Berklee Celebrates Annual BMI Day with Acclaimed Composer Mychael Danna

(L-R) Oleg Smirnov, Rodney Alejandro, Mychael Danna, scholarship recipient Alan Catz, BMI's Tracy McKnight, and Berklee's Sean McMahon gather for a photo during BMI Day at Berklee on October 21, 2024, in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: Kelly Davidson

Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna and BMI's Vice President, Creative, Film, TV, and Visual Media Tracy McKnight visited Berklee on Monday, October 21, to commemorate the college's annual BMI Day. During the earlier part of the day, Danna conducted a film scoring studio orchestra class; during the afternoon, McKnight and Danna attended a panel where they discussed the film scoring industry and answered questions from students. Ahead of the panel, McKnight and Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon co-presented this year's BMI Film Scoring Scholarship to student composer Alan Catz, currently in his seventh semester at Berklee.

The first BMI Film Scoring Scholarship was presented in 1998 by composer Michael Kamen. It is awarded each year to a student selected by the Screen Scoring Department based on the student's musical ability, financial need, and potential for career success.

"The Screen Scoring Department's relationship with BMI is one of the most important relationships we have-every year, BMI Day is a special day for our department on campus," said McMahon. "We are so grateful for all that BMI has done for Berklee's screen scoring students for over two decades and appreciate Tracy's presence at Berklee to participate in our panel and present the annual BMI award to Alan Catz, a promising, up-and-coming composer."

"We take pride in our longstanding relationship with Berklee College of Music and believe in the importance of supporting aspiring composers," said McKnight. "The BMI Film Scoring Scholarship is a testament to our dedication to fostering talent in the world of visual media. Congratulations to the scholarship recipient, Alan Catz, and thank you to Mychael Danna for being a part of BMI Day at Berklee."