Student Spotlight

What’s it like to study here? Our Student Spotlight series asks current students all about their Berklee experience.

Xander Dawson with his saxophone on the Comm Ave Mall

Xander Dawson

Image by Sophia Paffenback

What Makes a Good Marathon Running Playlist?

We asked Xander Dawson, an eighth-semester saxophone major at Boston Conservatory running the Boston Marathon this year, for his playlist.

Sriram Narayanan playing piano

Image courtesy of Sriram Narayanan

Student Spotlight: Sriram Narayanan

The classical pianist shares his experience growing up with a language disability and finding his voice through music.

Nadia Castagna

Image courtesy of Nadia Castagna

Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna

The educator, who grew up in Rochester, New York, shares how she went from Berklee to collaborating on meaningful programs to improve students' lives.

Photo of Alan Villanueva

Image courtesy of the artist

Student Spotlight: Alan Villanueva

The graduate student and saxophonist, who performed on Natalia Lafourcade's Latin Grammy–nominated Live at Carnegie Hall album, talks about discovering his musical identity and celebrating his Mexican roots.

Sebastien Hollich at the Red Bull Screen Scoring Challenge in Vienna, Austria.

Sebastien Hollich at the Red Bull Scoring Challenge in Vienna, Austria

Image by Joshua Cho

Student Spotlight: Sebastien Hollich

The trombonist and film and media scoring major talks about finding mentors, writing for orchestra, and competing in the 2025 Red Bull Scoring Challenge.