Quotes About Erica Muhl

Maestra Debra Cheverino 

Assistant Conductor, Maggio Musicale Fiorentina, La Scala, Staatsoper Munich, Staatsoper Berlin, Israel Philharmonic
"A modern and powerful leader, composer, and conductor, Erica Muhl brings a strong and fresh vision to all that she approaches. At the helm of Berklee, I look forward to her ever-evolving invention with enthusiasm as these powerhouses of innovation and creativity combine to pioneer the future of the music industry and beyond!"

Jimmy Iovine 

Cofounder, Interscope Records; Former Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M; Cofounder, Beats Electronics
"Since the founding of the Iovine and Young Academy, Erica has been a central pulse of the operation. Dre and I had an idea to fuel innovation through a new style of education. Through Erica's leadership, hard work, and determination, she has realized our vision, building an amazing school to educate students where they really live, and one that is at the center of creativity, culture, and the global influence of connectivity that is only possible through technology. We know that Erica will do great things at Berklee. We look forward to continuing to work with her on educational experiences that matter, and that change lives."

Larry Jackson

Head of Content, Apple Music
"Ever since I left high school early to pursue a career in music and technology, I had always yearned for another chance at an inspiring connection with a professor or scholar. I can say without hesitation that it wasn’t until I met Erica Muhl that that feeling, which I had all but abandoned, was finally met. I always said to Erica that the rare and special environment she built and fostered at the USC Iovine Young Academy was something, in fact, that would have kept me highly engaged and dedicated to finish and complete my studies. Erica’s signature there is something that is undeniably specific to her, and thusly will be hard to easily replicate. She will be sorely missed at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, but I am quite excited to see what new awesomeness she unlocks and inspires in her next chapter at Berklee."

Trent Jones

Faculty, Maker in Residence; Alumnus, University of Southern California (USC) Iovine and Young Academy
"Having the opportunity to work with Erica Muhl for the last five years as a student and now faculty member has been a one-of-a-kind experience. From as early as my first year of university, I swiftly recognized her great strides in meeting and knowing her students. Always prioritizing high standards for quality education, she upheld these standards through fostering direct relationships with her students and carefully listening to best craft unique experiences in collaboration with her faculty team. Seeing Erica’s large breadth of knowledge and drive inspired me throughout my collegiate years and continues to motivate me to apply her same meticulous care as an educator in my work as an instructor. Steadfast in her passion for education, Erica has proven to be an amazing mentor for me and an example of how to foster creative work and the environments in which they occur."

Jeff Maggioncalda

CEO, Coursera
"Erica is a gifted innovator in music, business, and education. Her experience forging groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary, accessible online and hybrid models [for education] will help maintain Berklee’s leadership in the digital era." 

David Allen Moore

Double Bass, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Associate Professor, USC Thornton School of Music; Berklee Alumnus
"I have known Dr. Muhl for the better part of 30 years, ever since I was a student in her sophomore Music Theory class at USC Thornton. She later became my faculty mentor as I navigated the tenure process as an assistant professor at USC. Erica is a brilliant mind, a fearless composer, and a talented administrator. I am so excited for her to join the Berklee family!"

Gail Samuel

President, Hollywood Bowl; COO, Los Angeles Philharmonic
"Erica Muhl’s groundbreaking appointment is fantastic news for the students of Berklee. Her incredibly diverse background as a teacher, composer, conductor, and pianist, and then as dean of multiple schools at USC, is only part of the story. I have followed her career since I was lucky enough to have Erica as one of my first music teachers at USC. I know from personal experience that at her core is a constant enthusiasm for young people, and not only their musical growth, but also their development as human beings and citizens of the world."

Austin Wintory 

Award-Winning Composer (Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive)
"Dr. Muhl was my composition teacher for the majority of my time at USC, and one of the very few I ever encountered in academia who had a genuine passion and interest for both the lineage of concert music and its neighbor in the film world. She steadfastly pushed me in both areas, hell-bent on ensuring that, even if I never wrote a single concert work again, I'd approach my writing with the full depth of knowledge I’d gained from my work across both genres. I've continued to write in a multitude of arenas, and I owe much of that open-minded curiosity to her encouragement."

Congratulatory Messages from Iovine and Young Academy Students, Alumni, and Parents


Congratulations, President Muhl,

Boston will be a better place with you there, and USC will feel the absence. I will miss our talks and your warm and supportive smile. I have been in your corner since the day we met because you’ve had my back, and that won’t change. Berklee is not only getting a visionary, but they are getting a woman of character and loyalty, a person of both passion and compassion.

Hi, Erica, 

I’m sure you’re receiving a lot of emails at the moment, but I wanted to reach out and say congratulations on your new role as president of Berklee! This is tremendous news, and I’m extremely excited for you. You’ve always been a role model, and you keep continuing to be a trailblazer and inspiration. I can’t wait to see what you do.

Thank you for being a wonderful mentor, advocate, and ally. The Academy owes you everything and will miss you dearly, but I’m truly so happy for you. Berklee is lucky to have you.

Erica,

Congratulations on becoming the new president of Berklee!

I wanted to take some time to express my gratitude, respect, and admiration for you and the education you have provided me. I could talk forever about the love and respect I have for this school, the love and respect I have for you, the faculty, and my cohort. I could talk forever about all my memories and the growth that I have made since I got here. The Academy has played a central role in shaping me into who I am today, and not just because of the education.

I look up to you in hopes of being able to change people’s lives like you have changed mine and so many others. Thank you for all that you have done for me and the Academy. I am forever grateful for you, the Academy, my cohort, and my entire USC experience. And I'm grateful that we still have one more semester here.

Hey, Erica,

I saw the news today and wanted to congratulate you on your new move. That's super exciting, and hopefully I'll see you on the East Coast once things are back to normal. 

Also I wanted to say thank you. The Academy was a transformative experience for me that allowed me to find my best friends and fall in love with learning. I recently raised a funding round for my company and couldn't have built anything without everything I learned at the Academy. 

As someone who literally hated high school and anything academic before the Academy, thank you.

Stay in touch, and let me know how to best reach you post-USC. Let me know if I can ever be of help in any way. 

Fight on!

Hi, President Muhl,

Congratulations on your new position as president of Berklee! I am incredibly excited for you and your new students. Thank you for your driven and visionary leadership of the IYA over the past seven years. You took the Academy from just an idea to a dynamic school producing incredible graduates and trailblazing companies.

Throughout my time at USC, you always looked out for me and championed my work. I am so grateful for your support and owe my incredible Academy experience and current skill sets to you.

I wish you the best of luck at Berklee; they are lucky to have you. I know your cohorts will continue to build the future and make you proud.

Fight on.  

Dear Dean Muhl,

I wanted to congratulate you on the announcement of your appointment as the new president of Berklee. It is such an incredible opportunity, and I'm truly so excited for you. The Academy wouldn't be the same if not for your leadership and commitment, and my own experience has been shaped by your guidance. I've met the most talented and creative minds through the Academy, which has inspired and developed my own growth. Words can't even describe how much I've grown and developed over the last four years, and the experiences I've had I'll apply to my life's work. I've also made sincere friendships with my cohort peers, which I will treasure for the rest of my life. I will be forever grateful to this program and all that it's done for me. Thank you so much for everything, and best wishes for your future. 

Hi, Erica,

I am so grateful to have had you as my dean at USC. Thank you for carving out such a unique experience for us. Without the Academy, I couldn’t imagine what my undergrad experience would have been like. And I’m thankful to be an Academy alum.

Hi, Erica,

Congratulations on your new appointment! I know you are going to do great things in Boston.

Hi, Erica, 

I want to send my deepest thanks and gratitude for all that you have done for USC and the Iovine and Young Academy. As part of Cohort 1 of the graduate program, it is clear the massive progress the school has made to deliver an ever-evolving education and build the beautiful community that fosters the creative spirit we need in this world. I have had the privilege of working with our amazing undergrads, and I can't praise enough how you have put together such a talented and thoughtful group of student leaders and staff. My own graduate experience was greatly shaped by your guidance and generosity. I wish you the best of luck in Boston. It's a little colder, but the city is gaining a glowing asset. 

Hi, Dean Muhl,

Throughout my two years within the Academy, I've gained a myriad of both hard and soft skills that will infinitely shape my view of the world—as a forever student of life and as a Black woman living in America. I pride myself on being a champion for those unspoken for and whose voices are often muted, so I set out and made a plan to be of service in a program that allowed its students to take part in its growth. With the foundation that you have laid for the Academy, the footprint that I personally desired to leave on the campus of USC seamlessly and organically came to fruition. The visions for social, cultural, and academic progression that I eagerly brought to you, from both the genesis of my enrollment to my now culmination from this program, have been listened to, heard, and action has taken place with the strategy of cultivation and progressiveness for the students within. For this, I truly thank you. 

As a leader myself, I know firsthand how late nights and early mornings become consuming and selflessness goes unnoticed. The accomplishments get a few claps, but the hurdles go viral, and no one is around but leadership, doing damage control, all while smiling for the metaphorical (or sometimes literal) cameras. So in this note, I'd simply like to give you your flowers now and outwardly acknowledge the immense effort, energy, and love that you have poured into not just the Academy, but me.

You're an inspiration.

Congratulations, Erica, from co-disruptors and inaugural IYA parents! We always embraced the vision and have great appreciation for your leadership, tenacity, and stamina in order to push the envelope and chart the unknown. Godspeed as you chart another course with a different set of “charts." Pun totally intended.

Best Dean ever! Congratulations, Erica, and thank you for your work and dedication to our IYA kids and families. FIGHT ON.