Sempert has scored TV movies Bixler High Private Eye (Nickelodeon) and The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. His original songs have been licensed for television by ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Netflix’s Bloodline, and many more. In 2015, he and composer Peter Bayne cofounded West Channel, a commercial music house whose clients include Electrolux, Disney Jr., Visa, and the nonprofits Change Heroes, Honor Flight, and the UN Foundation.

Sempert graduated from the double-degree program at Tufts University and New England Conservatory of Music in his home town of Boston with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music in jazz composition. While living in the Bay Area, California, Sempert led the band Birds & Batteries, writing and producing five critically acclaimed albums and performing hundreds of shows around the U.S. His first solo album, Mid Dream (2014), included the song “Finest Line,” which was licensed for TV, as well as viral videos accruing over 22 million views on YouTube. In 2015, he released an album of instrumental electronic music under the moniker of Volcanic Legacy, with companion video remixes of BBC’s Planet Earth. His second solo album, Tend the Flame, was released in 2017 and features the single “Distance,” which has been licensed by multiple TV shows and accrued over half a million plays on Spotify. Sempert’s third solo album, Reunion of Sparks, was released on Infinity Maps in 2019. Due in 2022, his second LP as Volcanic Legacy, Foolish Magic, is influenced by the music of Earth Wind & Fire, the Bee Gees, Milton Nascimento, and Zapp. Read Less

A Massachusetts native, Hagon has worked in nearly every aspect of the music industry, from performance, business, composition, and education to technology and production. His educational and administrative philosophy is that he wants students to have the freedom to explore and feel inspired. Most importantly, he wants students to come away with the feeling that what they have learned is relevant, real-world–based knowledge and skills that they can immediately apply, tempered with an entrepreneurial spirit and the mindset to continue to learn and adapt throughout their careers.

Hagon holds a B.M. in professional music from Berklee with concentrations in music education, music production, and film and TV composition; a master's degree in music technology from Indiana University at Indianapolis, and a diploma in media composition from Thinkspace Education.

Hagon was the recipient of the 2010 Exemplary Music Educator Award from Berklee College of Music in recognition of his outstanding teaching and efforts to advance the music education profession. Read Less

Keys’s songs have appeared on film and TV and garnered her a gold record. She has collaborated with artists such as Chris Stapleton, Eric Roberson, Melissa Ferrick, and local artist Sam Robbins.

Some of her students have included: Lizzy McAlpine, Charlie Puth, Amy Allen, Ingrid Andress, and Betty Who.

Keys is the host of the What’s in a Song podcast and the author of The Craft of Songwriting: Music, Meaning, and Emotion, but most notably, she is a world-class parallel parker. Read Less

Rodney’s work includes songwriting/producing chart-topping songs in the English, Latin, and Asian music markets. He has collaborated with artists such as Quincy Jones, Sting, the Temptations, and Ray Charles. Rodney has also performed with many artists from around the world including Mańa, Babyface, Sofia Carson, and Stevie Wonder among many others. His work has earned industry recognition with projects garnering Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations, winning Billboard Latin pop album of the year in 2004, and multiple gold and platinum-selling record awards. Rodney has also taken on television opportunities and was the main title composer/producer for the Golden Globe winner for best drama series The Shield, as well as the composer/music producer for the drama series Thief.

In 2006, he was honored by his alma mater Berklee College of Music as the Alumnus of the Year, and in 2011 received recognition as the Music Education Advocate of the Year from the Recording Academy Texas Chapter. Rodney is currently an associate professor at Berklee College of Music where he teaches in the Songwriting Department, sharing his knowledge and experience from his distinguished music career.

Read Less

Orth’s creative journey weaves tradition and innovation, spanning diverse genres and disciplines. She began performing at age five, dedicating 15 years to musical theater before evolving into a dynamic singer-songwriter. She studied West African drumming and dance in Ghana, honed her pop songwriting craft in California, and developed expertise in electronic production in New York City.

A prolific artist, Orth has independently released five albums that push the boundaries of electro-pop, alternative indie, and post-punk. Known for her bold artistry, Orth channels powerful messages through her music, exemplified by songs like I Believe We Will Win. She has also contributed as a writer and producer for Warner Chappell Music Publishing and other esteemed music houses.

A lifelong community organizer, she spearheaded the creation of Tufts University’s first Women’s Studies major in 2000 wherein her thesis on intersectionality inspired the development of anti-oppression workshops in high schools. She later directed economic justice campaigns at Global Exchange, the renowned international human rights nonprofit, led Beats By Girlz NYC to empower youth through music and technology, and produced The League of Badass Women podcast.

Her teaching philosophy is anchored in compassion, creativity, and community building. Orth teaches music technology and songwriting at Berklee. In Spring 2025, Orth designed and debuted The F Word: Sex & Equity in Songwriting at Berklee—a course inviting students to craft authentic, impactful songs through an intersectional feminist lens, drawing on their lived experiences to process, heal, and empower.

Additionally, Orth serves as Director of Berklee’s Songwriting Summer Workshop, teaches Culminating Experience in Berklee Online’s Songwriting Master’s program, and offers private lessons. Read Less