Internships in Major Creative Hubs Come at a Price. Berklee Fellowships Help Cover It.

They’ve got talent, ambition, and a prestigious internship, but for many Berklee students, there’s one hurdle: the cost of living. Many coveted internships are unpaid, and creative hubs such as Los Angeles or Nashville are costly.

But thanks to donor-supported fellowship programs offered through Berklee's Career Center, students have thrived in roles at major movie and music studios, record labels, and more, with stipends that help cover living expenses. 

For many students pursuing hands-on industry experiences, having financial barriers removed has proven transformational. Historically, 80 percent of fellowship students at Berklee are employed at graduation. 

Among them is Mariela Luis Gronau BA ’26, who graduated in May with a degree in music industry leadership and innovation. “The fellowship gave me my dream job,” she says.  

Gronau had never been to California until she landed a television music internship at Warner Bros. Television in Los Angeles. The funds secured through her fellowship went toward rent, allowing her to live within commuting distance of the studio. As graduation approached, her supervisor at the company contacted her about a music coordinator opening on the same team. Thanks to the connections made during her internship, Gronau landed the job.

“My internship is the entire reason why I have a job at Warner Bros.,” Gronau says. “Having financial obstacles somewhat covered gave me the opportunity to be here in person, working full-time for a whole summer, and it has truly changed my life.”

The cost of relocating for unpaid or underpaid internships prevents many students from taking on these life-changing opportunities, says Latoya Lee, director of industry relations at Berklee’s Career Center. 

To help break down these barriers, Berklee has more than tripled the number of fellowships awarded this past year, opening up hands-on experiential learning opportunities for students at 140 partner organizations across the country. Recent recipients have interned at Live Nation, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMI, NBC/Universal, San Francisco Symphony, and more.

“Our students are able to say ‘yes’ to so many more opportunities thanks to this fellowship,” Lee says. 

“My internship is the entire reason why I have a job at Warner Bros. Having financial obstacles somewhat covered gave me the opportunity to be here in person, working full-time for a whole summer, and it has truly changed my life."  —Mariela Luis Gronau BA ’26

Beyond internships, the funding helps students build relationships with alumni, explore professional communities in new cities, and lay the groundwork for moving to those cities after graduation. 

Current student Jason Recht BM ’27 is one of them. He arrived at Berklee expecting to become a touring guitarist and later began exploring songwriting and production. To make more connections, he attended Career Jam, Berklee’s annual industry networking event. While walking alum Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman BM ’03 around campus, he asked the Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter about internship possibilities. It was a dream: Gitelman actually offered him a position in Los Angeles on the spot.

And Recht was able to accept, because he could afford it.

The fellowship got him where he needed to go—literally. It covered gas, essential since he spends plenty of time driving between studio sessions across the sprawling, car-centric city.

Once in the studio, assisting with production and engineering put him alongside musicians whose work he already admired. Watching them write and produce became an education in itself.

“I feel like my production songwriting has increased tenfold just by what I’m witnessing,” he says. 

Now taking Berklee classes remotely from the West Coast, Recht plans to return to Boston to walk at commencement while continuing to build his career in Los Angeles. He hopes to write and produce for other artists—“and help get them some Grammy noms and Billboard charts,” he says—and, ideally, tour as their guitarist.

“I moved to LA because of this fellowship, and I plan to be in LA permanently,” Recht says.

Rachael Morrison BM ’26 was accepted to Berklee with a full-tuition performance scholarship, but her career was interrupted by a vocal injury during her first semester. Although she couldn’t sing, she joined the Black Scholars Initiative and the A&R club, meeting other talented performers and booking them for performances around Boston. She loved advocating for fellow artists and decided to pursue a degree in music business/management.

“At Berklee, I was surrounded by prodigies, people who were so insanely good at such a young age. I was able to be around so many people who are so passionate, and I wanted to help them,” she says.

Through the A&R club and with support from Lee, she connected with a Berklee alum at Honua Music Group in Los Angeles, who offered her an A&R internship. But, even with two campus jobs, she couldn’t afford the experience without support. The fellowship helped cover a car, sparing her a bus ride followed by a steep, 20-minute uphill walk to work.

“It wasn’t even a power-walk. It was a hike,” she says, laughing.

During the internship, she scouted talent, learned the ropes of the publishing business, and connected with Berklee alums already embedded in LA’s music scene at concerts and networking events.

“Berklee has such a strong presence and community there. I met people I’ve been trying to connect with since I was 17 years old within three weeks of being in LA. There are some skills you can’t learn in a textbook or behind a desk,” Morrison says.

She is now applying those skills as A&R coordinator at Too Lost, a global music and technology company that helps independent artists and labels manage and distribute their work and protect their intellectual property. Also an artist manager based in New York City, Morrison wants to close the pay gap for women and creatives of color, whose visibility as performers doesn’t necessarily translate into equitable compensation behind the scenes as writers, producers, and business owners. The fellowship advanced that mission, she says.

“It allows people to even get the opportunity to learn, and to prove themselves, in the first place,” Morrison says. 

Learn more about Berklee’s fellowship opportunities, including the LA-based Wachter Fellowship, which provided financial support for the internships mentioned in this story.