Berklee Celebrates Screen Scoring Talent at Annual BMI Day
From left: Tim Huling, screen scoring associate professor; Oleg Smirnov, screen scoring assistant chair; Tracy McKnight, BMI vice president; Sebastien Hollich, scholarship recipient; Tony Morales BM ’95, composer; Rodney Alejandro, dean of professional writing and music technology; and Sean McMahon, screen scoring chair.
Image by Chloe Stuckey/@chloekeymusic
Berklee held its annual BMI Day on Monday, November 2, welcoming acclaimed film composer and Berklee alumnus Tony Morales BM ’95 and Tracy McKnight, BMI’s vice president of creative for film, TV, and visual media. The event, hosted by Sean McMahon, chair of the Screen Scoring Department, highlighted the ongoing partnership between Berklee and BMI and included the presentation of the BMI Film Scoring Scholarship to student composer Sebastien Hollich in recognition of his outstanding talent and potential in the screen scoring industry.
The day began with Morales leading a film scoring studio orchestra class, sharing his creative process with Berklee students. In the afternoon, McKnight and Morales joined a panel discussion moderated by McMahon on the film scoring industry, offering insights from their careers and answering questions from students.
The first BMI Film Scoring Scholarship was presented in 1998 by Grammy-winning composer Michael Kamen. It is awarded each year to a student selected by the Screen Scoring Department based on the student’s musical ability, financial need, and potential for career success.
“The Screen Scoring Department’s relationship with BMI is one of the most important relationships we have. Every year, BMI Day is a special day for us on campus,” said McMahon. “We are so grateful for all that BMI has done for Berklee’s screen scoring students for almost three decades, and appreciate Tracy’s presence at Berklee to participate in our panel and present the annual BMI award to Sebastien Hollich, a promising, up-and-coming composer.”
“Our partnership with Berklee College of Music continues to be a meaningful way to invest in the next generation of composers,” said McKnight. “The BMI Film Scoring Scholarship reflects our ongoing commitment to nurturing creative voices in visual media and we’re thrilled to recognize this year’s recipient, Sebastien Hollich. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Tony Morales for helping make BMI Day at Berklee so special.”
“Receiving this award has been one of the highlights of my Berklee experience thus far, and I’m incredibly grateful to BMI and the department for believing in my work,” said Hollich. “It’s a huge motivation to keep pushing myself as a composer, and I’m excited to continue learning as I step into the professional industry.”
About Sebastien Hollich
Sebastien Hollich is a senior screen scoring major at Berklee whose passion for media composition began in ninth grade after hearing Lorne Balfe’s score for His Dark Materials. He spent four years teaching himself composition and production before college and now serves as Berklee’s screen scoring student ambassador, vice president of the Student Government Association, and president of the Film Scoring Network (FSN). His music has been recorded by professional musicians at Vienna Synchron Stage, and he produces showcase content for Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL). He has also secured sponsorships for FSN from industry leaders including Spitfire Audio, Orchestral Tools, Heavyocity, and VSL. Through interviews with Oscar- and Emmy-winning composers and his leadership of FSN’s annual film festival, Hollich helps connect fellow students with the scoring industry. After graduation, he hopes to work as an additional composer or composer’s assistant, with the long-term goal of establishing his own scoring studio and production team.
About Tony Morales
Emmy-nominated composer Tony Morales has worked across drama, animation, comedy, and documentary for film and television, creating music ranging from gritty rock soundscapes and action percussion to sweeping orchestral scores. As composer of Prime Video’s Reacher, Morales crafted the series’ raw, rock-infused sound. His score for CNN’s Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico earned him a 2023 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Composition. Recent projects include Prime Video’s Countdown, Disney+’s Sofia the First: Royal Magic, and CNN’s Eva Longoria: Searching for France. Other credits include History’s Hatfields & McCoys, which earned him his first Primetime Emmy nomination, and Disney’s Elena of Avalor. Upcoming projects include Neagley, season five of Reacher, and season two of Searching for France. An accomplished guitarist and arranger, Morales has also contributed to films including the Fast & Furious franchise, Iron Man 3, and Now You See Me.
About BMI
Founded in 1939, BMI is a leader in music rights management, representing more than 1.5 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers and over 25 million musical works. The organization negotiates music licensing agreements and distributes royalties to its affiliates when their music is performed publicly. From its earliest days, BMI championed creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music through a groundbreaking open-door policy. Today, its repertoire spans every genre, from chart-topping hits to enduring classics.
