Institute Advisory Board
BPMI Advisory Board
The purpose of the Berklee Popular Music Institute’s Advisory Board is to support the institute’s mission by offering and encouraging experiential learning opportunities that are rooted in real-world practices within the music industry, with a particular focus on live events and touring. Advisors help institute directors gain new insights, explore opportunities, and offer advice based on expert knowledge of current industry trends.
CHAIR: Gerry Barad, Executive VP of Live Nation Global Touring, Booking, a division of Live Nation, the world’s most successful leader in the live entertainment industry, has been a music industry trailblazer for over 35 years. Barad and his world-class team have promoted and produced most of the top-grossing tours of the last four decades, with past and present clients including U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Rihanna, Barbra Streisand, Rush, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, The Police, Neil Young, Nine Inch Nails, the late David Bowie, Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Bette Midler, and The Rolling Stones. Originally hailing from the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Barad has resided in the city of Chicago since 2010. He shares his passion for the music industry often and has had a major association with Berklee College of Music for over two decades. In 2010, Barad delivered the James G. Zafris lecture and is a frequent guest professor and lecturer at the school. He personally funded an annual scholarship for BPMI students in need of financial assistance. In addition to his work with Berklee, Barad is on the Board of Directors for the prestigious Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago.
FOUNDER: Jeff Dorenfeld, founder emeritus of BPMI, taught in Berklee's Music Business/Management Department for 26 years before his retirement in 2022. During his tenure at Berklee, Dorenfeld won several educator awards, including the Best Online College Course Award, granted by the University Continuing Education Association in 2008 for a concert-touring course he coauthored. He also served as faculty adviser for Berklee's student-run record label, Heavy Rotation Records, which set the stage for what would later become the Berklee Popular Music Institute. Prior to his teaching career, Dorenfeld was the personal manager of the multiplatinum band Boston. Under his management, the band had a no. 1 album on the Billboard charts and a $25-million-grossing tour. Prior to managing Boston, Dorenfeld was tour coordinator, tour accountant, and lighting designer for platinum artist Sammy Hagar, and performed tour accounting for multiplatinum artist Ozzy Osbourne.
Steve Ceilinski '06, VP Touring Operations, Live Nation Touring, has nearly 20 years of experience in the concert industry, promoting and touring with luminaries such as Paul McCartney, Adele, Beyonce, Sting, Ringo Starr, Cher, and more. Ceilinski currently oversees the touring staff and process and system developments.
John Czajkowski, Tour Manager, Katy Perry, has been active in the concert touring industry for over two decades. He has fulfilled the roles of tour manager, tour accountant, production manager, and road manager, giving him a broad overview of the touring industry. The roster of artists he has worked for includes Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Shania Twain, Oasis, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas, Prince, Ringo Starr, and The Strokes, among many others. Through his work with several of the world’s top performing artists, Czajkowski has become highly sought-after and is capable of managing tours and settling shows of all sizes, from small theaters to massive stadiums. He currently maintains a busy touring schedule, traveling worldwide at the request of artists, managers, agents, and business managers seeking his vast background and expertise.
Eric Gardner '08, VP Booking, Oak View Group, leads concert booking for the Oak View Group (OVG) portfolio, identifying new business opportunities and overseeing all artist bookings across their venues. Since joining OVG in 2016, he has spearheaded the growth of its booking operations. He champions specific venues within the network, securing tours for major artists like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bon Jovi, John Mayer, and Harry Styles.
Sean Goulding, Global Touring Agent/Executive Leadership, One Fiinix Live, is a native New Yorker based in London and has represented a diverse roster of international superstars during his 20-plus-year career. Prior to his work at OFL, he spent 15 years at the London offices of The Agency Group and UTA (following the acquisition). Preceding that, Goulding started his career in the storied mailroom at William Morris Agency (WMA) in Beverly Hills, California. While at WMA, he moved into the international touring part of the business and hasn’t looked back since. Focusing primarily on exporting talent from the U.S. and Canada, Goulding has been shepherding global touring campaigns for clients, negotiating and concluding various types of multimillion-dollar deals across a range of opportunities. Initially starting out as a musician, Goulding is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. In addition to his agenting role, he is a part of the music leadership team at OFL, and serves as a key contact for the most visible, high-level executives across the globe. Goulding is passionate about music, innovation, and social impact, and strives to create and deliver exceptional experiences for his clients and their audiences across the globe.
Mike Marchetti, Regional VP Concert Production New England, Live Nation Worldwide, came to Boston in 1980 to study music production and engineering at Berklee College of Music. He spent a great deal of time at the Berklee Performance Center, where he later served as Production/Operations Manager and Audio Engineer for over 10 years. In 1994, Marchetti joined the Don Law Company as production manager and, for over 30 years, has managed productions of all types at various New England venues, including Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Leader Bank Pavilion (Harborlights), Colonial Theater, TD Garden, Symphony Hall, and Wang Theatre. He is currently Regional Vice President Concert Production for Live Nation New England and the Citizens Opera House.
Amanda Phelan, Promoter and Talent Buyer, Insomniac, has been working in the live events space as a festival promoter and talent buyer for over a decade now. She has worked at United Talent Agency and Danny Wimmer Presents, and is currently at Insomniac. Phelan was honored in 2023 Billboard's "40 Under 40" and continues to push the boundaries as a female executive in the festival space.
Huston Powell, Promoter, C3 Presents, is a world-renowned music industry veteran with over 15 years of experience in concert promotion. Powell most notably books Lollapalooza, bringing top talent—including Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, The Killers, Radiohead, Jay Z, Foo Fighters, Chance the Rapper, and White Reaper—to hundreds of thousands of fans around the world each year. Additionally, Powell oversees the international Lolla editions in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Sweden and has grown the festivals from two to three days in South America and three to four days in Chicago, with sold-out years.
Angie Warner, Tour Manager, started her journey in the industry in 1995 as a runner in the Carolinas and has been on the road for the last 24 years. She has worked with such groups as Guns ’N Roses, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Imagine Dragons, Jay Z, and BTS (Kpop). She has held almost every position on tour and, for the past five years, has been the tour manager for Post Malone. She has recently begun to transition to a totally new direction—Country. She is looking forward to this exciting change as the new Tour Manager for Keith Urban.