Career Jam 2018: 'Your Generation Has the Potential to Do Great Things'
Students sing "Happy Birthday" to keynote speaker Pharrell Williams over Skype, using a mashup of the traditional song with his song "Happy."
Image by Collin Idzikowski
Miranda Degnan, culture marketing manager for Red Bull, speaks to students about the importance of continuing to learn.
Image by Mike Spencer
Alison D’Arrigo (left), assistant tour manager for the National, and Tina Farris, tour manager for the Roots, speak to students about life on the road.
Image by Collin Idzikowski
Student Darcy Davis attends the panel Spotify Insights: Find Your Fans, Build Your Brand, and Tour Smarter.
Image by Mike Spencer
Mike Daly '94, executive director of A&R, Disney Music Group, talks about how to pursue a career working for a music publisher.
Image by Mike Spencer
Tef Poe, BIA, and Danielle "Queen D." Scott at Hip-Hop as a Vehicle for Social Change.
Image by Mike Spencer
Mark Kates and Matthew Santiago '09 talk to students at the panel Spotify Insights: Find Your Fans, Build Your Brand, and Tour Smarter.
Image by Mike Spencer
Seth Saltzman, Brandon Haas, Trevor Gale, and Cathy Majeski on stage with faculty Don Gorder for the panel Your Songs. Your Rights. Your Business.
Image by Mike Spencer
Image by Mike Spencer
Berklee’s Career Center recently brought together prominent members of the entertainment industry for Career Jam, a day of panels and workshops dedicated to preparing students to build their best careers. Throughout the day, students listened to discussions by artists and industry leaders, signed up for mentoring sessions, auditioned for a variety of opportunities, and got professional head shots taken. Here are some highlights from the day's events.
Success After Berklee
- Frederic Choquette, partner, Drover Ventures: “Internships are a great, low-impact way to figure out what you want to do after college.”
- Meagan Fair, booking coordinator, Paradigm: “Everyone is going to make mistakes in their career...it’s how you move forward from it that’s going to set you apart.”
- Tim Luckow, president and cofounder, Stem: “Ultimately, [my time at Berklee] was about the community...when I look back on it, it was all about the other students.”
- Miranda Degnan, culture marketing manager, Red Bull: “You always want to be a student, no matter what role you take on.”
A New Path
Managing Careers, Developing Brands: Artist as Startup
- Caron Veazey Robinson, Pharrell Williams's manager, i am OTHER: "You have to believe in your work…we knew what we were making was going to catch on, so the trick was convincing the rest of the team of its greatness."
- Paul Wachter, founder and chief executive officer, Main Street Advisors: “You don’t necessarily start out knowing where you’re going to end up.... It’s okay to learn along the way.”
- Desiree Gruber, founder and CEO, Full Picture: “You have an ability to tell your story your way, and that has never really been available before.”
On the Road
- Tina Farris, tour manager for the Roots, Tina Farris Tours: “What makes you good [at tour management] is how you account for [the talent]. Plan for the next day and do everything it takes to get them onto the stage.”
- Alison D’Arrigo, assistant tour manager for the National, Straight & Narrow Artist Management: “It’s not glamorous, but you have to take a few minutes to step back and say ‘wow, I have the coolest job.’"
