Berklee IA Annual Report 2024

ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND ANNUAL GIVING

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

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

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

BERKLEE GIVING DAY

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.

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.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

MARQUEE EVENTS

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).

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

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.

Alumni gathered around the globe for events, networking, and opportunities to connect with one another.

118 5,288 49

EVENTS

REGISTRANTS

DONATIONS MADE IN ADDITION TO REGISTRATION

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

MENTOR NETWORK PARTICIPATION

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.

2021

2022

2023

PARTICIPANTS

425

468

502

% OF GRADUATING CLASS

19

25

29

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

GISELLE WU BM ’23

JEREMY VAUGHN MM ’18

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

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

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.

Alumni Giving Alumni made 3,033 gifts totalling over

$750,000

Alumni supported

73

areas, funds, programs, and initiatives

173

alumni made their first gift and joined the donor community

Alumni donors are from

67

different class years ranging from ’48 to ’24

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

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

214 48 Berklee College of Music mugs sold

Boston Conservatory at Berklee mugs sold

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

HONOR YOUR BERKLEE HERO

ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.

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

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

In addition to their own donations, alumni have also helped raise even more support from our wider community.

ALUMNI PHILANTHROPY

Alumni support is essential to the Berklee community.

RICHARD LUDLOW BM ’14

ALEXIS BEFFER BFA ’19

ERIC HOLLANDER BM ’14

GEORGIA LIPARI BFA ’18

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.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

11,085 ALUMNI SOCIAL MEDIA

16,356 10,000

FANS

VIEWS

FOLLOWERS

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

YOUR MOST LIKED POSTS

We mourned the closing of two Berklee community staples, Guitar Center on Massachusetts Avenue and Boloco on Boylston Street.

SEPTEMBER

APRIL

2024

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.

DECEMBER

2023

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT

We celebrated our phenomenal Berklee alumni and faculty who won at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

FEBRUARY

We honored your Berklee heroes who impacted your journey on and off campus through our Honor Your Berklee Hero campaign.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

PASS THE MIC PODCAST

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT

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!

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

RAPID QUESTIONS

ALUMNI ON FILM

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.

DARSELL OBREGON ‘10 | NYC ALUMNI BRUNCH

HONEYSUCKLE | CLUB PASSIM

GEORGIA LIPARI BFA ’18

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

AWARDS

Emmys

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Alumni throughout the country celebrated many successes this year.

Here are some highlights from Berklee’s various learning communities.

20

NOMINATIONS

Grammys

93

NOMINATIONS

Latin Grammys

28

NOMINATIONS

3

WINNERS

23 6

WINNERS

WINNERS

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC BOSTON

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC NEW YORK CITY

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC VALENCIA

BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE

Ingrid Gerdes BM ‘05 Boston

Michelle Rocqet MA ’23 NYC

Carla Patullo BM ’01, MM ’13 Los Angeles

Mimi Scardulla BFA ’16, Musical Theater NYC

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.

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.

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.

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.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023–2024

MENTOR

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.

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 @BerkleeAlumni

@BCBAlumni

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Connect with us on social media to unite with other alums and stay updated about the latest events.