Meet Students from Berklee's Class of 2022

Meet Students from Berklee's Class of 2022 This years grads tell us about the teachers and milestones that shaped their Berklee experience as well as share whats on the horizon after commencement.

By

Editorial Staff

May 6, 2022

Image by Dave Green

On May 7, Berklee will celebrate its newest class of innovative artists and music professionals. More than a thousand students will receive their degrees in disciplines ranging from music business to dance to education.

At Agganis Arena, 938 Berklee College of Music students and 151 Berklee Online students will be presented with a bachelor's degree or a professional diploma. Later that day, at the Berklee Performance Center, Boston Conservatory at Berklee will present 228 students with undergraduate or graduate degrees.

The class of 2022 is highly international, with more than 65 nationalities represented, and includes residents from more than 45 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Here are a few of their stories, in brief.

Image by Will Rowan

Harmeet Bhatia Major: Guitar Performance and Music Business/Management

Hometown: Hong Kong, China

Which Berklee professor had the greatest impact on you, and what did you learn from them? My private guitar instructor Scotty Johnson. He was the first professor I made a connection with at Berklee and is one of the people who showed me just how exciting a career in music could be, mentoring me with his decades of experience on the musical theater circuit. Whether nerding out on guitar effects or sharing advice applicable to anyone in the music industry, he is always a vibrant and inspiring person to be around. My favorite phrase from him is, When you get the call for a gig, say yes first and figure out how to do it later. Hes the reason I push myself to take on as many projects as I can at Berklee, to serve as many artists as I possibly can.

What project or performance during your time at Berklee are you most proud of, and why? The Berklee Beyonc Ensemble was the highlight of my time at school. As the lead audio engineer for the ensemble, I was responsible for building and operating playback and Auto-Tune equipment and all related sound/production equipment (mics, mixers, monitors, etc.), in addition to recording and mixing audio for the ensembles promotional covers. Being one of Berklees largest-ever productions, honoring one of the biggest performers alive today, I had the challenge of ensuring we had a rock-solid foundation to run the show upon, as there are so many moving parts that follow audio (light programming, dancers, stagehands moving set pieces, and more). In addition to all that, I helped run monitors and in-ear mixes for the band. I got to work hands-on with some of the latest entertainment and live-sound technology to elevate our ensembles performance to the next level. After two sold-out nights, with 1,200 in attendance each night and 1,500 watching online, I can safely say our show was a success!

What are your short- and long-term plans, post-graduation? Im City Winery Bostons new concert/venue manager, starting next week, and I hope to get on the road with bands soon as a tour manager. I am also doing production/live-sound mixing work at venues around Boston. Live music has always been where I wanted to end up, whether behind the console or on the tour bus.

Follow Harmeet on Instagram at @harmeetbhatia76.

Image by Evan Parness

Karissa Bone Major: Songwriting

Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan

Which Berklee professor had the greatest impact on you, and what did you learn from them? Bonnie Hayes. Bonnie has been my directed study professor for the past year and has taught me so much about owning my space and writing really bulletproof songs. She took a chance on me last spring and put me in her songwriter/producer practicum with Jason Petrin where we complete two cowrites a week with full production. It completely changed how I write, helped me gain confidence in my artist project, and let me meet some amazing writers and producers at Berklee.

What project or performance during your time at Berklee are you most proud of, and why? Headlining the Red Room this April for my directed study songwriting ensemble with Paula Gallitano! I got to work with my amazing band (Ludvig Broll, Nick Prato, JP Dewey, and Dean Andreades) every week this past semester to arrange 14 of my originals for the live show. It was the first time I was able to play an original set while running tracks and in-ears, and it was the best feeling to be able to present my songs the way they were meant to be heard. The audience was packed and they even knew the words to some of my songs. It was a really special night.

What are your short- and long-term plans, post-graduation? This summer Ill be moving to L.A. to intern at Capitol Records in the A&R department! Im hoping to move to L.A. officially in the fall and pursue my career as an artist and writer, while continuing to do consultant work on the business/A&R side. In the future, Ill be using my knowledge of A&R and songwriting to start my own publishing company.

Follow Karissa Bone on Instagram and TikTok @itskarissabone, or visit her website: karissabone.com.

Image by Zian Meng

Kayla Erhardt Major: Music Business/Management

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Which Berklee professor had the greatest impact on you, and what did you learn from them? Ive had a few Berklee professors who have truly impacted me, but I think the first one that comes to mind is Sarah Brindell. Having her for both my Songwriting and Lyric Writing courses really allowed me to revise my work to a standard that puts me in a more confident mindset to share my work with the world. She is kind, caring, passionate, supportive, and knowledgeable in her way of teaching. Through her, Ive been able to turn my own art into something more meaningful, not only for myself but for

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/meet-students-from-berklee-s-...
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