Pass the Mic: A Berklee Alumni Podcast

Pass the Mic: A Berklee Alumni Podcast

Pass the Mic is a podcast series from Berklee's office of Alumni Affairs. Cohosted by the Digital Engagement team, Jaquel Eley and Padriac Farma, the award-winning Pass the Mic Podcast gives the Berklee Alumni community a chance to grow and learn from one another. If you would like to support Berklee, visit berklee.edu/giving

Episodes

June 10, 2025 30 mins

We're taking a queue from our favorite sitcoms and putting on a clip show for our season finale. In this episode hear Mark Kelley ’24 talk about his one degree of separation from Beyonce, and Jan Esbra ’16 and Mariya Ksondzyk (B.M. ’17, M.M. ’19, viola) discuss the impact of prison music programs. Matt Sallee ’19 nerds out on a capella and Natalie Toro shuts down Steven Spielberg's set.

Season 3 premiers in the fall. Thank you all f...

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Grab your jackets everybody! It may be 49 degrees in May in Boston, but we're having class outside. Jaquel and Padriac recap this episode at the park in the Pru. We say goodbye to our student employee and podcast editor, Jonah, and Zack Lucia joins us as we talk to Gus Borner about building a business with a freelance mentality.

Playing us out: The Bean Tones

Our students and faculty are pushing the limits of music, dance, and theate...

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April 28, 2025 54 mins

Emmy-winner Joel Goodman has scored more than 150 film and television programs that have reseived 5 Oscar nominations and 30 Emmy awards. He has scored over 40 films for HBO, 4 ESPN 30 for 30 episodes, and composed the main theme for the long-running and critically acclaimed PBS series American Experience.

In this episode, Joel talks about his creative and professional processes, and how staying curious is a key to his success.

Pla...

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Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumna Natalie Toro (BFA ’86, musical theater) is a woman of many firsts. The first American to play Eponine in Les Miserables, the youngest actor to play Grizabella in Cats, and the first latina to play Eva Peron in Evita. Her career is full of life lessons, fabulous stories, and a flair only Natalie can bring.

We recorded this interview while Natalie was on campus to receive an Alumni Achievement Awa...

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February 27, 2025 58 mins

In this episode, singer-songwriter/producer Kevin Ross sits down with Jaquel (only) to talk about life, the pivot, and the future of R&B.

Playing us out is Dhy Edwardsberry AKA Neon Blk. Dhy is featured in the premiere of our Berklee Alumni Variation Signature Series you can find on our YouTube Channel: BerkleeAlumni

Our students and faculty are pushing the limits of music, dance, and theater all over the world, and with your sup...

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January 29, 2025 50 mins

Robert Kraft (no, not that one) wrote music for TV and film, served as president of Fox Music for 20 years, and produced the soundtrack to your childhood. The man has done so much in music that we didn't even get to his Academy Award nomination!

In this episode, we talk about Robert's early recording career, filmmaking with Bruce Willis, and pursuing the work that you love.

For alumni impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles, we hav...

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December 12, 2024 50 mins

Matt Sallee, member of the Grammy Award-winning a capella group Pentatonix, stopped by campus while on tour. We geeked out on a capella, talked about his family, and gave him some Berklee homework! We also preview Alumni Affairs happenings coming this spring.

Our students and faculty are pushing the limits of music, dance, and theater all over the world, and with your support, their artistry and ingenuity will see no end. We invite...

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November 26, 2024 49 mins

In this episode Joy Allen, Chair of the Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music and Health Institute, shares five tips for using music to regulate stress. We interview Chandrika Tandon, former Berklee Trustee, Grammy Award-nominated artist, and trailblazing philanthropist. Chandrika talks about the journey of creating her latest album, Ammu's Treasures, and the importance of music in changing the world. Also in this epis...

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October 30, 2024 48 mins

In our first ever College and Conservatory mashup, we interview college alumnus Jan Esbra ’16 and conservatory alumna Mariya Ksondzyk (B.M. ’17, M.M. ’19, viola) about their work teaching and performing music to prison populations.

We also get to learn more about student employees Deni and Luis and get to listen to alumni music!

Our students and faculty are pushing the limits of music, dance, and theater all over the world, and with...

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September 27, 2024 50 mins

Alumni Achievement Award recipient Mark Kelley talks about his career path, landing the gig as bass player for The Roots, and playing in the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Our students and faculty are pushing the limits of music, dance, and theater all over the world, and with your support, their artistry and ingenuity will see no end. We invite you to explore some of Berklee’s current philanthropic priorities a...

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Listen to the extended interview with Colleen Glenney ’01, Associate Director of Alumni Affairs. We discuss Colleen's performing career after Berklee, and the wealth of diversity within the alumni community.

If you would like to support Berklee, visit berklee.edu/giving

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Listen to the extended interview between Dāna James B.M. ’09, Associate Director of Alumni Affairs, and Zack Lucia B.M. ’14, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs. We discuss the needs and resources unique to working on the West Coast.

If you would like to support Berklee, visit berklee.edu/giving

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In this bonus episode, you willl hear an extended interview with Joe Dreeszen, Senior Director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving, and Georgia Lipari (B.F.A ’18, dance), Project Manager for Alumni Affairs. We get to know a bit more about Joe and Georgia, and discuss what the merger between the College and the Conservatory mean to alumni.

If you would like to support Berklee, visit berklee.edu/giving

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April 22, 2024 48 mins

In this episode, you will meet the Alumni Affairs team! We are thrilled to speak with members of the alumni community, and love it when you reach out to us. Email alumniaffairs@berklee.edu with any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions.

Segments:

Digial Engagement Team

  • Padriac Farma, Associate Director, Digital Engagement
  • Jaquel Eley, Assistant Director, Digital Engagement

Boston Office

  • Joe Dreeszen, Senior Directo...
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In this episode Padriac was very excited to use the term, "mixed bag." He wasn't wrong, however. We hear from alumni who attended the LA Brunch, we talk about the podcast's origin story, and we hear one of Jaquel's very first podcast interviews with the talented and business savvy BoCo alumna, Karen Peterson Corash (B.F.A. '76, dance). To cap it off, we are played out by singer-songwriter Sarah Eide ’11.

Our students and faculty a...

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February 20, 2024 58 mins

In this episode, we speak with the Black Scholars Initiative (BSI) alumni panelists Therlande Louissaint, Abria Smith, and Jaymz Hardy-Martin III. We learn about the evolution of holistic education and we make some friends along the way!

To support programs like the Black Scholars Initiative, please visit berklee.edu/giving

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January 26, 2024 49 mins

In this episode Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumnus Quinton Morris (M.M. '04, violin) talks about his academic career as both student and educator, his search for nuturing in music, and the work ethic he found to create success.

We also say goodbye to Bill Belichick, and kick off 2024.

If you would like to support Berklee, visit berklee.edu/giving

News Theme 1 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 lice...

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December 13, 2023 36 mins

Seth Saltzman is the senior vice president of Global Services at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), where he has worked in a variety of roles since 1984. He has extensive experience working with writers and publishers on issues related to music licensing, copyrights, royalties, and other matters.

ASCAP is a membership association of more than 640,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music p...

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November 27, 2023 54 mins

In this episode alumni Isaac Matus ’18, Jeremy Bosh ’12, and Nella Rojas ’15 visited the SOMOS Latinx pre-orientation program, and took some time to sit down with former Alumni Affairs staff member, Magdalena Abrego ’2016.

Also in this episode we learn about SOMOS Latinx from Berklee staff member Ty-Juana Flores, and fire off some rapid questions with student employees Luis and Denny.

If you would like to support Berklee, visit berkl...

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October 27, 2023 40 mins
In this episode Jaquel and Padriac share some fun facts about themselves, and Tommy Torres ’93 talks about being in the studio with Ricky Martin, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and collaborating with Bad Bunny.
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