The Global Music Institute (GMI) is India’s leading contemporary music institute, offering innovative programs that enable young musicians to shape their futures in the global music industry. The institute was founded in 2011 by Aditya and Tarun Balani with the mission of bringing a distinctive and modern approach to music education to India.
GMI works to promote cross-cultural musical dialogue and exchange, especially between contemporary and more traditional styles of music, through its diverse international faculty. We believe in the power of music to transcend linguistic, economic, cultural, and intellectual barriers, and envision a local-to-global music community in which all people, genres, cultures, instruments, and sounds are in a state of dynamic collaboration and learning.
Music education at GMI is viewed as a holistic learning experience. We believe in developing well-rounded students with a deep awareness and understanding of musical diversity, and a strong sense of professionalism.
Mission
GMI is dedicated to enabling artistic and professional excellence while strengthening pathways to connect with and add value to the global music community.
The programs, contemporary in content and approach, include interdisciplinary instruction in Hindustani music, Western classical music, and world music. They offer group and private instruction, ensembles, ear training, music theory, music technology, seminars, workshops, and performance opportunities at the GMI campus and outside, enabling students to become versatile performing artists. New Delhi has a number of cultural centers, music venues, and clubs that collaborate with students and faculty from the institute, providing unparalleled professional performance opportunities designed to integrate students into a thriving live music circuit and performing arts community.
Faculty
GMI invites diverse international faculty across various stylistic and cultural backgrounds. Private lessons, music forums, ensemble workshops, and performances by faculty and visiting artists broaden the students' perspectives and foster a spirit of musical and personal growth.
Facilities
The institute is situated on a two-acre campus facility with 12,000 square feet of student housing and 40,000 square feet of academic space, including the following:
A 150-seat auditorium
An amphitheater
Multipurpose classrooms
Private teaching studios
A multimedia library
An audio production lab with specialized music software
Students Who Entered GMI on or after September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Students transferring from GMI to Berklee must earn a grade of “B” (3.00/4.00 GPA) or better in each course specified in the Berklee Global Partner (BGP) credit transfer agreement (see "Courses and Credits" below) to receive credit. If a student receives a grade of “B-“ or lower in any of the required core music courses, no credit will be awarded to the student for any of the core music courses listed in the credit transfer agreement.
In this case, the student will enter Berklee as a transfer student. In the first semester of study, they will be required to take the Entering Student Placement Assessment (ESPA) for course placement in core music courses. They may transfer in any applicable liberal arts and sciencescourses admissible under the transfer credit policy in place at the time of the student's matriculation to Berklee.
Admissions: GMI students who wish to transfer to Berklee are required to go through Berklee's official undergraduate admissions process. Students accepted to Berklee will receive transfer credit for courses taken at GMI in accordance with an agreement between the two schools. Transferring students must send Berklee an official transcript showing all courses specified as completed with a satisfactory grade of "B" or better before credit transfer at Berklee can take place.
GMI students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at GMI.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
Students may transfer up to 24 credits of liberal arts courses toward their liberal arts requirements at Berklee.
Only 15 of those 24 credits can be completed and transferred in after a student has started their studies at Berklee.
Those 15 credits can be applied to a student’s academic requirements as follows: 9 credits can be applied to liberal arts requirements, and 6 credits can be applied to general elective requirements.
Students in the Bachelor of Music or Arts degree programs must earn a minimum of 39 credits in liberal arts and may use 6 additional liberal arts credits (two courses) as general elective credit.
Students in the Professional Diploma program must earn a minimum of 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
GMI transfer students will receive up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles after completing one or two credits per course taken at GMI based on credit equivalency with an average grade of “B” or better.
All students are required to enroll in an ensemble in their first semester at Berklee.
Principal Instrument:
Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at a BGP school are nontransferable.
Berklee’s policy states that all students, including transfer students, must participate in and pass a minimum of four semesters of principal instrument instruction at Berklee, regardless of their level of proficiency.
All transfer students are required to take a Berklee instrumental/vocal proficiency placement examination upon arrival at Berklee to ensure appropriate placement in principal instrument courses.
Requirements to Graduate
Berklee College of Music students must meet the following requirements to qualify for graduation:
Residency: All students, including candidates transferring from another school, are normally required to complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time attendance and earn a minimum of 60 credits (48 credits for diploma students) at Berklee College of Music in order to graduate. Credit by exam (CBX), advanced placement credit, CLEP credit, and transfer credit do not count as residency requirement credits, even if earned while at Berklee College of Music. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
Attain at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in all major courses and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Complete the principal instrument proficiency level, as specified by the major.
Complete a required final project in the chosen area of concentration, as described and approved by the department chair (as applicable).
For music education majors, complete all observation and student teaching requirements.
For music therapy majors, complete all coursework and a six-month, full-time, post-coursework internship.
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Required Transfer Credits: 22
Additional Potential Transfer Credits: 2
Potential Ensemble Credits: 6 Potential Transfer Credit Total: 30
Students Who Entered GMI Prior to September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
GMI students transferring to Berklee must earn a grade of "B" or higher (3.00–4.00) in each core music course, and a grade of "C" or higher (2.00–4.00) in each liberal arts and general elective course designated for transfer in this agreement (see "Courses and Credits" below) to receive transfer credit from Berklee.
To earn credit for any core music course for which a student receives a grade below B, students will be required upon entering Berklee to:
take the entering student proficiency assessment (ESPA) for harmony and ear training courses
or
earn credit by exam (CBX) for music technology, tonal harmony, and counterpoint courses
or
enroll in the course at Berklee
For any liberal arts and sciences courses for which a student receives a grade below C, no credit will be granted.
Admissions: GMI students who wish to transfer to Berklee are required to go through Berklee's official undergraduate admissions process. Students accepted to Berklee will receive transfer credit for courses taken at GMI in accordance with an agreement between the two schools. Transferring students must send Berklee an official transcript showing all courses specified as completed with a satisfactory grade of "B" or better before credit transfer at Berklee can take place.
GMI students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at GMI.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
Students may transfer up to 24 credits of liberal arts courses toward their liberal arts requirements at Berklee.
Only 15 of those 24 credits can be completed and transferred in after a student has started their studies at Berklee.
Those 15 credits can be applied to a student’s academic requirements as follows: 9 credits can be applied to liberal arts requirements, and 6 credits can be applied to general elective requirements.
Students in the Bachelor of Music or Arts degree programs must earn a minimum of 39 credits in liberal arts and may use 6 additional liberal arts credits (two courses) as general elective credit.
Students in the Professional Diploma program must earn a minimum of 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
GMI transfer students may receive up to 3 transfer credits in ensembles after completing the courses in Block 1 and up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles for completing the courses in both Block 1 and Block 2.
All students are required to enroll in an ensemble in their first semester at Berklee.
Principal Instrument:
Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at a BGP school are nontransferable.
Berklee’s policy states that all students, including transfer students, must participate in and pass a minimum of four semesters of principal instrument instruction at Berklee, regardless of their level of proficiency.
All transfer students are required to take a Berklee instrumental/vocal proficiency placement examination upon arrival at Berklee to ensure appropriate placement in principal instrument courses.
Berklee College of Music students must meet the following requirements to qualify for graduation:
Residency: All students, including candidates transferring from another school, are normally required to complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time attendance and earn a minimum of 60 credits (48 credits for diploma students) at Berklee College of Music in order to graduate. Credit by exam (CBX), advanced placement credit, CLEP credit, and transfer credit do not count as residency requirement credits, even if earned while at Berklee College of Music. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
Attain at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in all major courses and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Complete the principal instrument proficiency level, as specified by the major.
Complete a required final project in the chosen area of concentration, as described and approved by the department chair (as applicable).
For music education majors, complete all observation and student teaching requirements.
For music therapy majors, complete all coursework and a six-month, full-time, post-coursework internship.
Required Core Music Courses (18 Potential Transfer Credits)
Students must complete all of the required core music courses listed in Block 1 below to be eligible for transfer credits. Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask for details.
