New Pass the Mic Podcast to Highlight Inspiring Berklee Alumni

Berklee’s Alumni Affairs team is excited to announce Pass the Mic, a new monthly podcast series featuring intimate conversations with alumni from all different sides of the music industry. The series is available on all podcast streaming platforms.

The inaugural episode features Pinar Toprak B.M. ’00, a celebrated film, TV, and video game composer with credits that include Captain Marvel, the Fortnite video game series, and, most recently, the NFL. The Emmy-nominated composer has won three International Film Music Critics Association Awards, for The Lightkeepers (2009), The Wind Gods (2013), and The Tides of Fate (2018). Berklee presented her with an Alumni Achievement Award in 2022.

“Every time I start a new film, I feel like the last film I did is the last thing, and I’ll never be able to write again,” Toprak said when discussing her creative process on the episode. “The first thing I do is I try to get as much information on the film as possible, then I go through my little anxiety, then I try to detach myself from it. Then I start with the theme and work from there.”

Listen to the first episode:

Created and hosted by Alumni Affairs staff members Padriac Farma, associate director of digital engagement, and Jaquel Eley, assistant director of digital engagement, the Pass the Mic series aims to highlight a wide range of industry experts from Berklee’s professional community by giving alumni an opportunity to share their unique insights and extensive knowledge in a comfortable, conversational setting.

“Pass the Mic is the culmination of many discussions with members of the Berklee community, from all over the music industry,” said Farma. “With this podcast series, we will have an opportunity to learn from alumni on the cutting edge of music business, education, therapy, performance, and even get an insight into those that use their Berklee education in other career areas. We are excited to bring alumni together so they can continue to learn and grow as a community.”

In October, the podcast will feature Tommy Torres B.M. ’93, a producer, songwriter, and Grammy, Latin Grammy, and Berklee Alumni Achievement Award winner.

To recommend a Berklee alum for the podcast, reach out to Alumni Affairs at alumniaffairs@berklee.edu.