides the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification, and arts-based social programs.

In addition to her remarkable body of work as a composer, Rachel is also an active music content creator on various social media platforms and is currently a sponsored composer for Orchestral Tools, Spitfire Audio, Sonuscore, Cinesamples, and Reelcrafter. and a composer in residence for The Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and The Royal Conservatory of Music.

Now coming to the end of her time at Berklee, Rachel is currently being mentored through EA music and continues to compose for stage, films, and concerts

SOCIAL MEDIA & EDUCATION

“Epic tales deserve epic music, and I am dedicated to composing scores that amplify the magnificence of visual storytelling.”

I already knew music would be my life when I was 12 years old. I started playing the violin then, and although I loved the instrument, my musical creativity felt very limited. Switching from said melodic instrument to a more harmonic instrument (piano) still didn’t feel the desire I had. In high school I was introduced to composing, which is where I was able to story-tell using any and every instrument and become fully fulfilled with my musical creativity.

When I write, the visuals that come to mind aren't always distinct figures or scenes, but they’re always there. I think this is a reason why writing to visuals (linear and interactive) is so much fun. I love being able to enhance a story with music. As technology grows, I believe that it is essential to be knowledgeable and up to date with as much music technology as you can, because it will only further help you and your musical creativity. As a Film Scoring and Games and Interactive Media Scoring (G.A.I.M.S) student at Berklee College of Music, my music is always being challenged and pushed to the next level. I love that I’m a part of this generation of composers that focuses on seeing how far we can push technology to enhance our music for audiences to feel more immersed than ever in a story.

My passion for media scoring extends beyond my own personal and professional goals. I am deeply committed to promoting diversity and representation in the industry and to being a role model for others who share my passion. I am particularly interested in working on projects that promote diversity and inclusivity in media scoring. I believe that everyone should have access to stories that represent and resonate with them, and music has the power to help achieve that goal.