Mercy alumna Nicole Marte, a 2017 graduate of the College’s Music Production and Recording Arts Program, has won a Latin Grammy Award for her contributions to a 2021 release that was tapped as folk album of the year by the Latin Recording Academy.
Marte, a music producer and engineer who goes by the professional name Soular, learned of her achievement after it was announced at the awards ceremony held November 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
With her win, Marte becomes a voting member of the Academy, an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Considered a global authority on Latin music, the Latin Recording Academy comprises music professionals who vote annually for the winners in each category.
Marte joins the growing number of successful women in the music and recording industry as well as in the Mercy program, now celebrating its 25th year. “We have a growing pool of alumni who achieve industry success after graduation,” said studio manager Sam Stauff, adjunct associate professor of music production and recording arts.
In 2017, when Marte earned her BS, the program was called Music Technology & Industry. The new name better describes the program’s multiple aspects of music production, including mixing and mastering; sound for gaming and animation; artist management, and more. “Unlike other music schools, Mercy’s program is hands-on from day one,” said Stauff. “First-year students start right away in the studio, working on real projects using the latest software and technology.” Faculty members are currently employed in related industries, sharing with their students the latest advances in knowledge and practice.
Marte was considering several large music schools, but once accepted to Mercy, she found the close-knit community more to her liking. Although accepted to Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music, she chose Mercy. “My professors really saw me and recognized my potential,” she recalled. “They pushed me toward mixing, which I loved but had never considered. That’s how I got the job mixing the album, and the Latin Grammy. Thanks to them I believed in myself.”
Since graduation, Marte has been working primarily on R&B and hip-hop projects. She also produces music for commercials, including a Google ad for the Superbowl. “I have so many opportunities for collaborating,” she said. “During the pandemic I worked with talented people in the virtual space, but I’m ready to start making music in person again.”