Paradise Valley Community College alumnus Brandon Berg and PVCC music faculty John Keenan recently collaborated on an inspiring orchestral composition featured as the opening theme of the 47 Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Emmys. The duo attended the black-tie event and dinner hosted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter, rubbing shoulders with industry executives and talent.
“I got chills when I heard the piece being played through the speakers at the venue,” Berg recalled, adding, “Everyone at the table was super supportive. There were a total of seven Emmy winners at the table, so that was cool to see! Everyone I talked with after the event loved the music, which was awesome. So happy to have had the opportunity to write for the Emmys!”
Keenan echoed the sentiment: “We were thrilled to be there. Everyone was very complimentary of Brandon’s composition.”
Beyond their Emmy achievement, Berg and Keenan have been actively connecting with major organizations including Universal and Bridgewater to discuss future projects. The pair also recently attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando, Florida, expanding their network for upcoming collaborations.
Brandon Berg is no stranger to ambitious musical projects. A 2021 graduate of PVCC with an Associate of Arts in Fine Arts in Music, he has since earned a Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music from Arizona State University (ASU) and Associate of Applied Science degrees in Music Business and Audio Production Technologies from PVCC. For his ASU senior capstone, Berg composed, orchestrated, and recorded a 40-piece orchestra in a one-day session—a monumental task he plans to use as part of his application to the Screen Scoring Master’s Program at the University of Southern California (USC).
Berg’s resume also includes a performance with the Young Adult Honors Performance Series at Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, in 2020. As he continues his studies at ASU in the percussion program, his sights remain set on crafting a promising future in orchestral composition.
The Rocky Mountain Emmy’s board loved Berg’s opening composition so much that he has been invited to compose the music for the 2025 November 2025 event! The PVCC community is proud to celebrate the achievements of both Brandon Berg and John Keenan, whose collaboration demonstrates the power of mentorship and creativity. Their success at the Rocky Mountain Emmys is a shining example of the talent nurtured at PVCC.