Month: November 2022

Graduated in 2015 with a major in Songwriting. Principal instrument: bass.

Position: Digital Lockup Manager and Media Support Specialist at Lesley University’s College of Art & Design. Lesley University a commuter school based in Cambridge, Massachusetts with over 6,000 students, the majority graduate students and including many artists. Theo works at a center at the Art and Design School where audio/visual equipment is loaned out to students. He also supervises student employees and manages several computer labs, updating equipment and troubleshooting when things go wrong.

Overview: After graduating from Berklee Theo get an internship at a local music label, hoping it would turn into a full-time job, but that didn’t happen and he lacked the connections to get another job right away in the music industry. He moved home to Connecticut and worked with his father’s video production company for the better part of a year before returning to Boston. Theo got two part-time jobs: Music Assistant at a boys & girls club in South Boston, and media assistant at Harvard. Then a few months later he got a better media support job at Mount Ida College, which lasted until the college shut down a year later.

After being unemployed for a bit, Theo went back to that boys & girls club, but the pay was low and he was looking for other jobs, particularly a/v jobs in academia. After about a year, in late 2019 he spotted the position and Lesley University and was hired. The job has evolved into his current position. Theo continues to volunteer at the boys & girls club.

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You can see Theo’s LinkedIn profile here.

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Choice Quotes: It’s really awesome to be surrounded by artists. Many faculty/staff are artists in the community. It’s great being around crfeative people. I’ve also had a knack for tech jobs, assisting people. I’d worked for my dad’s video production company and picked it up well. It was easy to learn, and fun to assist others.”

“Have an open mind and don’t think you must work in music just because you have a music degree. Would working 40 hours/week in music take away some of your passion? Think about other skills you have that you might use for work. Find a way to make your full time job outside of music enjoyable and then you can do that and do the music you want to do. “

“if you’re interviewing for an A/V support position, be honest about your experience, but be 100% open to learning about new equipment and learn all new stuff. I test a/v equipment at home, filming myself drumming.”

“I will continue to try to find a music career, but by no means am I unhappy in my position. I’m grateful for where I’m at, the strong community, the benefits. It keeps me in the Boston area and give me the opportunity to network with creative people. I’m grateful for where I am.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Graduated in 2014 from Boston Conservatory with a degree in Vocal Performance. Tyler went straight from there to earn a Masters in Opera Singing, also from BoCo, which he received in 2016.

Position: Manager of Planning and Partnerships a William H. Kopke Jr. Inc., a.k.a. Kopke, a major importer of fresh fruit and 4th generation family business. Tyler wears many hats in this administrative/managerial position. He writes and helps negotiate contracts with retailers and then makes sure that those contracts can be fulfilled. Tyler also works on branding initiatives and making sure the company’s workflow is going smoothly.

Overview: Tyler grew up a navy brat, constantly moving. As he was finishing his education he realized that he didn’t want a touring lifestyle and wasn’t certain what he wanted to do, so he took a break and moved home to Minnesota. Tyler spoke with financially successful people about what how they got there, and they suggested he learn sales-related skills. He got a job selling door-to-door in the winter. But his fiancee was soon moving to New York for graduate school; her father worked in the fruit industry and suggested Tyler speak with Kopke, which is based in New York. Although her father put in the word, Tyler didn’t get an interview. However, after reaching out several times and finding his now-boss’s phone number, Tyler was given an interview.

In a bit of luck, the president of Kopke was a major supporter of the Metropolitan Opera, and the first half hour of the interview was them chatting about opera! Tyler was hired as an executive assistant, but worked extremely hard to prove himself and take on more responsibility, and over the years his position and areas of responsibility have grown substantially.

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You can see Tyler’s LinkedIn profile here.

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Choice Quotes: “I love the relationships we get to build. We’ve worked with some growers for generations! Some buyers will send me photos of kids, or we’ll grab drinks after a day at a convention. The produce industry is very personally driven. We’re making a lot of logistical investments and are expanding and it’s exciting to be part of that. It’s also fun to go a grocery story and see a label on a shelf that I helped make.”

“The produce industry is a heavy workload–we work with perishable product. For example, Walmart is closed one day per year. If a truck with grapes can’t deliver on a Friday, I can’t wait until Monday.”

“The ability to creatively problem-solve, think outside the box, good communication skills. It’s all played into my role here and I learned it all in my performing career. A lot of those intangible skills are something people can really lean into, and are very valued by companies.”

‘The best advice I got was the year after I graduated. “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or have to do. What is it you want to do that’ll let you sleep soundly at night.’ I really wanted/needed stability and community. If you don’t know what you want, take some time and do some genuine self-reflecting. It takes a certain type to be happy on the road; if that’s not making you happy, don’t waste your time. Life is too short.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni.