Meet B.A. in Music Technology Alumni
“We need more artists in the world.” - Joudi Abou Ayed (grad. 2019)
We don’t hear much about female music producers in a male-dominated industry, but Joudi Abou Ayed is undoubtedly here to change the norm. The depth of Joudi’s dynamism and vision make her an awe-inspiring anomaly who is in the constant creative flow. Her distinctive talent and character have earned her scholarship at Stanford University for a master's degree in Music, Science and Technology (MST).
Joudi is a singer/songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist who double-majored in Music Technology and Music Performance (specialization in Voice). She recalls being told by Dr. Ashraf Fouad, “You have the mind of a composer.” The playful, personal and funny qualities of her originals masterfully adorn their feminist underpinnings. She embodies the intersection of opposites: idealistic and pragmatic; flexible and persevering; extroverted and introverted; and a leader and an individualist.
For Joudi, purpose is the key to success, “I will not leave this world without leaving something behind. Music makes me feel like I have a purpose and that is the goal of living, instead of just living to make money.” She encourages others to join her in finding purpose through art, “We need more artists in the world. We have enough doctors and engineers to save the world. Now we need artists and singers to write songs about it.” - By Khaldoun Abou Dargham and Chelsea Green
"I felt like I owed it to that genre of music [the Arab wasla] to have modern recordings for it.”- Mohammed Mohsen Ali (grad. 2015)
The story of Mohammed Mohsen Ali shows how a passion for video gaming can lead to a successful career. Like many of his generation, Mohammed is an avid video gamer, he can recall playing FIFA as far back as 1998. What started as an amateur interest in video gaming (and film) has skyrocketed into a career at Electronic Arts working on FIFA, his favorite video game.
Mohammed is an Egyptian sound designer who majored in Music Technology and minored in Music Performance. After completing his degrees at AUC, Mohammed moved to Canada to pursue graduate education at the Vancouver Film School where he earned a master’s degree in Sound Design for Visual Media. In Canada, Mohammed freelanced in the film industry and worked on more than fifty productions as a dialogue editor and re-recording mixer.
Despite these successes in film and TV, Mohammed wanted to apply his expertise in the video game industry. After coming across a job opening at Electronic Arts for FIFA's audio team, he succeeded in landing his dream job! He was quickly promoted from team member to team leader. Currently, Mohammed manages the audio team, creates test plans, and assesses risk with FIFA's audio producers and developers.
These successes inspire Mohammed to aim even higher. In fact, his advice to AUC music students is to aim high as well, “Go the extra mile. It will eventually pay off...I know that it sounds cheesy, but when you're in school, you're going the extra mile to learn more to better your skills, not for that A. I remember attending the same classes two and three times because they were offered by different professors and I knew that each one of them would teach it from completely different perspectives. Sound, in the end, is subjective and there is more than one way to get things done.” - By Khaldoun Abou Dargham
“I heeded the call to my higher self.” - Khaldoun Abou Dargham (grad. 2019)
Inspired by a belief in music’s transformative power, Khaldoun Abou Dargham left his native Lebanon to join the region’s only B.A. in Music Technology Program at AUC. He believes “music study makes you human and I wouldn’t settle for anything less.” He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education at the American University in Cairo on a full scholarship.
Currently, Khaldoun is completing a series of ambitious multimedia projects. Opia is a collection of English-language songs about the connections that arise from looking someone in the eye. Dreams is a set of instrumental pieces about the longing for a quiet and calm state of being. Aman ( آمان ) is an array of Arabic-language songs that challenge sectarianism, sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination and injustice.
He wants to be the kind of performer, “who does all the nitty-gritty.” To complete his varied projects, Khaldoun takes on the roles of singer/songwriter, music producer, piano player and video director. It is all in service to a greater purpose. He claims “having all these musical skills will amount to nothing if I am not true to myself.”
Khaldoun was awarded a full academic scholarship to AUC and leadership training by Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate fellowship. As a result of the leadership training, Khaldoun gained a sense of purpose, claiming it made him see “the worst and the best in life, and a lot of suffering.” Currently, he is pursuing his Masters in Educational Leadership at AUC on the Tomorrow’s Leaders Graduate Fellowship in aim of bettering Art education in the MENA region. As a result, much of his music is in service to humanity. Khaldoun believes “change can be as simple as speaking your truth.” - By Chelsea Green
