January 2026 – Other Berklee Alumni

Successful Berklee Alumni #277: Sean Feth

January 16, 2026January 16, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2021 with a major in Electronic Production & Design. Principal instrument: voice.

Position: Talent Agent at Dulcedo Management, an established agency that works with models, professional athletes, and social media influencers. They negotiate branding deals and promotions, and also offer career advice and support. Sean works with influencers, both supporting his clients and also finding new influencers to work with. The company is headquartered in Canada, but Sean, like many other employees, is in the United States and works remotely.

Overview: During his last year at Berklee, Sean got the opportunity to work with some other guys, incluidng his friend and roommate, on a social media agency startup Greenlight Group. He continued to work with them after graduation as an agent (plus doing some other stuff), but it was a part-time, commission-based job and he needed to work side jobs to make ends meet. In early 2023 a former colleague was working at another agency, Brandfluence, helped him get a full-time job there. But by mid 2023 he wanted to work elsewhere and over the next two years he worked at two other agencies, always with social media influencers (and sometimes traditional media people trying to break into social media), each with more ability to do new things and take on new resposibilities, but neither really providing compensation that matched the value he created and time he was putting in.

Sean was still in touch with a colleague from a previous job, and that person was working at Dulcedo. Sean had conversations with the higher-ups there and appreciated the people, the direction the company was going in terms of work, and the compensation package, so in November 2025 he joined the team.
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You can see Sean’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I wake up and excited to do what I do. I like the freedom to chart my own course, set my own schedule, build my own roster. Also, we’re not even close to the peak of how big digital marketing will be. There are so many opportunities!”

“My friend who got me my first agent job, I met him day 1 of freshman orientation. Connectiveness, socializing, growing your network are all an integral part of Berklee. We musicians are taught this other language, and we can use that to be great communicators. I could never have done this without my skills at collaboration and making connections which I learned at Berklee.”

“You many not be doing what you want to, especially just after college, but life has a way of bringing you to a good place if you accept where things are at. Go with the flow and trust the process. Also, be open to new opportunities. Don’t shut yourself out just because you have goals. You could end up turning down something that could lead you to a path where you’d get those goals. Have an open mind and be willing to take a job you’re overqualified for. You have to cut your teeth somewhere.”

“If you want to work as an agent, we’re taking interns! I’d be happy to talk.”

“Music is and will always be what I need to survive. I’m always listening, thinking about music. My office looks more like a music studio than a traditional office. I still work on music, and I also work with (non-musician) creators on their musical passion projects, helping them produce and write.”
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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #276: Hannibal Ahmed

January 16, 2026January 16, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2021 with a major in Songwriting. Principal instrument: piano.

Position: Assistant Property Manager at Resprop Management, a large, growing company with around 500 employess that manages large residential apartment buildings in multiple southern states. Hannibal is actually a Real Estate Operations Program Leadership Associate, where he will be rotated through different positions so as to learn more about the entire company’s operations and determine were he will fit in best, but this is his first job within that position. Hannibal is one of 8 people at this 7 building, 400 unit complex and he assists the Senior Property Manager with many tasks, from reconciling and verifying the financials on tenant accounts to dealing with problems as they arise and even helping the Leasing Agents if there’s more work than they can handle.

Overview: Hannibal applied to masters programs in music production or engineering, but decided he could learn almost as much by recording and producing his own album, which he did during the year after graduation, working with a Berklee professor. During that time he made money as a private instructor, working for various music schools, but he wasn’t good at marketing himself and didn’t get enough students for it to be financially sustainable. He moved in wtih family in Tampa, Florida, and, with the help of a relative who was an expert software architect, taught himself web development. For a year he worked on the website of his aunt’s business, but by then he realized that he didn’t enjoy software enough to want to be doing it for decades. Hannibal explored possible careers, using LinkedIn Learning, and found himself very interested in finance–something that had interested him earlier on as well.

In January, 2024, Hannibal enrolled in the Masters of Liberal Arts in Finance program at Harvard Extension School. Most of his fellow students were part-time, but he went full time and completed this mostly-online program in May, 2025. While still in school, a recruiter from a wealth management firm in Georgia recruited him to work as a financial advisor. He started this job after graduation, but soon discovered he didn’t like the work and moved back to Tampa. To get more experience, Hannibal started doing “externships” through Extern. Effectively these are internships, but done through an intermediate company, meaning they were easier to get by the pay was low. In his first two externships he was recognized for being a top performer. Meanwhile, he was applying widely to jobs. He applied to work for Resprop in Texas, but they let him know that they had an opening in Florida near Tampa! He started in October, 2025.

On top of working 55-hour weeks, Hannibal is doing another externship, and is working on a degree in accounting!

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You can see Hannibal’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I like the problem solving / customer serve aspects of property management. You’re not going to be bored, as it’s different every day. From my finance nerd side, I get exposed to the day-to-day mechanics of every idea from the finance side. How the day-to-day operations affect the final outcome.”

“My current job is very people-focused, and threre’s a level of having social skills. It’s not ubiquitous among accounting students. Art is in some ways a very advanced form of communication. At Harvard I got a lot of compliments on my wrirting ability. Was it related to my songwriting degree? While at Berklee I did spend a lot of time thinking how to write things well.”

“I took a taxation class at Berklee and also a class about business and contracts. Those two classses definitely did help. Having some experience with those issue before getting into the business world made it easier to quickly figure out what I’m doing now.”

“If there’s something want to pursue, figure out a way to publicly brand yourself in alignment with the thing you’re trying to accomplish. That’ll make it easier for people in that field to understand that you’re a good person to speak with. I express myself through LinkedIn. It could be Instagram or YouTube. It could be your own side project. Many decision makers are looking for someone where they can understand what’s going on with them when they’re looking for whom to give an opportunity to. Without a clear story, they’re likely to pass. A clear story doesn’t mean you need a boring, one-track life. You can see all the different things I’ve done in the last 5 years, but I was able to persent, for the most part, a story about how this lead me to where I am now.”

“The bigggest difference between my job and that of the property manager, is that the property manager doens’t have the luxury of asking someone else if they don’t know the answer. She also sets the annual budget.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #275: Ryan Faison

January 15, 2026January 16, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2021 with a major in Music Business. Principal instrument: guitar.

Position: Partner Accounts and BDR (Sales) at Redis, Inc, a tech firm providing a service to very large tech firms, essentially a massive data cache so that common queries can be answered faster and using fewer resources. Around a thousand employees, mostly in San Francisco, but he’s with other salespeole in their Austin office. Ryan reaches out to both potential customers trying to guage interest in their product, as well as current customers about new services which Redis can provide.

Overview: While still at Berklee, Ryan wasn’t sure if he needed to stay in music or what he wanted to do and he decided to get an MBA. He got into the MBA program at Belmont University in Nashville and started that summer right after graduation. In late 2022 his MBA was complete, and Ryan spent the next year working at a music app startup where he had started working while still in the program. But as with many startups, working there involved, long hours, modest pay, and the hope that things would get radically better if the company took off. Eventually Ryan decided that glorious future was unlikely, so he gave notice, left on good terms, and moved home to California to plot his next move.

Ryan taught some music lessons while applying to hundreds of jobs over most of the year–he regrets not trying to network directly with hiring managers. Soon after he applied to the position at Redis he noticed an old friend worked there. Ryan reached out to this friend, who vouched for him and this led to Ryan getting an interview and ultimately this job. The job started out with him exclusively reaching out to potential customers, but he was semi-promoted to his current position where he also reaches out to current customers.
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You can see Ryan’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I find a lot of satisfaction in having a conversation with someone I’ve never spoken with before, getting them to open up about their needs, then getting them to hop on a longer call and hearing the eagerness and excitement in their voice when they realize that our produce will solve their problems. It feel like I’m an ancient hunter who brought down the gazelle on the Serengeti, like I’ve won.”

“At Berklee, I faced a hard truth. If I wanted people to listen to my music, I had to appeal to what people wanted to hear. That does help me in my current role in terms of my mindset. it helps me with social interaction, knowing I need to say what they want to hear, not just what I think should be good. I need that outside-looking-in perspective.”

“If you have doubts about whether you want to go through the uncertainty of a music career, have your options open in terms of your career path. Get comfortable with the idea that music might be a hobby, a passion on the side. Find joy and acceptance in that. Don’t give up music just because you had to find a different job.”

“Before embarking on a career in sales, ask yourself, ‘Do I have thick skin? Am I naturally OK with rejection and with trusting in the process?’ If you’re OK with that, then you should go for it. And do so now rather than later. That first role (BDR, SDR), isn’t sunshine and rainbows. Especially if it’s mostly commission. You’ll hear ‘No,’ all the time. But if you’re going to do it, start when you’re still young and like a spongs that absorbs lots of information. Sales jobs are relatively easy to get, but you want to get through that first year or two and move on to where it’s less of a grind. Also, be watchful about pyramid schemes. If they offer you multiple group interview slots, it’s probably some pyramid thing and not a company you want part of.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #274: Rachel Olivo

January 15, 2026January 15, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2020 with a major in Music Business. Principal instrument: voice.

Position: Leasing Agent at Greystar Property Management, a multinational company that manages apartment complexes, some of which they own. As a leasing agent at a property with 400 units, Rachel follows up with prospective renters, gives tours of apartments, screens potential renters’ financial histories, and also helps out at the front desk. She earns a solid base salary, plus a bit of commission for each apartment rented.

Overview: Rachel made it through Berklee in three years. As a Berklee student, she fell in love with music venues and their design. She got an internship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra…then the pandemic hit and she had to move home to southern New Jersey. At the end of 2020, Rachel moved to Nashville on the recommendation of a bandmate. Initially she worked in restaurants, then through a connection worked for six months as a hospitality manager for multiple touring bands, only to find that she didn’t love the lifestyle of being on the road and Christian music wasn’t really her jam. For the next couple of years, Rachel worked in Nashville, both in restaurants and at the School of Rock, while singing 4-hour sets 5 night/week. Toward the end, she was starting to grow tired of the long hours and was applying for other jobs, including to Greystar.

Then Rachel met her now-fiance at a wedding. He lived near Washington DC, and after a few months she decided to move in with him. She applied to work at various buildings and was hired into her current job before she moved.
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You can see Rachel’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I’ve had a big intrest in floor plans, design, and architecture my whole life. This job lets me indulge in that. I’m new at the company, but I can talk with higher-ups, am starting to understand why designs were done the way they are. I also like all the talking with other people I get to do.”

“While at Berklee I had to really learn how to study and learn! Everyone was the best at music in their town, then they go to Berklee and get perspective that you can’t be a small-towner anymore. There’s a type of innocence is gone in a really good way. I learned this is how the world works, and you can learn something from everyone.”

“This job was a 180 in my lifestyle! It’s crazy–I realized how much I liked structure and a consistent paycheck.”

“I sing with a band roughly once every 2 weeks, but could do more if I wanted. I’m also still writing music. Now that I’m not exhausted all the time, it’s so much easier singing! I finished several songs just a few weeks ago.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #273: Brittany Best

January 7, 2026January 7, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2020 with a major in Music Business. Principal instrument: voice.

Position: Corporate Partnerships Manager (Fundraising) at GLAAD, a nonprofit organization that advocates for fairer treatment of GLBT folks in the media. One of around ten people in development, Brittany works out to corporate partners to maintain relationships and obtain sponsorships of GLAAD events and/or the organization itself. He job involves both external communication and internal communication to make sure everyone’s on the same page. She’ll also make “pitch decks” – very pretty slideshows that describe everything offered to a partner will receive. “It’s a fun way to be creative.”

Overview: Graduating during the pandemic, Brittany spent about a year looking for work. Then a friend who worked at Berklee NYC connected her to an administrative job there at the Power Station. After about a year, she met the assistant to Paul Simon to work for the NYC Dept. of Education, administering a mentorship program for new teachers which Paul Simon had funded. But both jobs were long hours and fairly low pay, which wore her down, so in 2023 Brittany looked for a new job and took a better-paying job at a for-profit company that ran events for HR professionals.

Brittany worked there for about a year, but found herself really missing working someplace with a mission. After she was laid off, Brittany had more clarity on the type of place she wanted to work at. She changed her LinkedIn profile to read that she was a “community builder and social justice advocate and put on a banner with a quote by gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Two days later, she heard from a recruiter on behalf of GLAAD. Several tough interviews later, Brittany was hired into her current position in August, 2025.
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You can see Britany’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “Nonprofits have always had a special place in my heart. It’s a privilege to work for a cause, and I feel like I’m making the most impact I’ve ever made in my life.”

“Berklee prepared me to think outside the box for everything. The number one compliment I get at work is, ‘Wow, I never would’ve thought about it that way’ or “You have such a creative flair.'”

Sit with yourself and figure out what you mean to you. Not what others tell you what you should be, but what do you mean to you.”

“If you want to work in the nonprofit sector, the best way to connect with nonprofits is to volunteer with them. You’ll meet the people you’ll need to meet to ultimately get hired.”

“I don’t regret a single piece of my education or career. It’s an honor to have those experiences and use them in my career. My passion wasn’t music, but I can still have a space in my heart for it while dedicating my passion to this mission.”
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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee/BoCo Alumni #272: Isaac Tardy

January 6, 2026January 6, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated from BoCo in 2023 with a major in Musical Theater.

Position: Assistant Director of Annual Giving at M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. Working with a portfolio of around a thousand often-recent alumni, Isaac works to build relationships with them and encourage them to contribute to M.I.T.’s annual fund. Each day he’s emailing folks, following up communication, calling them to have conversations about what their alma mater is doing and how they can help make good things happen.

Overview: While a BoCo student he did a few work-study administrative jobs and liked it. His student debt meant that the precarious life of a performer didn’t appel to Issac as much as a steady paycheck an job security. Initially he was unable to land a theater-adjacent administrative job in the Boston area and he moved home to Maine and worked as a substitute (music) teacher while applying to a wider range of jobs. After a few months, he was hired at M.I.T. as exectutive assistant to the director of an arts-related program at M.I.T.

For nearly two years Isaac did that job, but eventually he wanted to work a more “front end” job (interacting with alumni) rather than “back end” job. So he applied internally to his current position and after eight challenging interviews, was hired into it in the summer of 2025.
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You can see Isaac’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I really love building relationships with people. When people give back it’s some of the most generous and happiest moments of their life, and we get to be part of that. I may not be in the position to give huge gifts, but I get to help others do that. M.I.T. is changing the world and I get to be a part of that.”

My education at BoCo prepared me to take curveballs–to improvise and be resourseful and good on my feet. Also there’s a component of public speaking in my job and I’d be nowhere without my musical theater training!

“I’m currently about halfway through my Southern New Hampshire Univ. (online) MBA program, paid in part by M.I.T., and I’m very glad that I’m able to continue my education. It’s never too late to expand your educational horizon.”

“I actually was offered a promotion at my previous position at M.I.T. when I got this job offer, and it would have paid a bit more. I chose my job so it makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning.”

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See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni

Successful Berklee Alumni #271: Andrew MacMurray

January 6, 2026January 6, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2023 with a degree in Professional Music. Principal instrument: guitar.

Position: Alumni Relations Assistant, working for the Harvard Alumni Association at Harvard University. Most of Andrew’s work in this entry-level administrative position involves planning events, on-campus, off-campus, and virtual, for Harvard alumni.

Overview: In his final semester Andrew launched a music-based site, but it didn’t take off, so upon finishing in December 2023 Andrew applied to many jobs: music, music-adjacent such as A/V, and general. One of the applications hit and he was hired at M.I.T. as a desk associate at a grad student dormatory. Initially this was as a contractor but M.I.T. brought him on as a regular employee. Unfortunately, the job was all evenings and weekends. During this time, Andrew took a data analysis course, then started looking for other positions with a better schedule. After about a year at M.I.T. Harvard called him back for a job he had applied for and he was hired into his current position in January 2025.
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You can see Andrew’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “Working at Harvard gives great benefits; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at such a prestigious institution. As to job itself, I get to work with data a lot, managing registration lists, updating CRM database. I’m getting more valuable hands-on expeience with Excel.”

“Berklee’s best skills it teaches you are soft skills and won’t show up on a resume. Being at Berklee taught me persistence. Being in an environment with many musicians more talanted than I was pushed me to work extra-hard.”

“If you’re pursuing a project, you have a actually enjoy the work–that’s the only way you’ll be able to sustain yourself when you’re not getting the success. I had a fairly successful presence on YouTube, but doing videos stopped being fun, and when I forced it the results didn’t make me feel good because it wasn’t my best work. Tbhis applies to job as well, as if you don’t enjoy it you’ll find yourself competing against people who enjoy what they do 10 times more than you. For jobs, it’s also important to build up the soft skills that’ll help you stand out. Unless the recruiter enjoys talking with you they won’t forward your application.”

“For a while I didn’t apply to work at Harvard, thinking I wasn’t good enough, but finally I went for it and my 2nd application hit. You can’t get in if you don’t try.”
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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #270: Nilsen Humphrey

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Gradated in 2018 with a major in Music Business. Principal instrument: trumpet.

Position: Marketing Manager at Comikaze Entertainment, the 8-person outfit which puts on the annual L.A. Comic Con, which happens every September, featuring around 130,000 guests, close to a thousand exhibitors and artsts, and around 150 temporary staff. Like everyone else there, he’s onsite during the convention itself. But during the rest of the year, “I handle every visual asset, ad push, strategy, website, marchandise,” as one of two people (him and his boss) working in marketing.

Overview: As a Berklee student, Nilsen helped put on house shows. Nilsen wanted to work in the music industry, particularly live entertainment, in L.A. but without a job lined up he moved home to San Francisco and worked two full times jobs (at the Apple Store and Trader Joes) for a year to save money. Then he moved to L.A. to pursue music and to be with his now-wife. He applied to a huge number of positions in the music space, including his job which he thought handled music at the time he applied. But he quickly realized the deal but thought it was a really cool position that would get him valuable experience. He was hired as a Marketing Assistant, generating lots of content, and started his job the day that everything shut down for Covid.

2020 was a major challenge for his employer, as there was no live convention, though federal aid kept his job going until January 2021. 2021 there was an in-person convention, and Nilsen saw that year as his opportunity to really prove himself. At the convention itself Nilsen did a great job handing an awkward situation, which impressed the higher ups. Soon after, he was promoted to Marketing Manager and his responsibilities expanded.
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You can see Nilsen’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “The smiles of the people entering the con is my favorite part of the job! I also like the problem-solving challenges of running the con. It’s stressful and you get yelled at a lot when things don’t go right, but I like figuring out solutions. I never get bored!”

“At Berklee Valencia I took a Music Business class where we had to plan and put on an event. I loved that class so much I realized that’s what I wanted to do. Back in Boston, I started hosting house shows in Allston. That’s how I stated working with events, and I realized I wanted to keep doing it as a career.”

“If you want to work in marketing, do as much as you can without the job. Many folks want an entry-level job, but they have no relevant experience. Had I not put on shows, made show posters for folks for free, helped with graphic design, and so forth, my company wouldn’t have hired me. Try writing up marketing campaigns on your own. If you do enough of this work, you’ll have examples to show brands.”

“Find something you’ll like doing. I”‘m in a role I woudln’t have considered in college, but I’m having fun, and I’m picking more skills and connections than if I were waiting around for the so-called perfect job.

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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Successful Berklee Alumni #269: Tom Cooke

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 Kevin

Listen to the interview or download it.

Graduated in 2024 with a major in Music Production & Engineering. Principal instrument: saxophone.

Position: Financial Salesperson. Tom works for Getty Advance, which provides private loans to businesses. In this commission-based sales, job, Tom reaches out via telephone to small businesses who may need a short-term loan and need it quickly. In a good week he’ll put together two or three deals for loans.

Overview: Tom’s big goal in life is to run his own recording studio. But he’d put himself through college selling things, and he figures the best way to achieve this dream is to earn enough money elsewhere to make it happen. Both before and after graduation he sold solar panels door-to-door, which often included financing options. But ultimately he grew tired of this job and wanted something better. He got an apartment in NYC, then left that job in late October 2024 and spend the next six months or so traveling, working short term in various places.

By the spring of 2024 Tom had settled in New York and started applying for various sales jobs on Indeed. He was pleasantly surprised to hear back from his current company so quickly, and was hired into his current position within a month.
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You can see Tom’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “I enjoy sales–it’s like mental gymnastics. You’re forced to talk to people, be good in uncomfortable situations.”

“In sales, it’s very helpful to have a routine. You do the same type of thing for the same amount of time every day, so when you measure what you got out of it you have a control variable….Sales is a brutal skill to learn, a useful skill to have. The returns you get, it’s like learning music. Based on fundamental principles you develop and apply. There’s also an overwhelming amount of rejection. Learn to not attach your ego to those nos and that separates a great salesperson from a mediocre one.”

“At my job, if you don’t perform you get cut. At Berklee, it was very similar. You have to deliver. So I went into my job knowing how that works.”

Many things don’t go as planned. Take opportunities when they appear in front of you, even if they’re off the path you envisioned, will lead you to be happer and have an easier time, at least financially. It’s scary, it’s hard, you’ll fall on your face and feel overwhelmed, but everyone who tries to figure it out will, it’s just a matter of time.
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See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.