Music in the Key of MBA

First love is a powerful thing.

For Andoreni Erazo Bustos, that love struck at age 12, when he picked up an acoustic guitar and began taking lessons.

“I knew then what I wanted to do with my life,” says the Mexico City native.

That love would take him first to Boston, where he earned a degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2021, and then to Los Angeles, where he worked in and around the music industry—as a music teacher, a researcher for the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and a freelance producer-composer.

“I didn’t know that you could earn money from music in so many ways,” he says.

But to build a lasting career, Bustos realized he needed to add to his repertoire. So in 2023 he returned to Boston and enrolled in the Sawyer Business School’s MBA program. “I knew I needed a business background to make my music career a reality,” he says.

Just as Bustos writes and produces all kinds of music—from pop and rock to classical and jazz—now he’s working to become equally fluent in marketing, accounting, and decision-making. “I want to learn the ins and outs of what it takes put together a profitable business,” he says. “This will allow me to explore new ventures where music plays a big part, like in movies, commercials, and events.”

In addition to being a talented musician, Bustos also knows how to make a first impression. “Andoreni was incredibly engaged during orientation,” recalls Michelle Goldberg, associate director of the Management & Entrepreneurship Career Community in the Center for Career Equity, Development & Success. “He was very willing to share his experiences with other students, and wanted to take advantage of our resources to help with his career goals. You could tell he was eager to learn and challenge himself.”

As his career advisor, Goldberg meets regularly with Bustos, providing him with strategic advice and connecting him with specific individuals, organizations, and community resources to help build his music network.

“There are so many resources here for students to use,” Bustos says. “My career goal is to educate people about music and share my passion with them right here in Boston.”

In high school, Bustos was known as the “music guy,” fielding requests from his classmates in between classes. “I was kind of shy, so playing the guitar gave me confidence, especially when students reacted positively to my music,” he says. “It gave me my identity.”

Today, Bustos easy to spot walking around the Suffolk campus, guitar in hand. Between classes, you’ll find him in his happy place: the Sawyer Building’s music room, noodling on his guitar or the playing Steinway piano.

“I try to play my guitar every day,” he says. “It’s like having a spiritual connection and makes me feel complete. This is who I am.”