Alums Journey from Caracas to Hollywood Goes Viral Andrea Ferrero B.M. '21 reflected on how persistence, luck, and YouTube videos landed her a gig with Adam Sandler's production company.
By
Nick Balkin
March 2, 2022
Andrea Ferrero B.M. '21 and Adam Sandler
Image courtesy of Ferrero
When Andrea Ferrero B.M. '21 took to Twitter last week to share her story of passion and perseverance, her aim was to inspire people, to show others that dreams really can come true. A few hundred thousand retweets, likes, and comments later, it's safe to say that her message struck a chord.
If I told you that a few years ago I was in my room in Caracas watching his movies, Ferrero tweeted, would you believe me if I told you that [he's now] my boss? Her boss, pictured in an attached image with Ferrero and her Fender Stratocaster, is Adam Sandler-yes, he of Billy Madison, Uncut Gems, The Chanukah Song, and more. Ferrero and Sandler are both beaming.
For Ferrero, there's a lot to smile about these days. Since graduating from Berklee, she's been making a living as a professional musician in Los Angeles, where she currently works as a music consultant for Netflix and Sandler's Happy Madison Productions.
While her life may seem charmed, Ferrero's journey from growing up in Venezuela, a country wracked by years of political and economic turmoil, to where she is now was anything but assured. The crisis in Venezuela was horrible, she wrote. My dream seemed further and further away.
That dream, for as long as she can remember, was to pursue a career in music. She didn't grow up in a musical household, she says, but her parents, who gave Ferrero her first guitar at age 10, always supported her talent and interests. She played the instrument constantly and later started performing in the choir of a local church. Eventually, she was sharing stages with popular Venezuelan artists such as La Melod a Perfecta and Sixto Rein.
A lot of my idols, like Mike Stern, Steve Vai, John Mayer, and many more, went through those classrooms. It was unreal to think that I'd ever get to have a lesson with one of them.
Andrea Ferrero B.M. '21
Ferrero knew that in order to take her playing to the next level, she needed a formal music education, and her goal, since age 12, had been to attend Berklee. A lot of my idols, like Mike Stern, Steve Vai, John Mayer, and many more, went through those classrooms, she said. It was unreal to think that I'd ever get to have a lesson with one of them.
For several months leading up to her Berklee audition and interview, she practiced religiously, wrote original music, and watched movies only in English to soak up as much of the language as she could. When audition day finally arrived, it was held virtually, and Ferrero had to overcome a few false starts due to her poor internet before finding a connection stable enough to complete the event. I wanted to give my best in those 15 minutes, she said, to show them who I was and my wish to do something great with my music.
Want to Take Your Guitar Playing to the Next Level?
Berklees Guitar Department helps you find your voice on the instrument through a curriculum that balances technical skill and artistry.
Her hard work paid off. A few months after the audition, she received two letters from Berklee, one informing her that she had been accepted to the college, and another offering her a full scholarship. But despite the tuition award, she still couldn't afford to pay for travel, food, and other expenses. So she launched a crowdfunding campaign, promoting her story through regional media outlets to help bring awareness, and capital, to the campaign.
Like many international students, once Ferrero made it to Boston, she struggled to adapt to a new city, culture, and learning environment. But she would eventually settle in and find her place as a contemporary writing and production major. She studied guitar with John Mayer's former teacher, Tomo Fujita, who'd become a key mentor for her as she learned about everything from improvisation to the most effective way to practice.
I knew about Tomo before coming to Berklee. He was already a huge inspiration to me. I used to watch his YouTube videos and dream about being in one of them, said Ferrero. I think it was my first week at Berklee when I met him. We played together, recorded a video, and now that video has almost a million views!
Watch Ferreros video with Tomo Fujita:
An active performer during her time at Berklee, she said that one of her most memorable experiences in Boston was playing in a Singers Showcase tribute to Aretha Franklin alongside Chuck Rainey, the Queen of Soul's longtime bassist.
Two years ago, she received a message from Sandler's team. The actor-comedian was filming a new movie in Salem, Massachusetts, half an hour north of Boston, and he was looking for a local guitar teacher for his daughter. Ferrero wasn't able to participate in the lessons due to the demands of her school schedule, but Sandler, who'd watched and been impressed with Ferrero's YouTube videos, invited her up to Salem a few times to jam and hang out on the set where they were filming his movie. He loves music and is a very talented guitar player, Ferrero said.
They stayed in touch long after the movie had wrapped filming. Ferrero regularly sent Sandler videos of her performing, and he'd respond with feedback or ask her for tips on how to improve his own playing. Then, a week before the start of her fifth semester, Ferrero got a call from Sandler inviting her to intern with his company, Happy Madison Productions. Determined not to miss the opportunity, Ferrero dropped all of her Berklee classes and hopped on a plane to Los Angeles.
During the three-month internship, she supported the company&
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Alums Journey from Caracas to Hollywood Goes Viral Andrea Ferrero B.M. '21 reflected on how persistence, luck, and YouTube videos landed her a gig with Adam Sandler's production company.
