
New Pass the Mic Podcast to Highlight Inspiring Berklee Alumni Listen to the first episode featuring Captain Marvel composer Pinar Toprak B.M. '00.
By
Daniel Pesquera
September 29, 2023
Pinar Toprak B.M. '00
Image by Christina Gandolfo
Berklee's Alumni Affairs team is excited to announce Pass the Mic, a new monthly podcast series featuring intimate conversations with alumni from all different sides of the music industry. The series is available on all podcast streaming platforms.
The inaugural episode features Pinar Toprak B.M. '00, a celebrated film, TV, and video game composer with credits that include Captain Marvel, the Fortnite video game series, and, most recently, the NFL. The Emmy-nominated composer has won three International Film Music Critics Association Awards, for The Lightkeepers (2009), The Wind Gods (2013), and The Tides of Fate (2018). Berklee presented her with an Alumni Achievement Award in 2022.
Every time I start a new film, I feel like the last film I did is the last thing, and I'll never be able to write again, Toprak said when discussing her creative process on the episode. The first thing I do is I try to get as much information on the film as possible, then I go through my little anxiety, then I try to detach myself from it. Then I start with the theme and work from there.
Listen to the first episode:
Created and hosted by Alumni Affairs staff members Padriac Farma, associate director of digital engagement, and Jaquel Eley, assistant director of digital engagement, the Pass the Mic series aims to highlight a wide range of industry experts from Berklee's professional community by giving alumni an opportunity to share their unique insights and extensive knowledge in a comfortable, conversational setting.
Pass the Mic is the culmination of many discussions with members of the Berklee community, from all over the music industry, said Farma. With this podcast series, we will have an opportunity to learn from alumni on the cutting edge of music business, education, therapy, performance, and even get an insight into those that use their Berklee education in other career areas. We are excited to bring alumni together so they can continue to learn and grow as a community.
In October, the podcast will feature Tommy Torres B.M. '93, a producer, songwriter, and Grammy, Latin Grammy, and Berklee Alumni Achievement Award winner.
To recommend a Berklee alum for the podcast, reach out to Alumni Affairs at alumniaffairs@berklee.edu.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Elena Pinderhughes
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee Announces 2023 Fall Signature Series Lineup This years series will feature Elena Pinderhughes, Braxton Cook, Pavel N ez, and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, as well as a career-spanning tribute to Madonna.
Latest
Miguel Nun ez
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee Signature Series Celebrates Cuban Troubador Pablo Milan s The concert will feature musicians Miguel N ez and Pavel N ez performing with a Berklee ensemble.
Image generated with AI, using the prompt, digital art of an algorithm flowing out of the laptop screens of every student sitting in a college classroom.
How Generative AI Is Changing College Classes Four Berklee professors explore the educational opportunities and concerns raised by new AI tools like OpenAIs ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot.
Image courtesy of Juliette Ojeda
Conservatory Student Wows Gwen Stefani on The Voice Premiere Juliette Ojedas bilingual rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You landed her on Team Gwen.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
More from Berklee
18/10/2025
Berklee Celebrates 40 Years of the Fall Together Concert Faculty composers Bob Pilkington and Greg Hopkins are among the featured artists for this year's ...
17/10/2025
Q&A with Boston Conservatory Choral Conductor Stephen Spinelli How his research into the lost manuscripts of composer Florence Price led to a Grammy-winning c...
16/10/2025
Student Spotlight: Alan Villanueva The graduate student and saxophonist, who performed on Natalia Lafourcades Latin Grammy-nominated Live at Carnegie Hall alb...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
11/10/2025
Dean's List: Tommy Neblett Shares His YouTube Top Five Boston Conservatory's dean of dance reveals his favorite student dance videos.
By
Sarah Godcher...
09/10/2025
Berklee Presents a Roots-Fueled Tribute to Bob Dylan The Signature Series concert will showcase Dylan's impact on songwriting and the enduring spirit of A...
08/10/2025
Michel Camilo Scholarship Competition Returns to Santo Domingo Berklee will award a full-tuition scholarship to a gifted instrumentalist of Dominican descent ...
03/10/2025
Applications Open for 2026 Next Jazz Legacy Cohort Emerging jazz artists are encouraged to apply to the mentorship program by October 31.
By
Tori Donahue
O...
02/10/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Adds Two New Degree Programs in Collaborative Pia...
01/10/2025
Berklee Student Attends Elite Conducting Symposium in Japan Dominican musician Alejandro Tavmed was just one of 10 people from around the globe chosen to atte...
01/10/2025
Student Spotlight: Sebastien Hollich The trombonist and film and media scoring major talks about finding mentors, writing for orchestra, and competing in the ...
01/10/2025
Berklee Student Attends Elite Composing Symposium in Japan Dominican musician Alejandro Tavmed was just one of 10 people from around the globe chosen to atten...
30/09/2025
Amplify Berklee 2025 Celebrates the Next Generation of Berklee City Music's ...
24/09/2025
Sasha Berliner Opens Berklee's Fall Signature Series The acclaimed vibraphonist and composer joins a Berklee ensemble directed by Matthew Stevens for a sp...
23/09/2025
Graduate Spotlight: Tom s M rquez The educator from San Juan, Puerto Rico, shares how he went from Berklee ABLE Assembly conference attendee to graduate stude...
19/09/2025
Berklee Alumni Nominated for the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 14 alumni, including Miguel Zen n, Elsa y Elmar, Lewis Pickett, and Nicole Zignago, earne...
17/09/2025
Six Berklee Alumni Win Emmy Awards The recipients were recognized for their contributions to acclaimed programs Severance, The Studio, The Penguin, SNL50: The...
17/09/2025
Applications Open for Berklee in Santo Domingo The weeklong contemporary music program will run January 5-10, 2026.
By
Colette Greenstein
September 17, 2025
...
17/09/2025
Ukrainian Students Find Creative Consonance' at Berklee Valencia Through ELIA's UAx Platform, six students from Kyiv joined Berklee Valencia for a week...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
10/09/2025
Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble Presents Autumn Walk The free concert, part of Brass Festival Weekend, is the first Center Stage performance of the fall sem...
10/09/2025
Berklee Announces BEATL, New Innovation Hub for Music Technology Mark Ethier, iZotope cofounder whose software is used by millions of musicians, joins as exec...
05/09/2025
Alum Esin Ayd ng z Pens Nevermore Alma Mater' for Netflix's Wednesday The Grammy-nominated composer appears on this season's soundtrack alongside...
05/09/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Five-Year Partnership with The Verdon F...
05/09/2025
Alum Esin Ayding z Pens Nevermore Alma Mater' for Netflix's Wednesday The Grammy-nominated composer appears on this season's soundtrack alongside...
04/09/2025
Watch the Benn Family Band Perform I Wont Give Up on Americas Got Talent Assistant Professor Loren Benn and her family gave an emotional live performance of t...
04/09/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Welcomes 15 New Faculty Members The new hires bring expertise in a wide range of subjects, including Indian classical dance, el...
28/08/2025
Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Educatio...
28/08/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Center Stage Performances for 2025-2026...
27/08/2025
Lara Pellegrinelli Named Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Visiting S...
25/08/2025
The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program Enters Year Three The initiative celebrates the contributions of African American women to jazz and contemporary music.
...
23/08/2025
$2.2 Million Donation Fuels Next Phase of Berklee Bridge The anonymous gift will amplify the impact of the student success initiative built to support student...
22/08/2025
This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs Experiential Design Lab students take on creative briefs from Red Bull, Disney, and more, ...
19/08/2025
Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer? Professor Joe Bennett comments on why this year doesnt have a clear song of the summer.
By
Tara Bellucci
August 19, 202...
18/08/2025
Berklee Announces Fall 2025 Signature Series This year's concerts feature Sasha Berliner, Samora Pinderhughes, and Rakim, alongside tributes to Bob Dylan,...
18/08/2025
Dorico Music Software: Tips for Switching from Finale Professor Lee Abe explains the music composition software and how it compares to the now-sunset Finale.
...
15/08/2025
Arlen Borrego Miranda Awarded 2025 Prodigy Scholarship by Latin Grammy Cultural ...
14/08/2025
Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova The educator, who grew up in North Macedonia, shares how her Berklee journey went from viola performance to music educati...
12/08/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Is Coming to Theaters Assistant Professor Claire Marie Lim discusses the Netflix film and K-pop trends ahead of the one-weekend-only theatr...
07/08/2025
Berklee City Music Students Receive Scholarships, Awards at Concert This year, 17 students received scholarships, housing awards, and aid to attend Berklee Co...
06/08/2025
Boston Conservatory Dancers Light Up Coldplay's Gillette Stadium Shows Fifteen commercial dance students and recent grads performed as planet operators ...
01/08/2025
Boston Conservatory Grads Costar with Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara for One...
31/07/2025
Ozzy Osbourne Was Master of His Own Reality From being the founder of heavy metal to a foul-mouthed reality TV star, the Prince of Darkness built a legacy on ...
31/07/2025
Lucy Khadder Named 2025 Jimmy Lyons Scholarship Recipient The valedictorian from the Oakland School for the Arts will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in...
31/07/2025
Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards Chloe Southern BM '22 and student Julia Kirkwood honored by the BMI Foundation for standout original songs...
26/07/2025
Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Br...
25/07/2025
That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History From the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to jazz drumming evolution, Gretsch has been there. Listen t...
25/07/2025
Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program Students from around the world gain real-world music industry experience through hands-on art...
24/07/2025
Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies The three-time Jazz Journalists Association Drummer of the Year nominee will ...