L.A. Newsbriefs

Alumni achievements in the City of Angels
January 1, 2014

Sharon Farber ’97

Here in Los Angeles we said goodbye to 2013 with another cozy alumni holiday party at Rive Gauche. Some 250 alumni and guests mixed and mingled to music by singer/songwriter Samantha Schultz ’13, backed by Trey Macias ’13 (percussion) and Mitchell Owens ’10 (keyboards).

For composer Sharon Farber ’97, 2013 was an exhilarating year. In addition to scoring five films, Farber composed a full-length orchestral album for West One Group music library (UK) and was a guest lecturer and performer in Israel and Colorado, and at University of California, Los Angeles. Farber is composing for the long-running CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless and for two new online series.

In the concert music realm, Farber’s work was performed at Disney Concert Hall and her new cello concerto, commissioned by the Glendale Philharmonic, had its world premiere in January. Farber signed with two new agents last year, one representing her film work; and the other, her concert music. In December 2013, the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) honored her as an inaugural emerging composer, alongside fellow honorees Alan Silvestri ’70, Randy Newman, and Bill Conti.

Jessica Rae Huber ’12

Jessica Rae Huber ’12 was promoted to scoring manager at Sparks & Shadows, Bear McCreary’s scoring company and soundtrack label. McCreary is responsible for music for The Walking Dead and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, among others. Huber originally interned with Sparks & Shadows in the summer of 2011 through Berklee’s L.A. Internship Program. After returning to Berklee to finish her studies, she relocated to Los Angeles and was offered a position at the company as a scoring assistant. Recently, she also began writing music as an assistant composer. After working with Huber, McCreary hired two more alumni: recording artist and songwriter Melissa Axel ’02 and Dana Kyle ’13 as scoring assistants.

Composer Roger Bellon ’75 completed the score to two theatrical productions. Open House, his fifth collaboration with writer Shem Bitterman and director Steven Zuckerman, had a successful four-month run at the Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles. As well, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bellon’s seventh collaboration with the New American Theatre, was staged at L.A.’s Odyssey Theatre. Bellon is currently scoring Cookie Mobster, his 17th movie for Hallmark. The score features Peter Gordon ’78 on woodwinds.

Arturo Cardelús ’11 recorded “Con Aire de Tango” at Berlin’s Philharmonie. Laurentius Dinca, a first violinist with the Berlin Philharmonic, commissioned the piece for solo violin and string quintet.

Alumni are on the move at Guitar Center headquarters in Westlake Village, CA. Troy Richardson ’90 was promoted to senior copywriter in the Creative Services division at Guitar Center Inc. Previously a staff writer for Line 6 and other musical product companies before joining Guitar Center, Richardson will lead new promotions and initiatives in addition to continuing his existing responsibilities of creating and editing content for print and electronic mediums.

As well, Jordan Barth ’02 has been promoted to category manager for drum accessories for all 256 Guitar Center retail stores and on the Guitar Center website. He manages and buys all drum heads, sticks, stands and pedals, cases and bags, electronic drum and, world percussion accessories, and other drum parts and accessories.

Chris Hansen ’05, who has been at Guitar Center for 10 years, was recently promoted to category manager for recording equipment.

As we do every year, we offer congratulations to all alumni nominated for the Latin Grammy and American Grammy awards. The Berklee community celebrates your achievements.

See you at the next alumni event.

This article appeared in our alumni magazine, Berklee Today Spring 2014. Learn more about Berklee Today.
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