BPMI Leaders

Jeff Dorenfeld, Founder Emeritus

Jeff Dorenfeld, founder emeritus of the Berklee Popular Music Institute, 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. As faculty adviser for Berklee's student-run record label, Heavy Rotation Records, he negotiated a recording contract with Epic/Sony Records—the first-ever college label and major label collaboration. The contract established the Epic scholarship for Music Business/Management majors at Berklee. In 2011, Dorenfeld established the Berklee/Lollapalooza scholarships, associated with the Lollapalooza festivals in the U.S., Chile, and Brazil, and in 2015 founded BPMI.

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. Dorenfeld directed all long-term strategic planning and successfully negotiated multimillion dollar contracts with major corporations in the music/entertainment industry. 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.

Morgan Milardo, Managing and Artistic Director

Morgan Milardo joined BPMI under the leadership of Jeff Dorenfeld in early 2019, after she discovered a passion for teaching as adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she designed and instructed multiple music business courses. As the managing and artistic director of BPMI, Morgan oversees the institute’s strategic direction and daily operations of its unique experiential programs and the business of live music minor. She guides the institute’s annual artist-selection process, developing and touring with up to eight emerging Berklee artists per year, at some of the world’s most recognized music festivals.

Prior to her time in higher education, Milardo spent a decade in the music industry, focused on creative pitching and strategic licensing for film, TV, video games, and other new media projects. She began her career at Sony/ATV Music Publishing in Los Angeles before moving east for a position at Harmonix Music Systems, where she focused on licensing for successful video game franchises such as Rock Band and Dance Central. Milardo has spent years managing and touring with independent bands, focusing her attention on artist development, branding, content distribution, and marketing strategy.

Morgan Luzzi, Program Administrator 

Morgan Luzzi is a musician and higher education professional residing in Boston. With an extensive background in live music and touring, he has dedicated the past 15 years to performing with multiple bands, primarily in the indie/alternative rock genres. In early 2020, Luzzi returned to his alma mater, Berklee College of Music, where he joined the Professional Music Department's staff. In his role as department coordinator, he provided advising and administrative support to one of the college's largest student cohorts.

In addition to his live music pursuits, Luzzi occasionally contributes music to multimedia projects such as podcasts, video games, and animated shorts. BPMI's initiatives are particularly meaningful to Luzzi, as he is a strong advocate for bridging the gap between independent artists and the music industry.