From Colleagues and Collaborators

Stephen Webber, Innovator in Music and Technology, Berklee College of Music
“I’ve always been impressed by Jonathan Feist. I appreciate Jonathan’s deep project management expertise, excellent editorial insight, inspirational leadership and respectful, profound gravitas. As colleagues at Berklee for 27 years, I’ve enjoyed working with Jonathan directly; as fellow creatives in the music space, I’m constantly delighted by his artistry and ability to build community. As they say in Boston, Jonathan is “wicked smart,” but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His compassion for his authors shines like a beacon, his reliability is rock solid, and his remarkable bundle of diverse talents make him a genuine polymath.”

Terri Lyne Carrington, Professor at Berklee College of Music
“It was such a pleasure working with Jonathan Feist for my book, New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers. He was the perfect editor-and-chief, skillfully balancing my needs and concerns to fit Hal Leonard and Berklee Press standards. I learned a great deal working with Jonathan. His expertise and care for the project showed at every juncture and I am proud of our final product, thanks to Jonathan. I highly recommend him because of his knowledge, experience and level of care for all that he does. He raises the level of all that he is involved with.”

Michael Moyes, COO, AVP of Enrollment Strategy and Marketing at Berklee College of Music
“Jonathan and I worked together for 17 years during a period of great growth, change, and energy. We worked in parallel lanes but always towards the goal of bettering the world through music. A few things to know about Jonathan. 1. He is a true OG of musical notation and engraving. Can you recall the serial number from your first music notation software? Jonathan can… his first Finale serial number consisted of three numbers. 2. He marries cutting-edge technology with traditional media. From an arranging book with a companion floppy disk of MIDI files at the turn of the century to the groundbreaking New Standards: 101 Lead sheets by Women Composers, Jonathan works on the precipice of the future. 3. He operates with integrity. Many meaningful moments in my professional career have been borne out of a phone call from Jonathan to share thoughts on a problem, an injustice, or an opportunity. I highly respect him as a professional, a creative person, a musician, and a friend.”

Prince Charles Alexander, Professor at Berklee College of Music / President & Owner of Ark Angel Music, Inc.
“Jonathan was editor for the two books I’ve written. The first one was laborious, for me, because writing books is not my first love. Jonathan helped get me over the finish line 13 years after I committed to the authorship. When he found something confusing in my text, or disagreed with me, the conversation was always civil, relaxed, reassuring, professional, and in the best interest of our mutual goals. For my second book Jonathan paired me up with a brilliant musician, educator and author, Jeannie Gagne. What a fantastic team. Jeannie and I co-authored that book within a much more streamlined period of time. I’m proud of the works I created with Jonathan at the editing helm and have the highest regard for him as a person, and a colleague.”

Mareika McLaughlin, Associate Dean of Berklee Online
“I had the pleasure of teaching the Project Management for Musicians course that Jonathan authored for many years at Berklee Online, and I can say without hesitation that he is a dedicated and thoughtful educator. His expertise in project management—especially as it applies to the music industry—is second to none. In fact, when it comes to project management in our field… he literally wrote the book. What has always stood out to me is Jonathan’s openness to feedback, his collaborative approach, and his genuine investment in creating learning experiences that empower students. He approaches his work with humility, curiosity, and a deep commitment to clarity and excellence. Any student, colleague, or creative team would be lucky to have him involved.”

Carin Nuernberg, Education Leadership & Strategy Executive
“I was fortunate to work with Jonathan for over 20 years. First off, he is an incredibly smart, interesting, and compassionate human being whose judgment and work ethic are first-rate. Second, he is expert at the entire lifecycle of book projects, from the earliest spark of an idea all the way through to the finished printed work. You will feel lucky to work with him. He brings not only editorial expertise, but a deep understanding of how to move complex projects from concept to completion with clarity, creativity, and momentum. He inspires complete trust and you know that your projects are in great hands. What I valued most about working with Jonathan is his remarkable ability to help authors uncover and strengthen their own voice. He has an intuitive sense for what a writer is trying to achieve and knows how to sharpen the structure, style, and pacing so the work becomes the strongest version of itself. His feedback is consistently thoughtful, intellectually rigorous, and deeply constructive. Jonathan also has an exceptional talent for keeping projects on track. He understands how important milestones and accountability are in the publishing process, and he manages timelines in a way that creates forward movement without sacrificing creativity or quality. At the sentence level, his editorial eye is extraordinary. He has a keen sensitivity to style, grammar, rhythm, and nuance, along with an immense attention to detail. Yet what makes him especially effective is that he never gets lost in the details—he always keeps the larger vision, audience, and purpose of the book firmly in view with wonderful outcomes.”

Scarlet Keys, TED Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Songwriter, Professor, Author, Podcast Host
“Jonathan was my first editor and was such a gift to me as an author. He kept me on task and inspired me to write well. He has a hawk eye and great ideas. I knew I could always count on his honest reaction and input. He isn’t out to be liked, he’s out to bring out the best in his authors. He so smart and experienced and he helped me find my voice, become a writer and write my first book now used in colleges across the world and then my second book that was featured on NPR’s TEDradio hour and the Wall Street Journal. I owe so much to this man and can’t recommend him enough.”