Ruff, an alumna of the music technology and production program in the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts, now interns at Electric Lady Studios in New York City
Mackenzie Ruff
By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - December 10, 2025
When Mackenzie Ruff, '25, arrived at OSU five years ago, she believed music would remain a private part of her life; something done in notebooks and bedrooms, not in studios or on stages. She had always been the kid who sang constantly and wrote songs, asking older cousins how to turn thoughts into lyrics. But she didn’t picture music as a career.
“I just didn’t think I could actually make it as an artist,” she explained. “I still wanted music to be something I could do for fun, something that felt like mine.”
Ruff graduated last spring with a double major in human development and family sciences (HDFS) and music technology and production (MTP), a combination that reflects both the emotional and the creative curiosity that shaped her time at OSU. She began in HDFS, after taking an introductory course her freshman year and realizing she could see herself building a career around helping people. Music remained a constant, but a personal one, until an academic advisor encouraged her to try a production class. Later, she declared the minor, and eventually, after discovering the breadth of careers in audio and sound design, added music as her second major.
“I didn’t know how much existed behind the scenes,” she said. “Once I got into the production classes, I realized I really enjoyed being in the studio and helping other people make their music. I thought I would be sad not being the artist, but I actually found that I loved producing too.”
This dual perspective, artist and collaborator, shaped her approach to OSU’s MTP Album Project, a student-led initiative in which students write, record, and release a full-length album each year. Ruff submitted her own song to the project as a junior and joined the team as an artist. Her role grew quickly: she became the project’s manager in her senior year and completed her undergraduate career as its lead producer.
Each stage taught her something different.
As an artist, she learned vulnerability: what it means to trust others with your songs. As a manager, she learned logistics: how to communicate, schedule, and keep a project moving. As the lead producer, she learned to cultivate vision: how to guide others without overshadowing them.
“There’s a lot of collaboration in music,” she said. “I think HDFS really helped me there; learning how to work with different personalities, how to listen, how to communicate what someone is trying to say even when they don’t have the words yet.”
Her background as a multi-instrumentalist helped too. Ruff plays guitar, drums, and sings, and that flexibility allowed her to support other artists in the studio, suggesting harmonies, helping shape rhythm sections, or even stepping in to record instrumental parts when needed.
“The more instruments you know, the more ways you can help,” she said. “It opens up collaboration.”
Looking forward, Ruff sees her academic and musical backgrounds continuing to inform one another. She has considered careers in counseling, community programming, or youth-focused work, and she’s thought about how music could fit into those spaces.
Last summer, she worked as a camp counselor and suggested incorporating a music day. She brought instruments, recording equipment, and helped the kids make a collaborative track. The experience reinforced what she already understood intuitively: music builds connection.
“I’ve always liked helping people,” she said. “And music is another way to do that.”
When asked what she is most proud of from her time in the MTP program, she doesn’t name a performance, a song, or a specific moment. Instead, she talks about growth; her own, and the communities she built.
“I came in thinking music was only something I did alone,” Ruff said. “Now I know how to collaborate, how to lead, how to trust other people with the work. That’s what I’m proud of.”
And for those just entering the program, or hoping to move from contributor to leader, her advice is simple:
“Start wherever you are. Say yes to collaborating. Be willing to try something even if it feels new or intimidating. You don’t have to show up already knowing everything. You learn by doing—together.”