Professor Marty Walsh’s Final Act with the LA Recording Ensemble
As Berklee College of Music prepares to say goodbye to one of its most beloved and influential educators, Professor Marty Walsh steps into his final semester leading the LA Recording Ensemble, a course that has shaped the careers, confidence, and professionalism of countless young musicians.
For more than 3 decades, Walsh has brought deep industry lineage into the Berklee experience. His résumé reflects a lifetime at the center of American recording culture, performing with icons like Supertramp, Dolly Parton, and John Fogerty, and contributing to major film and television soundtracks. At Berklee, his legacy is defined not just by what he’s done, but by what he’s built.
The LA Recording Ensemble has become a signature Berklee experience because it teaches students how to work exactly like the pros do in Los Angeles’ fast-moving session scene. Under Walsh’s direction, students step into the studio as arrangers, session players, producers, and engineers—learning how to read charts quickly, communicate with precision, deliver under pressure, and embody the professionalism expected in a top-tier recording environment.
As Walsh teaches his final semester, the ensemble is more than a class—it’s a culmination of his philosophy: that musicians succeed not just through talent, but through preparation, mindset, and the ability to elevate everyone in the room.
For the students lucky enough to experience this last chapter, Professor Marty Walsh’s final act is a masterclass in musicianship, humility, and the power of passing the torch to the next generation
