Author: Kevin

Michelle Pugliese

Listen to the interview (approx. 42 min) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2008 with a major in Performance.  Principal instrument:  flute.

 

Position:  Educational Administrator/Manager (finance &  marketing) in the Languages Division of Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts.  (Temple is a large university with many different colleges.)  She handles accounts payable, purchases, website updates, a monthly newsletters, video productions and special events (including around 200 lectures per year!).  Michelle also works closely with department chairs, and she directly supervises four full-time staff.

 

Overview:  After graduating Berklee, Michelle gigged around the Boston area in a wedding band and a jazz trio and had several students, but her income wasn’t enough to support herself and after a year she moved home to Philadelphia and sought employment.  Wanting to stay within music, Michelle looked at Temple’s website–their music college had an opening for a part-time music marketing position, which she applied for an got.  Within 2 years student enrollment in the music college had doubled, which meant more work for her, and her position became full time.  Michelle also took advantage of working at a Temple University by taking classes to get a masters degree, earning her M.Ed. in Higher Ed. Leadership and Administration in 2014.

In early 2013, Michelle her boss at the music college left, and she hoped to get their position.  She applied for multiple positions at the university in order to buff up her interviewing chops.  Sadly, she did not get her boss’s position at the music college, but her “practice” interview at the College of Liberal Arts ultimately turned into a job offer for her current position.

 

You can see Michelle’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “Foreign languages attracted me because I think of music as a foreign language. Also, at Berklee it was amazing how you would sit with so many folks who may not speak English but you could start playing music together and figure it out. We can take classes here for free. When I have time to take a lunch break you usually can find me in a Spanish or Italian class to keep my brain sharp.”

“Berklee always stressed the importance of marketing our skills and having an online presence & press kit, and I promote myself professionally similar to how I did musically.”\

“I took my position because it would round out my resume–web design, finance, supervision. It’s a stepping stone to my next position in education.  One day I’d love to be a dean of a music or art school.”

“Take a side job until you’re financially on your feet. You’re not giving up on music, but that extra financial padding helps you enjoy life and do music on the side.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Anthony Barden

 

Listen to the interview (approx. 55 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2009 with a major in Film Scoring.  Principal instrument:  guitar.

 

Position:  Heath IT  Business Analyst (software administrator) at Michigan Medicine, a large hospital affiliated with the University of Michigan.  Specializing in the use and configuration of the software EPIC, which is used in the medical field, Anthony works with doctors and nurses to make sure the software does what they need.  His time is divided roughly evenly between fixing software problems and designing/implementing upgrades.

 

Overview:  After graduation, Anthony wanted to do film scoring, but chose to move to Michigan to be with his girlfriend (now wife).  Unable to find much work (or network) where he was, Anthony took a day job with a property-management company.  His now-father-in-law offered Anthony a position in his business as a mortgage broker, and Anthony spent a year getting the credentials.  However, the housing market was terrible and he got very little work in this commission-based job. Moreover, he found the work dull.  Anthony recalled that he enjoyed working with technology at Berklee and decide that he would make a good career path.  In 2011 he started his Masters in Computer Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University, graduating in 2013.

While in grad school, Anthony decided that Medical IT would be a good career path.  He applied and got a job at a technology-help desk in a hospital, where he worked while finishing his program.  Sadly, the hospital had a hiring freeze.  Upon graduation, Anthony took a low-paid summer internship at Michigan Medicine where he learned to use EPIC, and as the internship ended he was offered his current job.

 

You can see Anthony’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “I was in grad school studying information systems. I stumbled across healthcare IT and it was interesting, mainly because the while health care industry was so far behind–until recently it was all on paper.  I figured there would be many great career opportunities in that field.”

“What I like most about my job is helping people–helping the system work better so that providers can take better care of patients. I’ts rewarding when I help a group with a system improvement–you can tell they’re grateful for it, and sometimes you can see direct results, which is pretty cool–such as alerts if medications are conflicting, and reminders to take medication.”

“The internship I did after grad school–the right move at the right time. I met all the people who could get my career to the next level. I got to shadow people with all this knowledge. I got a sense of what folks were struggling with. I got full Epic training–EPIC is in high demand, but you’re only allowed to learn it if you’re using it–I learned how the hospital’s systems worked.

“If you’re interested in working in healthcare IT, get any exposure to healthcare and health IT that you can! Even if you’re just being a clerk. So many workflows are unique to health care, so the more you get exposure to how it work and the language used the better a position you’ll be in. Also, I did well by working at service desks. You get trained on the system, you learn to troubleshoot, about customer service, and you see patterns in what people struggle with. Another thought is to go work for EPIC, or for a medical IT consulting firm, as those are other ways you can get an EPIC certification.  If you can get that certification you’ll get so many opportunities!”

 

Anthony with his family.  “Recruiters reach out to me with job offers 3-5 times per week offering me jobs across the country. So many health systems are trying to catch up, but not enough people have EPIC certifications.  I could make more money as a consultant, constantly traveling.  But I like the flexibility of my job and my work/life balance. It’s nice to be able to come in late or take a day off if my kids are sick.”

 

 

 

Anthony still plays guitar sometimes writes music, but mainly for his own enjoyment.  “Music is my way to unwind, relax, be creative. I hope that someday my girls will be into it–family jam time!”

“I wish everyone the best of luck in pursuing your musical dream. Some of you may find that it can’t be 100% of your income, but that’s OK.  For me, music is a small portion of my day and 0% of my income. That said, music is still very important to me. I learned some great lessons at Berklee and wouldn’t change what I did.”

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Morgan Mallory

Listen to the interview (approx. 55 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2012 with a major in Music Business.  Principal instrument:  voice.

 

Position:  Sales Excecutive (Business to Business sales) at The Office Connection.   Working in the metro-Chicago area, Morgan sells her company’s office equipment and supplies as well as services such as cleaning and paper stredding to mostly-local businesses.  Roughly one third of her time is spent managing current accounts (she earns money with every order they place.), and the rest of finding new business.

 

Overview:  For two years after graduation, Morgan tried to make it as a singer in the Boston area, working with a wedding band and gigging, but earned a very modest income.  She moved to L.A. and needed a day job.  Her father, who sold coffee to offices, put in the good word to Alta Food Craft, which got Morgan a similar job.  For a year, Morgan sold coffee during the day and gigged in the evening, until she was laid off.  However, Morgan’s experience meant that, one application later, she was Quill, a subsidiary of Staples, which sold equipment directly to businesses.  Sadly, the pay there was pretty modest, and after a while she decided that a prosperous music career wasn’t going to happen.  In mid-2016 she moved home to Chicago and stopped pursuing a music career.

Between Morgan’s father knowing someone and Morgan’s very relevant work experience, soon after moving home Morgan got her current job in mid-2016.  Morgan has done very well in this mostly commission-based job, which has been a major financial step up from anything she had done before.  Morgan continues to work there, while planning to go back to school sometimes soon to get an executive MBA “because I belong on the C-level.”

 

You can see Morgan’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “I join organizations and build relationships. I’m in multiples Chambers of Commerce and go to their events. Then when selling, rather than go, ‘Hi, this is Morgan.  Are you responsible for ordering supplies?’ it’s much more effective to go “Hi, this is Morgan. I met Karen at such-and-such event. I’m a member of your Tenley Park Chamber of Commerce.  Karen told me that you’re the person responsible for ordering supplies.”

“I’m proud to say I’m getting myself out of debt. Paying off my student loans and I’m currently looking for a home to purchase.”

“I’m juggling so much at this job! I’m up-selling current accounts. Trying to build relationships locally and nationally. Joining organizations, and going to events all the time. Those accounts I’ve build relationships with, getting them going. ”

“My Music Business classes, such as Economics and Accounting, helped me understand how the industry works and the complexities of market competition. For example, currently Staples is under financial pressure–I can tell the end user what’s happening in the market and why The Office Connection is a better bet.”

“Live your life, life your dreams, but don’t let your heart go where your brain can’t follow. If you’re not making money, that’s not a job–that’s a hobby.”

 

Morgan singing in the evening.   “I was a professional vocalist for 10 years, mostly Boston but also L.A. for 2 years and even Dubai for 4 months. Sales is similar– like performance, you have to make a connection with people. I want my customers to say ‘I don’t just buy from the Office Connection, I buy from Morgan!'”

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Ernie McMillan

Listen to the interview (approx. 45 min.) or download it.

Graduated in 2013 with a major in Professional Music.  Principal Instrument:  drums.

 

Position:  Assistent V.P; Salesforce Support Analyst (Product Manager) at City National Bank, a national level bank, headquartered in L.A., which specializes in loans to the entertainment industry.  Ernie is one of ten people on the Salesforce team, supporting that Customer Relationship Management software,. but the one person doing his exact role:  assisting with data migration, training, and making sure the software used to its best, improving the platform to meet the bank’s needs.  “I communicate with business-side users to find what they need and then translate that in technical terms to the development team, which builds it.”

 

Overview:  Ernie grew up in the San Francisco area and always liked technology, though he was a history major before transferring to Berklee.  His last semester at Berklee he did an internship at Echonest (now part of Spotify), which combined music and technology.  After graduating, he ultimately wanted to move to L.A. and pursue a music career, but decided first to move home to work and save up money in order to “fund the dream.”  He applied for a contractor job at Yelp, which he got in part because of his tech-based internship.  He started by reviewing user “flagged” user content, but quickly moved up and took responsibility for building pages, which involved interacting with Yelp’s Salesforce team.  Ernie worked at Yelp for a full year, the last 6 months remotely after he moved to L.A.

Ernie was gigging, but when his contract ended, he again needed more income, so he applied and got a job at a start up, PTTOW, which needed someone with Salesforce experience to run their database.  He worked there for close to two years until he heard that City National Bank was going to be putting together a Salesforce team, which would be a great opportunity to move up.  He applied for his current job, didn’t hear back for a few months, then they responded and he got it in May, 2017.

 

You can see Ernie’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “In my role, every day has a new challenge that keeps me on my toes, thinking, expanding my horizon.”

“A cool thing with Salesforce is there’s a number of ways you can solve a given problem. It’s fun to have to try to figure out the best possible solution.”

“When I have a passion toward something I can pick it up quickly.  I was self-taught on drums coming into Berklee; it was similarly easy for me to pick up Salesforce. ”

“Music has taught me not only how to focus on a task at hand, but also how to work on a team. As a drummer I’m a solid foundation that carries a group.”

“There’s pressure to come out of Berklee and think you’re going to have a great music career. But it helps to look at Berklee as a great college experience. Learn about yourself, your strengths, how to learn. Be open to other opportunities and career paths. Understand your skill set–see what works for you, keeping you happy and keeping the bills paid. But keep that passion for music, which you still can do on the side.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Andrea D’Agostino

Listen to the interview (approx. 35 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2007 with majors in Music Business and Songwriting.  Principal instrument:  voice.

 

Position:  Digital Content Marketing Manager at Subway.  (The restaurant chain, she works at their corporate headquarters.)  Andrea oversees the (domestic) general market and Hispanic market for social media marketing.  She works with agencies that do creative work, and checks that content is being created correctly and is both legal and right for Subway’s brand.

 

Overview:  Living in New York after finishing Berklee, Andrea tended bar, gigged, and book gigs.  She had two other day jobs:  working at a small company that put on events until it folded two years later, and working as a nanny for two more years until the family moved away.  A friend suggested that Andrea join her working at the Victoria’s Secret corporate headquarters as a full-time production coordinator; Andrea interviewed and took the job, despite some discomfort about leaving music.

The first year was tough, but Andrea connected well as she carved out her own, much more creative, niche.  She worked there for 4 more years, but in the last year her husband took a job in Connecticut and they moved out there.  She found the very long commute unpleasant, so she started applying to jobs in Connecticut, hearing back from Subway, which was looking to hire their first social media marketing people, and wrote her back after several months.  Andrea got her job there in the spring of 2016.

 

You can see Andrea’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “I really love working with creative. There are are a lot of similarities with music. I love throwing idea out and seeing them come to live–there was nothing and now there’s something.”

“A former boss there told me to ‘find a hole in the company and fill it. That’s how you get recognized and move up.’ Get your foot in the door, once it’s in you’ll have the chance to make a name for yourself.”

 

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Bill Langdon

Listen to the interview (approx. 1 hr, 30 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2014 with a major in Music Production & Engineering.  Principal instrument:  guitar.

 

Position:  Broadcast Engineer at BAMTech Media, originally a subsidiary of Major League Baseball, BAMTech provides internet-based broadcast/streaming services to many clients, including at least one other sports league.  Working the 4pm – midnight shift, when most games happen, Bills job involves making sure signals are flowing correctly both in and out and quickly troubleshooting/fixing anything that goes wrong.

Overview:  During Bill’s last year at Berklee he as heavily involved with the BIRN, working as an engineer and having his own show.  Bill was aware of how hard the studio world was, and wasn’t sure he was a good fit for it.  After graduation he moved home to Westchester, PA and looked for an “alternate” music-ish job, either near home or in New York, where is girlfriend (now wife) was.   The QVC shoppng channel was based near his home. He saw an ad online for a part-time broadcast engineer, applied and got the job.

The hours were unsteady; Bill tried to make a name for himself by improving their sound quality, but gradually came to the realization that it wasn’t a priority for QVC.  He asked his boss when a full-time position would open up, and when his boss couldn’t give a positive reply, Bill started looking for new jobs and soon after moved to New York to be with his girlfriend while continuing his job search.  BAMTech replied to an application he had send months before for a position working the night shift, they hired Bill despite his limited experience.   Bill spent many free hours studying the equipment. Soon other folks on the night shift moved to other positions and he proved himself, resulting in a promotion to full-time engineer and being moved to the primary shift.

 

You can see Bill’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:    “What I like most about my job is the problem solving element and creative-but-linear thinking. That’s the same as when I was in MP&E.  You have to think in that way when diagnosing and fixing a problem…or finding a creative work-around. There’s an excitement to doing that–especially in a live environment.  I also really enjoy the people and corporate atmosphere:  we’re very laid back when nothing’s going wrong, then all come together determined to fix something the moment it does.”

“Learning music helped me in that when your’e learning the rules, you learn to work within a complex system. Within the rules that it has, but also to expand on that and expand the rules without breaking the product. I have met engineers who will never reach their potential because they don’t have that process.”

“If you decide to pursue something, through yourself 100% into it. Then while doing it, every 6 months or so, think critically about your situation and be open with whoever is in charge. Meet with your manager as to what your career path is looking like and be willing to change your path. IF you do this, it’ll look like steps rather than meandering. You’ll make progress. You run into difficulties if you put on blinders and get stuck at a dead-end thing, or if you are constantly leaving things on the table because your’e feeling unsure

 

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Brandon Noke

Listen to the interview (approx. 1 hr, 10 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2008 with a major in Professional Music.  Principal instrument:  guitar.

 

Position:  Software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer at Ellevation Education.  Ellevation Education sells software which helps teachers analyze and support the progress of students who are non-native English speakers, their typical customers being public school districts.  Brandon makes sure the product works correctly before it goes to the customers, focusing on “front end” interface–in other words, he tests it as though he were an actual user.

Overview:  Brandon went straight from Berklee to a 2-year Masters in Music in Sound Recording Technology at UMASS-Lowell.  He taught lots of music lessons, and by the second year has applied for and got a job at a local Apple Store, working his way up from sales floor to doing tech support at their “Genius Bar.”  He continued to work there the year after college, but a year after graduation he felt his career at Apple had hit a plateau and he didn’t like the erratic and evening hours, so he looked for a 9 – 5 job–ideally one involving music technology.

A friend worked for Nuance Communications, a voice recognition company, and that helped him get a job as a “Device Certification Specialist,” testing how well different microphones worked with the software.   As he worked off the backlog, his boss let him learn more about software testing, and after a year and a half his title changed to QA Engineer, which came with a pay bump.  Brandon worked there for another 4.5 years, until in October 2016 he got laid off.  However, very soon a recruiter from Ellevation Education reached out to him, and he decided to take his current job because he liked doing new things and liked their corporate culture.

You can see Brandon’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:   “I enjoy two things about QA. One is the problem-solving, puzzle aspect of it. The job doesn’t stop at finding a bug–there’s a lot of troubleshooting and figuring out how it works. The bigger thing is that at the end of the day I’m a customer advocate. I think about the users–teachers and people who taught me and will eventually teach my daughter and are doing work I respect. I help make sure the product is something they can use easily and get real benefit from.”

“Teaching guitar didn’t change much year to year; I like that the tech field is always changing. Of course, it take a certain mindset, to have the personality to always be learning.”

“Part of the reason I became a QA engineer is because I never said no when new opportunities arose.”

Being in the right atmosphere and with people you like makes all the difference. I don’t care how much you love what you do. If you don’t like the people you’re working with you won’t be happy.”

 

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Rodney Harrison

 

Listen to the interview (approx. 57 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2011 with a major in Music Business.  Principal instrument:  voice.

 

Position:  Case Manager at The Treehouse, a rehabilitation facility that helps people suffering from substance abuse and/or mental illness.  As a case manager Rodney processes paperwork, guides clients through their orientation and lines up resources during and after their stay, but he also is an open door where people come with any issues.

Overview:  Rodney finished Berklee and went straight into a 1-year Masters program in International Business from Hult University San Francisco campus.  Graduating in the spring of 2012, he decided to move home to Houston, Texas where rents were lower and he could save money.  Rodney also decided that he really wanted a career more related to helping people, so rather than work for a business consulting firm or an oil company, he used a family connection to get a job as an academic counselor at Houston Community College.  The pay was modest, but the work was very satisfying.  “People at HCC. Many people at HCC were the first person in their family to go to college, and often never thought they’d be in college. We got to push people to do things they never thought they could do.”

Rodney worked at HCC for 3 years, gigging on the side.  Then  in mid-2016 an good friend became director of operations at The Treehouse and encouraged Rodney to become a case manager, as Rodney’s job as an academic counselor was very relevant experience.  Rodney visited the facility to make sure it was a good fit, but concluded that it was and took the job, where he has been since September, 2016.  On the side, he has music gear all set up in his home and is working on an EP.

 

 

You can see Rodney’s (somewhat out-of-date) LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “We talk to families, to therapists. It’s whatever they need. I’ts fun, because there’s a lot of clients telling us we saved their lives. Alumni come back and are staying sober and holding it together.”

“I’m the friendly face. I’m the door that never seems to shut. The therapist can only do so much; for everything else they knock on my door and I see to their needs. We officially have four meetings (one/week) with clients, but they come by nearly every day.”

“When I got to The Treehouse clients thought it was cool that I went to Berklee. I  got to start an informal music therapy program there that meets twice/week, where we’ll talk about songs.. The group has gone from 6 clients to 40, and has changed people’s lives.”

“I have zero regrets about going to Berklee. I met the best people, had the best teachers, and had the best experiences of my life there. You take that with you and keep on rolling. That’s it.”

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