Ben Cantil

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Encanti is the artist name of Ben Cantil, a Berklee alumni who graduated in 2007. In addition to producing the music of Zebbler Encanti Experience, he has worked as a sound designer with companies like Cakewalk, iZotope, and Ableton to create presets and expansion packs for their products. Encanti lives in Spain where he is an Assistant Professor at Berklee Valencia, teaching electronic music classes as part of the Music Production, Technology, and Innovation masters program.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I rented scooters with a friend of mine and we rode through the Sierra mountains just north of Valencia. We got lost, but happened to come across some of the most beautiful scenery, where the sun was setting. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’d ever seen. In this moment, even through we got lost, everything felt perfect.

Which destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

I find large cities to be very overrated in terms of how much fun you have compared to how much money you spend. It’s always the destinations which are off the beaten path that I find the most impressive. For instance, the Albufera Wildlife Reserve, south of Valencia, is absolutely stunning and surprisingly easy to get to.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

One major factor in building a successful product is to have something new or unique to offer, and having the resources available to develop your vision quickly. I find that working with deadlines is the key to overall productivity and really helps when building a company from the ground up.

What unique qualities does your company possess?

My stage show, Zebbler Encanti Experience, is an immersion of fully synchronized audio/visual media. The visual aspect is an integrated part of the art form, rather than an element that only supports the music. Under this moniker of Zebbler Encanti experience, we feel that we are exploring and pushing the definition of what it means to be a band.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

This semester I have a student that is taking my class “Electronic Music Creation” for a second time, just because he enjoyed it the first time. It’s really satisfying to know that for many of my students, it’s not about the grades or the credits, it’s all about the experience and the creative output.