Anna Eliopoulos
Listen to the interview (approximately 44 minutes) or download it.
Graduated in 2008 with a double major in Music Production and Engineering (MP&E) and Performance. Principal Instrument: voice.
Positions: “Audio News Gatherer” (basically a combination editor, scriptwriter, and in-house journalist) at Fox News Radio. Also, Anna works part time at Greek public radio station Cosmos, both an engineer and with her own biweekly hour-long program doing mostly lifestyle interviews and some music.
Overview: Anna graduated from Berklee wanting to work in a music studio. She had toured studios several months before graduating, and this led to a job offer (effectively a paid internship) shortly after graduation. For almost 5 years Anna worked in studios, as the assistant to an engineer, and as the office/business manager. Meanwhile, in 2010 she auditioned for a Greek-American reality show. She didn’t get the part, but someone else there overheard her describe her background and offered her a part-time job on the spot as an engineer for Cosmos radio. Soon she had her own radio program as well, though it’s a small station and would be a part-time job. By 2013, Anna felt bored and wasn’t learning anything in her studio (office) work, and decided that she wanted a career in radio. A friend who also works part-time at Cosmos has a day job at Fox News (TV), and asked on Anna’s behalf about openings in their radio dept, and recommended Anna for the job, which–combined with her experience at Cosmos–got her an interview and, ultimately, the position.
You can see Anna’s LinkedIn Profile here.
Choice Quotes: “Radio is very much immediate and takes its direction from the audience. You have the ability to connect at a moment’s notice. People call into your station, ask questions, give their opinion on the music etc. People still want to feel they’re part of a larger conversation.”
“The Berklee grads I’ve seen who have been successful–in and out of music–didn’t ignore opportunities that might not have been in their life’s plan, but were just as interesting.”
“Just getting into and making it through Berklee shows you’re really focused about something. Berklee is very intense, and to make it through you have to be ‘on top of her game.’ That same focus and energy needed for Berklee is crucial for so many aspects of life.”
Anna does her own interviews for her Greek radio program. Here’s an interview with Greek Actress and writer Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Anna as a Berklee student, in Berklee’s studio 5A. “Enjoy your time at Berklee. It’s a 4-years experience I woldn’t trade for the world!”
“Another valuable thing I got out of Berklee was learning how to network. From the beginning, to succeed at Berklee you need to work with people with different skill sets and different backgrounds. Those same skills were essential to my career.”
Anna and some friends have a cover-band. Their performances give familiar songs a fresh new flavor. “At some point I’d like to combine my big love with my new-found love and do music radio. I don’t know exactly how that path will go down, but I want to stay in news radio for a few more years, as I haven’t learned everything there is to learn yet.”
See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.