Pat Healy

Pat Healy is the editor-in-chief of Take Note and the associate director of content creation for Berklee Online. He hosts the Music Is My Life podcast and served as a writer and copy editor for the Disgraceland podcast during its first nine seasons. His work has appeared on Pitchfork, Spin, Paste, and numerous other music sites.




The keys of a piano or organ are shown, with candy canes, garland, and evergreens spreading onto the keyboard, to represent holiday music.

Christmas Music Favorites from Berklee Gospel Keyboard Instructors

Get into the Christmas spirit with Gospel Music for Keyboard instructors Dennis Montgomery III and Mark Copeland, as they break down must-play Christmas carols, favorite recordings, and the art of keeping congregations engaged.

Enrique Gonzalez Müller sits against a gray background, wearing a black shirt and black pants. His beard is long and gray.

Enrique Gonzalez Müller on Tina Turner, Dave Matthews, and Studio Lessons That Stick

Latin Grammy–winning producer and engineer Enrique Gonzalez Müller shares formative stories from studio experiences with artists like Tina Turner, Dave Matthews, and Nine Inch Nails. He also reflects on curiosity as a creative engine, his full-circle collaborations in Venezuela, and how those experiences shape the way he teaches music production with Berklee Online.

Shayna Steele sits against a gray background, wearing a maroon jumpsuit.

Shayna Steele on Broadway, Solo LPs, Singing Backup, and Her Berklee Degree

Singer-songwriter Shayna Steele discusses her storied music career (singing backup with Rihanna and Taylor Swift as well as starring in Hairspray and Rent) and studying at Berklee Online with friends Jordan Ballard and Kamilah Marshall.

Attendees of a nondescript sporting event sing a nondescript national anthem for a nondescript country in this stock image.

Best National Anthems—According to Berklee Online Faculty

Berklee Online instructors weigh in on which country takes the gold for best national anthem, which is important to know as you watch the Olympic Games medal ceremonies in February.

Owen Gurry sits against a gray background, wearing a black sweater with heart patterns. He has tattoos on both arms.

From ‘Blade Runner’ to Berklee Online: Owen Gurry’s Path to Film and TV Scoring

Owen Gurry went from rural Wales to working on Blade Runner 2049 and Netflix series, all while completing his Berklee Online degree. In this conversation, the guitarist and composer talks about returning to finish what he started and how online study fit into an already full creative life.

The logo for the Bandle music quiz app is shown on a smartphone. The logo is a red guitar against a maroon B, with a lighter tan background.

Bandle Creator Johann Levy on the Music Quiz 100K Daily Players Love

What started as one man’s side project is now a global daily ritual for more than 100,000 music fans. Bandle, the audio-based song-guessing game, thrives on its handmade feel and indie charm. Creator Johann Levy shares how machine learning, Reddit friends, and a loyal community helped the game grow.

Vivian Aguiar-Buff sits cross-legged and looks directly at the camera in this portrait set against a gray background.

Vivian Aguiar-Buff on Hans Zimmer, DreamWorks, and Her Emmy Win

What do Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, and Gabby’s Dollhouse have in common? Emmy-winning music supervisor Vivian Aguiar-Buff helped shape their sound. In this deep-dive interview, the Music Supervision and Film Scoring instructor reflects on her path from law school dropout to Remote Control Productions, the secrets behind music supervision, and why being part of a creative team means leaving your ego at the door.

David Mash, a Berklee Online course author and the former senior vice president of innovation, strategy, and technology for Berklee College of Music, stands against a white background, embracing one of the guitars he used to record his new album, titled Back to My Roots.

‘Back to My Roots’: David Mash Returns to Guitar After 50 Years

After losing the use of his hand in the 1970s, David Mash thought he’d never play guitar again. Nearly 50 years later, the Berklee innovator—and co-author of the Music Production 101 course—returns to his roots with a new guitar-centered album, as well as a story of resilience, reinvention, and creative legacy.

Rodney Alejandro sitting in a chair with a black shirt and gray background.

Rodney Alejandro on Touring with the Script, Topline Songwriting, and Putting in the Work

Berklee’s Songwriting Chair Rodney Alejandro reflects on his career and offers hard-earned wisdom for anyone looking to make their mark in music.

Gabrielle Goodman, Berklee Online instructor and singer, known for singing background with Chaka Khan and Roberta Flack, is pictured sitting on a maroon chair, against a gray background.

Gabrielle Goodman on Chaka Khan, Roberta Flack, and Nailing Singing Auditions

Gabrielle Goodman, a former backing vocalist for Chaka Khan and Roberta Flack, shares stories from the stage and studio, including the time she opened for Miles Davis, wrote a song Chaka recorded, and taught herself to harmonize on the fly. She also reflects on teaching, improvisation, and what it means to sing every single day.