Alum Notes: Spring 2023

The most recent news from your fellow alumni. 

May 29, 2023

1969

Steven Lipman B.M. of Ridgefield, CT, founded Inside Music Schools in 2010 after a successful 40-year career at Berklee. IMS is a boutique consulting company working with music students and their families to identify the right-fit music colleges and to help them prepare to apply and audition.

Joseph Raymond Lombardo of Frederica, DE, played in the U.S. Army Blues jazz band for three years before getting his degree in respiratory therapy.

1970

Stephen Smith of Hillsborough, NC, released an album of 13 original piano solos, Light of the Morning. It is available for download on Bandcamp and is on streaming platforms.

1974

Phillip Franco of Manchester, CT, teaches percussion and drums at Middlesex Music Academy.

Ken Hatfield

Ken Hatfield

Ken Hatfield of Astoria, NY, is an award-winning composer and guitarist who played guitar on Stirrings Still, a set of 11 intimate duets featuring the distinctive baritone vocals of song stylist Eric Hoffman. Hatfield composed six of the songs and produced and arranged all the material.

John Van Nest of Burbank, CA, owns Resonate Music + Sound, which has worked with En Vogue, Latin superstar Becky G, Nickelodeon’s Good NEWZ Girls, the Walt Disney Company, Lionel Richie ’17H, Quincy Jones ’51 ’83H, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, and the Jonas Brothers, among others.

1975

Ken Carper

Ken Carper

Ken Carper B.M. ’75 of Naples, FL, got his master’s degree from Eastman School of Music and his Ph.D. from University of Hawaii. He plays trumpet and flugelhorn with Naples Concert Band, Bonita Springs Concert Band, and Bonita Brass Quintet, and is director of the Naples New Horizons Band.

Bobby Deitch

Bobby Deitch

Bobby Deitch of Upper Nyack, NY, represented Berklee as a drummer in the Thursday Night Dues Band, under the direction of Phil Wilson ‘04H. Deitch also performed in Berklee’s guitar and trombone ensembles and is a voting member of the Grammys and executive member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

1978

Alan Doyle

Alan Doyle

Alan Doyle B.M. of Port Richey, FL, graduated in 2017 with a M.A. in music therapy from the University of Limerick in Ireland and has been working as a board-certified music therapist.

Peter Hume of Northridge, CA, was a finalist in the R&B category at the 27th annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Beth Ann Kennedy

Beth Ann Kennedy

Beth Ann Kennedy of Bozeman, MT, is the owner of Aunhail and is a SAG-AFTRA and AEA union member. Aunahil has been producing live theatrical events since the mid-90s. In 1995, she started directing Bending Towards the Light…a Jazz Nativity at Lincoln Center.

Bill McGoldrick

Bill McGoldrick

Bill McGoldrick B.M. of Norfolk, MA, plays more than 100 gigs a year all over New England in the Bill McGoldrick Acoustic Duo.

1979

Ronald J. Doiron B.M. of Miramichi, Canada, has owned and operated Ronald Doiron Music Studio for 43 years while teaching instrumental music. He taught music in public schools for 32 years.

Frederick Malouf B.M. of Santa Cruz, CA, released Soulscapes, a collection of soul tunes and statements from within that are influenced by many styles of music. It is available on all streaming services and on Bandcamp.

1980

Jonathan Lax B.M. of Cordova, TN, performed at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in San Antonio, TX, and with Los Cantadores in Memphis, TN. He also performs with the Bartlett Community Concert Band.

Angelo Marcialis B.M. of Chester, NY, retired from a rewarding career as a music educator and an active jazz musician to focus on landscape photography. Over the years, his landscape photographs have won awards in exhibitions in the tri-state area.

1981

Aaron Tin Chee Loo B.M. of Pearl City, HI, is the executive director of the Next Stop Infinity Foundation, a nonprofit theater repertory company that was founded in N.Y.C. and is now in Hawaii. The first production is the original musical Angelz with Tails, a fantasy musical about service dogs helping veterans who have PTSD.

Scott Robinson B.M. of Teaneck, NJ, released his album Visions: Live at Vision Festival 2018, featuring Roscoe Mitchell and Tom Buckner. He also performed at  Birdland Jazz Club in New York City with Joe Lovano ’72 ’98H.

1982

Landin Battistini B.M. of Brandon, FL, was a finalist in the jazz category at the 27th annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Loren Parkins B.M. of New York City is working as senior director of music and media licensing at Showtime Networks. He is responsible for negotiating and licensing music for all of Showtime’s promos and for working with labels, publishers, artists, and management.

1985

Andres Pollak B.M. of New York City owns EastSide Sound, the longest independently owned recording studio in the city. A Chilean pianist, film composer, and engineer, Pollak is committed to building upon the house that original owner, Lou Holtzman, built more than 50 years ago.

Laura Schwendinger

Laura Schwendinger

Laura Schwendinger of Madison, WI, won the $50,000 Charles Ives Opera Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters this year.

Mihoko Tokoro of Woodland Hills, CA, is working as project manager at Picture Head/Streamland Media in the Localization Department of the Marketing Division, which creates trailers, TV spots, online ads, and social media posts for major streaming releases for Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ worldwide.

1986

Steven Piermarini B.M. of Acton, MA, is celebrating his 25th year as conductor of the Leominster Colonial Band. He also performs regularly with the New Liberty Jazz Band as well as his two-trombone quintet, 2Slick, along with Assistant Professor John Arcaro.

1987

Scottie Miller

Scottie Miller

Scottie Miller of Crystal, MN, released Carnival Cocoon, a poetry collection and album featuring his poem and song “Berklee!” This is Miller’s 11th independent release. He also played keyboard and cowrote multiple songs on four-time Grammy-nominated singer Ruthie Foster’s album Healing Time.

1989

Douglas P. Hammerschmitt B.M. of Lynn, MA, released his 15th album, Melancholia. This dark solo piano album debuted at no. 1 on the Amazon New Age chart.

Ingrid Jensen

Ingrid Jensen

Ingrid Jensen B.M. of Ossining, NY, is the dean and director of jazz arts at the Manhattan School of Music and has upcoming releases on Blue Note Records with Artemis and Darcy James Argue, as well as a Secret Society double album to be released on Nonesuch Records.

Gernot Wolfgang of Santa Fe, NM, was a finalist in the instrumental category at the 27th annual USA Songwriting Competition.

1990

Michael Lau

Michael Lau

Michael Lau B.M. of Holtsville, NY, has been appointed the national chairperson for the Association of Independent Music Publishers.

1991

Eric Bergeron B.M. of Ellerslie, Canada, is storyboarding his 92nd episode of the award-winning children’s television show Paw Patrol.

1993

Eric Baines of Van Nuys, CA, is the new bassist and background vocalist for the iconic band Chicago, which is celebrating its 55th year. Baines also hosts The Dive Bar Rock Star Podcast, which features interviews with musicians and music professionals in the Los Angeles area.

Dan Bosshardt B.M. of Hillsboro, OR, is a full-time music teacher at Lincoln Street Elementary School. Along with bassist Joe Aloia, Bosshardt wrote and recorded music for jazz quartet, inspired by public artwork. The Out There Jazz Suite will be released August 21.

George Haddad B.M. of Redondo Beach, CA, won a Children’s & Family Emmy for Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action program for the Netflix series Sweet Tooth.

Joe Kowalski B.M. of Allston, MA, made his second short horror film, Perfida: The Diabolical, in which a reclusive musician is drawn back to live performance and his life takes a terrifying turn. Kowalski’s first film, Don’t Go in the Basement, was included in festivals and won several awards.

Earle Pughe B.M. of Concord, MA, contributed 27 transcriptions of Piedmont guitarists to the book Deep in the South: A Music Maker Songbook. The book was released September 20 and is Music Maker’s first songbook.

1995

Eric Barao B.M. of Seekonk, MA, released his third solo album, From My Planet to Your Star, and cofounded the Boston power pop band the Cautions. He’s also scored several soundtracks (Turbocharged, Raising Matty Christian) and contributed music for the movie Balls of Fury.

Peter B. Emerson B.M. of Waco, TX, is the cofounder and creative director of ITSUIC Music. His original work, He Rules the World: A Concert Telling of the Nativity Story, premiered in December in Austin, TX. It’s narrated and produced by Kevin Sorbo and stars Broadway actor David Gaschen.

1996

Brian Casper B.M. of Millcreek, UT, is a partner with the law firm Klemchuk LLP. Last year he won a copyright infringement jury trial in federal court.

Julian Graciano

Julian Graciano

Julian Graciano of Buenos Aires, Argentina, published the third volume of The Tango Real Book, edited by MELOS (formerly Ricordi Americana). This extensive work includes all styles and periods of tango. The collection will have a total of six volumes with 700 standards.

Beto Hale B.M. of Woodland Hills, CA, is the owner, producer, and engineer at Los Olivos Recording Studios, producing independent artists such as Olya Lvova and Brandon Soriano. He’s also working on music to be released in 2023, including a collaboration with Colombian Latin-alternative icons Aterciopelados.

1997

Sean Goulding B.M. of London, England, is an international music agent at One Fiinix Live after 15 years working at the Agency Group and United Talent Agency. OFL was started in 2020 by award-winning agent Jon Ollier, who represents Ed Sheeran, 2Cellos, Calum Scott, and others.

Sean-David J. McGoran

Sean-David J. McGoran

Sean-David J. McGoran B.M. of Olympia, WA, is the founder and director of the Tuned In Academy, with 450 students, a satellite in South Seattle, and a virtual team of faculty around the country. He’s also adjunct faculty at Regent University, John Brown University, and Grand Canyon University.

Shie Rozow B.M. of Valencia, CA, released Music for the Screen Vol. 1: Leo Pfeifer Short Docs, a compilation of four soundtracks for award-winning short documentaries by filmmaker Leo Pfeifer. Three of the scores have earned Telly Awards.

1998

Neal Adams

Neal Adams

Neal Adams B.M. of Seattle, WA, is a self-employed guitarist, music instructor, and composer who performs with several small groups as well as with two traditional big bands. Adams released the EP Neal Adams & Friends in 2022, exploring jazz/funk-based compositions and collaborating with Rhymer and the Big Dipper.

1999

Greg Allison

Greg Allison

Greg Allison B.M. of Stittsville, Canada, released a self-produced, full-length album of original music recorded in his home studio.

Evan Z. Haller B.M. of Needham, MA, who perfoms as Music at the Blissful, released his third album for children, It’s Me, Evan!, which features catchy tunes and playful lyrics. He’s performing live shows around Massachusetts and plans to tour the Midwest this summer to promote the album.

2000

Jaymz Hardy-Martin III B.M. of Hampton, GA, was the tracking and monitor engineer for Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime performance. Immediately afterward, he collaborated with music director Adam Blackstone and the NBA for its annual All-Star 2023 festivities in Salt Lake City, UT.

Gregg Stein

Gregg Stein

Gregg Stein B.M. of Framingham, MA, is the founding partner and CEO of Triple G Ventures and CEO of SKOOG. CEO Monthly named Stein the Most Influential CEO in Massachusetts for 2022. He coaches, mentors, and leads a portfolio of rising brands, from foundation through scale-up, worldwide.

2001

Matthew Cusson of Pittsfield, MA, was nominated for a Grammy in the category Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. He also recorded as a featured artist and producer for 11-time Grammy nominee Dave Koz. He’s recently toured with Christina Aguilera, Brian McKnight, India Arie, and others.

Krystal Demaine B.M. of Beverly, MA, released her book The Roots & Rhythm of the Heart: Our Musical Connection to Identity, Spirit, and Lineage. It’s grounded in music, spirit, and the heart. Available in ebook and softcover on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and most bookstores.

Matty Harris of Manhattan Beach, CA, mixed songs on an album by Huddy featuring Travis Barker for Interscope Records.

Mike Van Dyne

Mike Van Dyne

Mike Van Dyne B.M. of Nassau, NY, and his band the Final Sleep released their new album via Belgian label Death Farm Records, and have shared stages with many world-renowned metal bands, including Fates Warning, Sanctuary, At the Gates, and All That Remains.

2003

Uziel Colon Ramos B.M. of Van Nuys, CA, was hired by California State University, Los Angeles, this fall to be an assistant professor of Afro-Latin music, jazz, and commercial piano.

2004

Briana Cash

Briana Cash

Briana Cash B.M. of Boston and Los Angeles, is the music supervisor for the Paramount+ original docuseries Murder of God's Banker. She also sings and plays guitar on the theme and on other cues, and has original music in episode one. 

2005

Antonio Beliveau B.M. of Thornbury, Australia, is a composer and music supervisor for the ABC sitcom The Conners, and was the former pianist and lead singer for Crash Kings.

Georgi Sareski

Georgi Sareski

Georgi Sareski B.M. ’05 of Skopje, North Macedonia, released Big Love, his ninth album of original compositions. It has nine duets for guitar and harmonica and is available on all music streaming platforms.

Aubrey Wilk

Aubrey Wilk

Aubrey Wilk B.M. of Commerce City, CO, is the principal of Downtown Denver Expeditionary School and its former dean of curriculum and culture. She’s also worked with EL Education to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum for grades 2–5 that engages students in project-based learning relevant to the local community.

Tuffus Zimbabwe B.M. of New York City was a finalist in the jazz category at the 27th annual USA Songwriting Competition.

2006

Kevin M. Casini

Kevin M. Casini

Kevin M. Casini B.M. of Clinton, CT, is vice president of business and legal affairs for RME (Rights Made Easy), a modern music rights organization that prioritizes identification and accurate royalty collection for music uses across social media and user-generated content. He previously founded Ecco Artist Services.

Josh Giunta B.M. of Brooklyn, NY, won his first Grammy, in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category, for his work on the Taylor Eigsti album Tree Falls.

Giovanni Rotondo B.M. of London, England, is launching The Legendary Decks, a groundbreaking product that fuses music and gaming, and allows users to interact with music in a unique way by offering collectible cards that feature exclusive tracks. Listeners can use these cards to take part in a captivating text-adventure game. Visit thelegendarydecks.com.

2007

Joseph Branciforte

Joseph Branciforte

Joseph Branciforte B.M. of Mount Vernon, NY, won a Grammy in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for his recording engineer work on Eliane Elias’s album Mirror, Mirror. Branciforte runs Greyfade Studio in Mount Vernon as well as Greyfade, an experimental record label. Visit greyfade.com.

Rosana Cabán

Rosana Cabán

Rosana Cabán B.M. of Brooklyn, NY, is a visiting assistant arts faculty member in the Collaborative Arts Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is teaching courses in music production, audio storytelling, and sound art.

Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez B.M. of Ocean, NJ, earned a master’s degree in special education after graduating from Berklee. Now he shares his passion for music with students who have autism and multiple disabilities.

Jessica Teich

Jessica Teich

Jessica Teich B.M. of Glen Gardner, NJ, is a board-certified neurologic music therapist, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto, and a lecturer for the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT). Teich studies the clinical use of music to address motor differences in people with autism.

2008

Michael Conrad

Michael Conrad

Michael Conrad B.M. of Nashville, TN, released his debut album, Bada Bing, under the band name Greedy Cherry, which serves as a vehicle for his multigenre songwriting. Conrad sings and plays bass on most tracks.

Cédric Hanriot B.M. of Paris, France, released his jazz album Time Is Color, which received a rare five-star review from BBC Magazine.

2009

Iván Carrero B.M. of Bogotá, Colombia, is the CEO of I-C Studios, a marketing entertainment company that counts among its clients Sony Pictures Television, Adidas, Samsung, and many other international brands.

James Roberson

James Roberson

James Roberson B.M. of Los Angeles is a freelance film and television composer. He wrote the score for the feature film Heart of a Champion, which premiered in February. Roberson also prepared an original soundtrack release for digital streaming services to coincide with the film’s theatrical release.

2010

David Bawiec B.M. of Westminster, CO, created the music for Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian Experience at Star Wars Celebration, and scored several of Netflix’s top feature releases as well as an animated film for Warner Bros. He was a music producer for the Paramount Studios’ Christmas tree lighting show.

Robert Gillies B.M. of Bergen, Norway, has been signed to V2 Benelux (Mumford & Sons, Alice Merton, Con Brio) as a recording artist.

Kimberly Pfluger

Kimberly Pfluger

Kimberly Pfluger B.M. of Marshfield, MA, was hired as senior marketing director of audio and music solutions at Avid, the company behind Pro Tools, Media Composer, Sibelius, and more. Pfluger previously led marketing teams at iZotope and Splice.

Yui Yamamoto B.M. of Burbank, CA, released three new singles in September. All are available on major streaming platforms.

2011

Oren Hartov

Oren Hartov

Oren Hartov B.M. of Studio City, CA, released his debut instrumental jazz-funk record, Shaky Eddie. It features Hailey Niswanger B.M. ’11, Nigel Newton B.M. ’13, Pepe Hidalgo Ramos ’15, Riccardo Gresinso ’21, and Nick Dinucci, and was produced by Jesse Hartov B.M. ’17.

Edward Moreta B.M. of Hyde Park, MA, founded the record label and recording/mixing/mastering studio E7studios, working with Univision Boston and with local artists. Artists under his label include LuzMel, Adriana Garcell, and Josean Jacobo y Tumbao.

2012

Kayley Bishop B.F.A. of Fort Myers, FL, won the top prize at the seventh annual Christmas Songwriting Competition.

Michel Corriveau M.M. of Montreal, Canada, composed music for several international features and series, including Anna (Los Angeles Independent Film Festival winner for best score in 2016), A Breath Away, and Versailles. He’s also composed for the television series True North, which won two Gémeaux Awards for best score.

Young-Ae Jung B.M. of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, released her fourth album, Arirang Cantata, in October. It features traditional Korean instruments such as haegeum, daegeum, and gayageum as well as traditional Korean percussion, piano, double bass, and drums.

Matt Savage

Matt Savage

Matt Savage B.M. of Somerville, MA, released The Groove Reawakens, his second album with the Matt Savage Groove Experiment in December. The jazz fusion album alternates instrumental and vocal tunes and features Aaron Gratzmiller B.M. ’11, Javier Rosario B.M. ’09, and Robbie Pate ’13.

Lance Tobin B.M. of Boca Raton, FL, is the vice president of booking for Al Dana Amphitheatre in Bahrain and has booked performances for world-renowned artists such as Bruno Mars, Post Malone, Imagine Dragons, Kevin Hart, and Jack Harlow.

Angel Jacinto Velez

Angel Jacinto Velez

Angel Jacinto Velez B.M. of Oxnard, CA, is producing Silent Films Live 3, a concert benefiting Education Through Music–Los Angeles and featuring classic silent film selections with new scores by several composers as well as a special 100th anniversary performance of Harold Lloyd’s iconic film, Safety Last!

2013

Tanya Dmuchowski

Tanya Dmuchowski

Tanya Dmuchowski B.M. of Lowell, MA, is the lead singer and guitarist of heavy metal trio Stormstress. Its new single, “Buried You in the Snow,” is about a band member’s recovery from vocal cord surgery and about grieving the loss of a way of life that no longer serves you.

2014

Thomas Anello B.M. of Brighton, MA, released one EP, two singles, and the album Words Won’t. Anello has amassed millions of views across Instagram, Twitch, and Reddit. He is sponsored by Elixir Strings and McPherson Guitars.

Shon Shachar Boublil B.M. of Perth, Australia, is completing his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Western Australia.

Zane Kuchera M.M. of Waltham, MA, released Empathy 2022, an album of 12 contemporary pop, folk, cabaret, and singer-songwriter tracks that were composed, arranged, and performed by Kuchera and created from lyrics written by authors from around the world.

2015

Félix Carcone M.M. of Paris, France, released a second live-experience game, The Live Holdup. His first game, The Live Thriller, was released in 2018.

Sophia Christopher B.M. of Sydney, Australia, composed the songs, lyrics, and score for the pop film musical MumLife, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. She’s also been nominated for an Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Award for Best Original Song for “Silver Linings” from MumLife.

Warren Grant B.M. of Maspeth, NY, was the drummer for Albert Cummings’s latest tour.

Tracy Yang of Elmhurst, NY, recorded her 17-piece jazz orchestra debut album, OR, at Power Station Berklee NYC. It was coproduced by Darcy James Argue. Yang is working on the post-production process and plans to release the album this fall.

2016

Holly Cinnamon

Holly Cinnamon

Holly Cinnamon ’16 of New York City is an actor, writer, and singer-songwriter known for her roles in Daredevil and Hocus Pocus 2. She released five singles in 2022 and is working on her first album. She’s appeared off Broadway and in film and on TV, including as a stand-in for Shiv Roy on Succession.

Giuliano D'Orazio B.M. of Worcester, MA, released his solo debut album, Giuliano, last fall. Its songs tell vulnerable stories that are both personal and relatable: stories of self-expression, sex, romance, acceptance, healing, justice, loss, and hope.

Maria Mifsud M.M. of Sannat, Malta, created a piano composition, “Remembrance,” that was published as a piece in the grade 4 Trinity College London piano syllabus for 2021–2023. This piece was also chosen as the soundtrack for the Trinity College London campaign video.

Yoshie Nakayama B.M. of Somerville, MA, is a second-year assistant professor in Berklee’s Contemporary Writing and Production Department. Her initiative, Songs for World Peace, hosted its third annual Peace Day Panel in September with guests from Musicians Without Borders, Community MusicWorks, and Music to Life.

2017

Elise Boeur B.M. of Toronto, Canada, released a duo album, Fiddle Tunes, with Adam Iredale-Gray ’15. Both are members of the Juno-nominated, Canadian Folk Music Award–winning quintet Aerialists, and in Fiddle Tunes they go back to their roots of joyfully exploring Celtic and Nordic fiddle traditions.

Ana Krstajic

Ana Krstajic

Ana Krstajic M.M. of Belgrade, Serbia, composed the score for Where the Road Leads, a film that premiered in January at Slamdance Film Festival. It was one of 11 films that was screened in the festival’s narrative feature category.

Nicolas Salinardi

Nicolas Salinardi

Nicolas Salinardi B.M. of Santa Monica, CA, wrote additional music for all 10 episodes of Showtime’s The First Lady, worked as a score programmer on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and is writing additional music for the massive multiplayer online (MMO) video game Star Citizen.

Daniele Truocchio

Daniele Truocchio

Daniele Truocchio B.M. of Los Angeles was included in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Entertainment Europe list and accepted into the Television Academy and Recording Academy as a national voting member. He is scoring the feature film The Martial Artist.

2018

Chavez Calvin Parker

Chavez Calvin Parker

Chavez Calvin Parker M.M. of Dallas, GA, created the theme music for Tyler Perry’s television show Zatima, which airs on BET+ on Thursdays.

Lawrence Shea B.M. of Pawcatuck, CT, is the band director at Stonington Public Middle School.

2019

Mike Casey M.M. of Los Angeles released a cowritten single, “Pasadena Sun,” which made Amazon Music’s Best of 2022: Jazz playlist, was featured in the popular video game Fortnite’s official playlist, and surpassed two million streams within six months.

Ingrid Gerdes B.M. ’05 M.M. ’19 of Boston became the new chair and head of leadership for the Boston chapter of the global nonprofit Women in Music.

Ariana Infante B.M. of Culver City, CA, had one of her songs featured in an ABC promo video on YouTube.

Clayton McDonnell M.M. of Santa Monica, CA, is vice president of music services at 21 South Music.

Pedro Osuna B.M. of Los Angeles released his soundtrack for the film Argentina, 1985, Argentina’s submission to the 95th Academy Awards.

Sergio Paramo

Sergio Paramo

Sergio Paramo B.M. of Los Angeles works at Point Blank Music School. He produces under the name Mystery Jack and performs at festivals such as EDC Las Vegas and Beyond Wonderland for Insomniac Events. He has releases on Disruptor Records, Ultra Records, Cr2 Records, and more.

Erica Parra B.M. of North Bergen, NJ, was honored by the township with a proclamation for her outstanding musical achievements.

Chris Petty

Chris Petty

Chris Petty B.M. of Salt Lake City, UT, is adjunct faculty of music production at Utah Valley University.

Patrick Pate B.M. ’08 (BCM) M.M. ’19 (BCB) of Cambridge, MA, is in his 13th year as a music teacher at the Carroll School, an independent day school for children with language-based learning differences. His duo, Moon Island, also released its first electronic album.

Eli Joseph Slavkin

Eli Joseph Slavkin

Eli Joseph Slavkin B.M. of Culver City, CA, is a composer, under the artist name Strings of Kin, at Lost in Sound Records, led by award-winning composer Jack Wall. One of Slavkin’s tracks, an arrangement of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, was added to the Spotify playlist Guitar Lullabies.

Samantha Zenon B.M. of Calgary, Canada, is an alt-R&B musician and winner of 2022 YYC Music Award’s Solo Artist of the Year. Zenon’s debut EP, Genre Z, is filled with diverse time signatures, captivating lyrics, bold rhythms, and intentional use of space.

2020

Michael Dutko B.M. of Southborough, MA, is the bassist for Groundlift, a trio that started at Berklee. Its latest single, “A Quick Fix,” was released in November. Backed by the Oracle Management since 2021, Groundlift recorded an EP with producer Steve Evetts and has played several shows.

Madeline Stewart M.M. of Brookline, MA, is a violin and viola teacher at the Boston String Academy.

2021

Adam Calus B.M. ’17 M.M. ’21 of Cambridge, MA, is the new director of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School.

Lindsey Wiehl

Lindsey Wiehl

Lindsey Wiehl of Valley City, ND, premiered two composition commissions at academic music conferences: “Our Natural Satellite, Drifting Away” for bassoon and piano premiered at the International Double Reed Society in Boulder, CO, and “Hex’s Bonfire” for flute, bassoon, and viola premiered at the National Flute Association in Chicago, IL.

2022

Alexis Isarose Kesselman

Alexis Isarose Kesselman

Alexis Isarose Kesselman M.M. of New York City cowrote Joji’s “Glimpse of Us.” It went RIAA-certified platinum, passed 700 million streams on Spotify, and hit no. 1 on Spotify and no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also nominated for Song of the Year at the ARIA Awards.

Scott Oatley M.M. of Oak Park, CA, completed a bicoastal tour of California and the Northeast in partnership with Sofar Sounds. His new album, Songs I Never Wrote, due out this summer, features the new singles “Impress You” and “Long Long Time.” Academy.

This article appeared in the spring/summer 2023 issue of Berklee Today