Berklee Graduates Craft Boston's Official Theme for FIFA World Cup

Boston's unique soundscape for the FIFA World Cup is the brainchild of two recent graduates from Berklee College of Music. Deven Kamra Lyons and Ben Zakharenko have been selected to represent the city as it prepares for the global soccer event next year.

FIFA extended an invitation to all 16 host cities across North America, encouraging them to develop their own distinct sounds. Notably, Boston stands out as the only city collaborating with a college for this initiative.

Initially, Kamra Lyons and Zakharenko were unaware of the magnitude of the project when their professor presented it as a remix competition. "The project was initially introduced to us as a remix competition that Berklee was holding," Kamra Lyons recalled.

"We both were like, OK let's try and apply for this opportunity and just see what happens," Zakharenko added. Their initial curiosity quickly transformed into excitement as they grasped the significance of their involvement.

Kareem Clarke, part of the advisory team, noted, "From the beginning, Deven and Ben really stood out. I believe they were the number one from all the options that we had picked." This sentiment was echoed by Professor Jason Petrin, who emphasized the quality of their submission. "It had the Boston elements that FIFA put forth in the brief. The quality was there," he stated.

FIFA's directive was clear: each host city should remix its official theme while incorporating local cultural influences. "There were a couple of things that we saw that they wanted that we really dialed in on," Kamra Lyons explained, highlighting Celtic music and rock influences as key components.

Zakharenko focused on acoustic elements, utilizing instruments like flutes and guitars, which he plays. "I focused a lot more on the acoustic elements," he said, showcasing their collaborative approach.

The decision to work together came naturally for the roommates. "I realized that I wasn't going to be able to do everything by myself," Kamra Lyons admitted. Zakharenko added, "We were like, well, if we're going to hear what each other are working on anyway, why not just combine our efforts?"

The final product emerged from a combined effort of 20 to 30 hours, resulting in hundreds of tracks woven together to create a distinctive sound. "The true nature and the true scale of this opportunity doesn't really dawn on me yet," Kamra Lyons expressed.

Clarke remarked on the significance of this opportunity for the students: "It's really a great opportunity to just see them, their music and their ideas blossom in a nice way." Petrin reinforced this sentiment, stating, "Students get these amazing opportunities, and they get to share their music with millions of people."

Zakharenko reflected on the potential impact of their achievement: "It will open a lot of doors. It already has. And I also just think it's pretty cool to say that we work with FIFA."

As Gillette Stadium prepares to host seven matches during the World Cup, including a quarter-final, the sonic creation by Deven and Ben will resonate throughout these events.

Listen to Deven and Ben's sonic sound and experience their contribution to Boston's representation at the FIFA World Cup.