Giving Thanks

Dear members of the Berklee community,

As we head into the fall break, I wanted to send my best wishes to everyone in the Berklee community for a holiday filled with warmth and joy. I hope each of you is able to take some time to rest and recharge, and to be with family, friends, and loved ones. 

Following two very difficult COVID-impacted years, it’s been incredible to be on campus this fall, learning, teaching, working, and making art together in a Berklee that feels once more like the bustling center we all know, and a hub of creativity. A renewed and vital energy can be felt all across our community, most especially in our students, and the atmosphere here is inspiring. It is also a reminder that the many gifts our student artists bring to us are not limited to fantastic performances and brilliant creative works, and that they include the examples of indomitable strength our students demonstrate for us day in and day out. As I walk down Boylston Street and Mass Avenue, the determination that is on display is astonishing as they seek to reach their potential as artists, including by becoming powerful contributors in the arts and in society in general, and leaders that continually raise the bar for all of us through a commitment to activism that is designed to amplify voices everywhere.  

At a time when our minds are on giving thanks, I’m so thankful to be part of an endeavor that allows us to witness this annual miracle. But I know, too, this would not be possible without our faculty. Through their brilliant work they provide the world-class learning that is Berklee’s trademark, including the innovative programs that create unparalleled professional experiences for our students. Like our students, they, too, serve as examples for our community, magically finding time in their packed schedules to shake up the world with their talents. The slew of accolades attesting to this include no less than dozens of Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards and nominations, as well as other forms of national and international recognition such as academic honors, civic and peer awards, publications, and interviews and articles in Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Playbill, and many others.  

I’m grateful, too, every single day, for our exceptional and dedicated staff, whose commitment to and support of Berklee’s mission is critical to our students’ and faculty’s success. We have embarked on an ambitious course this year, one that sets the stage for new firsts, new pathways for innovation, and bold new ambitions for Berklee. I’m excited for the possibilities and thankful for the many ongoing collaborations with leaders across the institution as we move Berklee forward together.

As many of us gather this week for Thanksgiving, I’m reminded that this day means many things to many people. With the nature of events happening around the world today, I’m also moved to consider what others have paid to construct the foundations of our lives here, and what we can pay forward toward defining a new global kinship. Each year at this time, we at Berklee feel it is important to acknowledge that the land our Boston campus resides on is the ancestral homeland of the Pawtucket, Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Wampanoag tribal nations. We honor these communities and the elders of these nations—past, present, and future—whose practices and spiritualities are tied to the land. I would like to encourage all in our community to join in celebration of Native American Heritage Day on Friday, November 25. Additionally, if you would like to learn more about this heritage, I encourage you to read this announcement from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the recent loss of three beloved colleagues. We were all saddened to learn of the passing of faculty member Jarritt Sheel, assistant professor in Music Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences, and retired Guitar Department faculty members Mick Goodrick and Jack Pezanelli. I want to offer our condolences to their families and friends, and also our thanks for the gifts each of these extraordinary educators and musicians gave to Berklee. Their significant impact and contributions will continue to be felt for many years to come, and we honor their memories. 

With much gratitude and appreciation for all of you, 

Erica Muhl, President
Berklee