Electronic Hues: A MacPhail Mixtape New Student Album Release
MacPhail Center for Music’s Electronic Music and Recording Arts (EMRA) program is excited to release Electronic Hues: A MacPhail Mixtape, a collection of 14 original tracks created by current EMRA students.
The album showcases diverse musical styles—from electronic to experimental to traditional arrangements—and reflects both the creative range of work being produced in the program and the varied backgrounds of the contributing artists, who range in age from 12 to 42 years.
Program Structure and Production
The EMRA program emphasizes hands-on learning in songwriting, composition, production, and performance. For this album, students took charge of multiple aspects of their tracks; some wrote, arranged, and produced their own pieces independently, while others chose to collaborate with instructors or fellow students.
Students worked closely with instructors Isaac Rohr, Barbara Cohen, Tommy Boynton, and Joe Strachan throughout the creative process. The album was recorded at EMRA Studio and professionally mastered by Isaac Rohr, with additional mastering by program director Michael Cain.
For more information about MacPhail Center for Music’s Electronic Music and Recording Arts program, visit the MacPhail website.
About the Release
Electronic Hues: A MacPhail Mixtape represents student work from Spring 2025.
Track Listing
1. Sarah Carozza Coltz – “Wind Witch”
Age: 25 | Studying: 1.5 years
A fantasy-inspired song exploring fear, control, and loss through the character of the Wind Witch.
Credits: Written, composed, and performed by Sarah Carozza Coltz
Instructor: Barbara Cohen
2. Finn Donovan – “Song 23”
Age: 17 | Studying: ~1.5 years
An electronic instrumental where meaning emerges through sound.
Credits: Composition, production, and mixing by Finn Donovan.
Instructor: Isaac Rohr
3. Obadiah Gamble – “Felt It”
Age: 15 | Studying: 2.5 years
A song about regret and overthinking in relationships.
Credits: Written, arranged, produced, guitar, vocals, MIDI bass, and MIDI drums by Obadiah Gamble; Co-produced, mixed, MIDI drums, and mandolin by Matt Patrick.
Instructor: Tommy Boynton
4. Cedar – “Running Away”
Age: 12 | Studying: 2 years
Written for a play based on The Ugly Duckling, about running away from home.
Credits: Piano and vocals by Cedar.
Instructor: Tommy Boynton
5. Dylan Leung – “Autumn’s Shadowed Breath”
Age: 17 | Studying: <1 year
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73, capturing autumn’s fleeting beauty.
Credits: Violin by Dylan Leung; Piano by Joe Strachan.
Instructor: Joe Strachan
6. Finn Donovan – “Song 25”
Age: 17 | Studying: ~1.5 years
An adventurous piece combining unique sonic textures.
Credits: Composition, production, and engineering by Finn Donovan.
Instructor: Isaac Rohr
7. Roland Bartels – “Clicks”
Age: 20 | Studying: 3 years
An experimental exploration of rhythmic interplay.
Credits: Composition, production, and mixing by Roland Bartels.
Instructor: Isaac Rohr
8. Ivy Ng – “Deciduous Cycles”
Age: 42 | Studying: 3 months
An electronic instrumental reflecting cycles of growth and change.
Credits: Written, arranged, and produced by Ivy Ng.
Instructor: Barbara Cohen
9. Matthew Tokheim – “Into the Abyss”
Age: 20 | Studying: 3 years
A decade-long composition symbolizing courage through darkness.
Credits: Composition, production, and mixing by Matthew Tokheim.
Instructor: Isaac Rohr
10. Wyatt Maxwell – “Gate to Valhalla”
Age: 18 | Studying: 14 months
An orchestral journey depicting a warrior’s ascent to Valhalla.
Credits: Composition, orchestration, and production by Wyatt Maxwell.
Instructor: Barbara Cohen
11. Riley Conway – “Drowning”
Age: 42 | Studying: 9 months
A song about being overwhelmed by life’s own lifelines.
Credits: Written, arranged, produced, and performed by Riley Conway (lead vocals, harmonies, electric guitars).
Instructor: Barbara Cohen
12. Diamond and the Diamondheads – “Maybe I’m Dreaming”
Age: 21 | Studying: 8 months
An anthem celebrating dreams coming true.
Credits: Vocals and songwriting by Diamond Elbridge; piano, guitar, synth bass, and drum programming by Tommy Boynton.
Instructor: Tommy Boynton
13. Jahan Vafaei-Makhsoos – “Midnight Spirits in Electronic Hues”
Age: 39 | Studying: 3 months
An electronic piece imagining life forms escaping corporate work.
Credits: Written, arranged, and produced by Jahan Vafaei-Makhsoos.
Instructor: Barbara Cohen
14. Rachel Liou – “Smile”
Age: 26 | Studying: 2 years
A K-pop-inspired track designed to uplift and energize.
Credits: Written, arranged, and produced by Rachel Liou; beats by Mitch Wheeler.
Instructor: Barbara Cohen