We’re so excited that our alumni are going back to school! Some are entering college for the first time, and some are eagerly returning. Music Forward proudly reports that according to the 2018 alumni survey, 100% are successfully engaged in school or working. Learn more about what these stellar alumni are learning as they pursue their dreams and what they’re listening to as they hit the books!
Name: Victoria Elise, 2019 Los Angeles Alum
School: Herb Alpert Music Center at Los Angeles City College
Major: Music
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “I’m planning to release a new single in the fall, and hopefully getting to complete and release my first EP using my school resources (recording rooms, classmates, etc.) by springtime! Since this is my first year of college, I really want to familiarize myself with the resources available to me and meeting new musicians to hopefully collaborate on new music.”
Back to School Groove: “Whipped Cream” – Ari Lennox
Name: Kayla Erhardt, 2016 Las Vegas Alum
School: Berklee College of Music
Major: Professional Music; Minor in Music Business
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “I hope to gain lifelong connections within the industry, and I hope to develop myself as an artist and truly find my voice amongst the world of musicians!”
Back to School Groove: “Fly Me to the Moon” – Bobby Womack version
Name: Mesha Harvey, 2019 US Concerts Scholarship Recipient
School: Georgia State University
Major: Music Management
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “To cultivate a successful school year, I plan to use a weekly planner that will keep me on track and also take time out for my physical and mental health! I am striving for progress over perfection and the small efforts put in day in and day out will be the result of my big success! I plan to curate my first recurring event in Atlanta in 2020 that highlights and unifies local artists.”
Back to School Groove: “Summer Love” – ARZLEE ft. Xiamara Jennings
Name: Juliana Castrillon, 2019 Tiffany Green Scholarship Recipient
School: The College of Saint Rose
Major: Music Industry – Concentration on Voice
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “I expect this year to be full of major projects in production, songwriting and live performing (I plan to produce an album for an artist in my college and release a few singles for my personal band). I also want to stay involved in the areas of women empowerment in the music industry by introducing women into areas of the industry that are usually male-dominated. So, I guess I have big expectations!”
Back to School Groove: “Mother’s Daughter” – Miley Cyrus
Name: Nico Ruggieri, 2019 Steven J. Finkel Scholarship Recipient
School: Berklee College of Music
Major: Music Business/Management
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “This year, I plan to serve as a Student Ambassador at auditions worldwide and work and intern at local concert venues before I graduate in May!”
Back to School Groove: “Those Nights” – Bastille
Name: Sarah Crandall of After the Millennials, 2019 Los Angeles Alum
School: Biola University
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “I plan to continue in my studies to prepare myself to be a fully competent speech-language pathologist. I also intend to further my knowledge and technique of the stand up and electric bass guitar. Because BIOLA’S campus is less than an hour from home, I am able to practice and play with my siblings whenever After the Millennials has a show.”
Back to School Groove: “Pathetic” -Blink 182
Name: Seth Crandall from After the Millennials, 2019 Los Angeles Alum
School: Grand Canyon University
Major: 3D Animation; Minor in Piano Composition
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “This April I will be graduating from GCU, my current plans are to further develop my portfolio, land an internship for animation and continue playing keyboards with my siblings in After the Millennials.”
Back to School Groove: “Star Treatment” -Arctic Monkeys
Name: Damoyee Janai, 2016 Dallas Alum
School: Berklee College of Music
Major: Film Scoring
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “I’m really looking forward to getting more acclimated at Berklee and getting involved in as many collaboration and performance opportunities as I can. My album drops Friday, October 4, so I’m looking forward to that as well. I’ll be doing a few shows in between school to promote it.”
Back to School Groove: “Bad Kids to the Back” – Snarky Puppy
Name: Hunter Wainwright, 2018 New Orleans Alum
School: Loyola University New Orleans
Major: Popular and Commercial Music
Plans for the Upcoming Year: “My goal is to continue gaining experience as a mix and recording engineer while working on musicianship and knowledge in the music industry. For a while, I’ve been working on new music for my new band and I hope to share it soon this year.”
Back to School Groove: “Fear Inoculum” – Tool