ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND ANNUAL GIVING
GREETING FROM BERKLEE
DEAR BERKLEE ALUMNI,
This past year, we leaned into our community for their insight on the future of Berklee. Our community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni were active participants in feedback sessions about our mission and vision, and about the qualities we want our next president to exemplify. You will hear this many times in this report, but we truly cannot do this work without you, our alumni. Your wisdom and experiences help better inform Berklee’s present. This report reviews some of the ways you engaged with Berklee and with each other from June 2023 to May 2024. We reached more of you than ever this year through events across the globe and on media. You shared your time, talent, and treasure with each other and our students. You lent your voices to our new podcast, Pass the Mic, and your movement to the Dance on Film Festival. We thank you!
This upcoming year, we look forward to continuing to offer more diverse content and programs for you to engage with fellow alumni in your area of the globe. Whether you’re a mentor or a regional volunteer we will continue to provide opportunities for you to give back to Berklee in meaningful ways. As always, we appreciate your feedback and thoughts on how to develop the alumni community.
On behalf of Berklee, thank you once again for your support. This past year would not be possible without you, your involvement, and your willingness to share your time and your goodwill. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Erin Tunnicliffe Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement
MARQUEE EVENTS
This year, alumni attended in-person events held across the country. Seeing everyone at the LA and NYC alumni brunches, the Alumni Achievement Awards, and on campus at Giving Day, reminded us of how energizing it is to stay connected to Berklee.
BERKLEE GIVING DAY
On March 6, 2024, we celebrated our sixth annual Berklee Giving Day. Alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends came together to set the stage for success, supporting all areas of Berklee. This year, alumni stepped up to support all areas of Berklee, contributing toward several challenges that encouraged community participation, and making up over a third of our 680 Berklee Giving Day donors. Students showed up stronger than ever before: 46 students donated, 150 students signed thank you cards, 350 students voted for club funding, and countless more participated in campus activities.
MARQUEE EVENTS
ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
The Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony is an inspiring event that allows honorees to reflect on their Berklee beginnings and career journeys. This year Gustavo Borner BM ’89 (engineer/producer), Natalie Toro (BFA ’86, musical theater), and Mark Kelley ’03, BM ’24 (performer), were celebrated.
LA AND NYC BRUNCHES
We held brunches in NYC and LA this year, bringing together two of our largest alumni communities. LA featured a keynote conversation with Paris Strother BM ’08 and a performance by Roberto Hermosillo MM ‘15 (Valencia).
Mark Kelley ’03, BM ’24 was the keynote in NYC, accompanied by featured performer Michelle Rocqet M.M. ’23 (NYC) and hosted by Yael Rizowy (BFA ’15, musical theater).
REGIONAL EVENTS
This was our most global year yet for events, including gatherings in Malaysia, Tokyo, London, and São Paolo, as well as newer alumni hubs Salt Lake City, Kansas City, and Raleigh-Durham. 118
EVENTS
5,288
REGISTRANTS
Alumni gathered around the globe for events, networking, and opportunities to connect with one another.
49
DONATIONS MADE IN ADDITION TO REGISTRATION
MENTORSHIP
There are many ways to be involved with the Berklee community. The third year of the Mentor Network saw a 10 percent increase in participants, including 28 percent of the graduating class. Our Alumni Loyalty Society is stronger than ever, featuring our growing population of recurring alumni donors supporting Berklee.
My mentor’s advice was instrumental in setting my path.…He taught me how to be proactive, emphasizing the importance of harnessing my skills to drive my own progress. This advice transformed my approach to work, equipping me to thrive in the dynamic environment of a startup.
—Giselle Wu BM ’23, about Jeremy Vaughn MM ’18
JEREMY VAUGHN MM ’18
GISELLE WU BM ’23
ALUMNI LOYALTY SOCIETY
Alumni choose to donate to Berklee out of pride in their education, as a testament to the positive experiences they had at Berklee, to give current and future artists more opportunities, and for countless other reasons. Regardless of the individual reason behind a donation, we are incredibly honored and grateful to all of our alumni supporters. Alumni gifts tie everything we do together, as we all strive toward a future where the arts are valued and arts education is accessible. That’s why Berklee created our Alumni Loyalty Society, a special giving society that honors alumni who have made gifts at any level for two or more years in a row.
This year, as part of their membership benefits, Alumni Loyalty Society members received eight personalized videos from current students. These videos highlighted campus activities, offered behind-the-scenes tours, and delivered firsthand accounts of student experiences. The personalized interaction between students and alumni fostered meaningful connections and demonstrated the impact of alumni contributions.
Hi Deysia, it’s Rick.
I wanted to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to send the video updates. It really has kept me connected to the Berklee community. I’m glad to see you doing so well, and I wish you every success in 2024. I visited Berklee this past fall to pick up an alumni ID. It was so nice to be back in the area, as it always brings up many fond memories of my time there.
—Rick Ricci BM ’75, Music Production and Engineering
ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY
Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.
73
Alumni supported areas, funds, programs, and initiatives
173 Alumni made 3,033 gifts totalling over $750,000 Alumni Giving
67 alumni made their first gift and joined the donor community
Alumni donors are from different class years ranging from ’48 to ’24
ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY
Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.
Mug Campaign
Our mug campaign, which offered alumni these exclusive travel mugs in exchange for a $30 donation, raised over $10,000 Berklee College of Music
ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY
Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.
HONOR YOUR BERKLEE HERO
We asked the class of 2024 to reflect on their time at Berklee and to identify the faculty or staff member who significantly impacted their journey. As a result, more than 60 students voted for their Berklee Hero, leaving heartfelt messages for those who enhanced their experiences. Some students even made gifts in honor of their heroes to support the next generation and amplify their impact. Alumni were also asked to donate as part of this campaign. In total, 51 faculty and staff members were nominated. The winners, Blaize Collard, assistant Professor in the Percussion Department, and Gina Zdanowicz, associate Professor in the Screen Scoring Department, received the most votes, accompanied by a plethora of beautiful messages from grateful students and alumni.
To Randy Zigler, Associate Professor of Double Bass:
Randy has shown me the utmost respect and desire to not only better me as a musician, but as a person. His confidence and reassurance as a mentor has changed the trajectory of my career and encouraged me to reach beyond my limits. Without Randy, I am confident I would not have continued my studies. Not only has he solidified my career choice, but he has encouraged and inspired a security in my own life. After graduating, I look forward to not only seeing him as my mentor, but as a friend.
—Nicolette Kindred BM ‘24
ALUMNI
PHILANTHROPY
Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.
In addition to their own donations, alumni have also helped raise even more support from our wider community.
Alumni Richard Ludlow BM ’14 and Eric Hollander (BM ’14, viola) recorded video testimonials sharing why they give and asking others to join them.
Alumni Alexis Beffer (BFA ’19, dance) and Georgia Lipari (BFA ’18, dance) participated in this year’s Dancing with the Stars: Berklee Edition, helping raise over $31,000 in student scholarship support.
ALEXIS BEFFER BFA ’19
GEORGIA LIPARI BFA ’18
ERIC HOLLANDER BM ’14
RICHARD LUDLOW BM ’14
ALUMNI
SOCIAL MEDIA
11,085 FANS
16,356 VIEWS ANNUAL REPORT
10,000 FOLLOWERS
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
The Digital Engagement team celebrated several milestones this year. We completed the first season of our podcast, reached 10,000 followers on Instagram, and held several social media campaigns for Women’s History Month, National Counseling Awareness Month, and our Spotify Alumni Mixtape.
YOUR MOST LIKED POSTS
SEPTEMBER
DECEMBER
We mourned the closing of two Berklee community staples, Guitar Center on Massachusetts Avenue and Boloco on Boylston Street.
We celebrated our phenomenal Berklee alumni and faculty who won at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
We honored your Berklee heroes who impacted your journey on and off campus through our Honor Your Berklee Hero campaign.
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
PASS THE MIC PODCAST
This year the Digital Engagement team launched the Pass the Mic podcast, where we pass the mic to you! This podcast series gives our community a chance to hear and learn from one another. In Season one, we had great conversations with alumni including Pinar Toprak ‘00, Tommy Torres ‘93, and Quinton Morris (MM ‘04, violin).
Stay tuned for Season two in September!
ALUMNI ON FILM
RAPID QUESTIONS
Darsell Obregon ‘10 participated in our Rapid Questions series at the NYC Alumni Brunch.
ALUMNI LIVE
Honeysuckle visited Club Passim for an exclusive alumni performance.
DANCE ON FILM FESTIVAL
Georgia Lipari (BFA ’18, dance) hosted the third annual Alumni Dance on Film Festival.
GEORGIA LIPARI BFA ’18
DARSELL OBREGON ‘10 | NYC ALUMNI BRUNCH
HONEYSUCKLE | CLUB PASSIM
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS
Alumni throughout the country celebrated many successes this year.
Here are some highlights from Berklee’s various learning communities.
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC BOSTON
Ingrid Gerdes BM ‘05
Boston
Owns and operates a full-service voice-over production company with clients such as Johnson & Johnson and Keurig. Produced and recorded several full-length studio albums that have been featured on NPR and MTV. Serves as the chapter chair for the Boston branch of Women in Music.
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC NEW YORK CITY
Michelle Rocqet MA ’23
NYC
Founding member of experimental pop band the Milk Blossoms.
Developed and taught curriculum in Denver
Public Schools in subjects such as music production, spoken word poetry, and identity power and music. Performed at the Berklee Alumni Brunch in NYC in 2023.
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC VALENCIA
Carla Patullo BM ’01, MM ’13
Los Angeles
Earned a Grammy Award for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album—the first LGBTQ+ artist to win in this category. Two film scores have been presented at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Has written over 100 songs with placements on Cartoon Network, CBS, PBS, and more.
BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE
Mimi Scardulla BFA ’16, Musical Theater
NYC
Broadway credits include Kristin Chenoweth’s
For the Girls, We Are the Tigers, and The Heart of Rock and Roll. Included in two Playbill Magazine special features. Currently plays the role of Texas in the Tony-nominated revival of Cabaret alongside fellow alum Marty Lauter (BFA ’18, musical theater).
BERKLEE ONLINE
Roy Hamilton III MM ‘11
Toronto
Multiplatinum
Grammy-nominated pop/R&B music producer, songwriter, and A&R executive. Used his BOL graduate final project to land a partnership role at Backroom Collective recording studio.
Founded the Singer’s Company, a successful artist development–focused organization.
GET INVOLVED
Alumni support is essential to the strength of the Berklee community. We invite you to learn more about how you can get involved.
MENTOR
students through the summer program, panels, and webinars.
CONNECT with your local community through events and opportunities. SHARE your expertise or offer internships through the Career Center.
SUPPORT students by making a gift today.
Find out more at berklee.edu/alumni
Make a gift at berklee.edu/giving
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