It’s a sweet homecoming for Tommy Torres…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has received a special recognition from his alma mater, Berklee College of Music.

Torres, along with other Berklee graduates, was honored during the Alumni Achievement Awards 2023.

He was recognized for his achievements as a musician, composer, and producer and his “versatility and compositions that have broken cultural barriers,” according to a press release.

“This recognition also gives me great joy because I have thought about my entire career up to today and I feel very happy,” said Torres, recalling that he had to convince his father that music was something serious for him.

“I still feel like I’m getting away with something that seems like a dream,” Torres said in a statement. “I’m very thankful with Berklee. Everything I know about music, production and engineering, I learned it here.”

After graduating 20 years ago, one of the pieces of advice he shared with students is that nowadays they cannot blame the industry or society, since each one decides what style of music to create. He also added that he understands that right now entertainment is bigger than art and marketing seems to be more important than music itself.

“I like it a lot, I like to see the faces of students hungry for knowledge, I like to see the illusion,” Torres said, confessing that at some point in his life he could dedicate himself to teaching the art of music.

Torres thanked his fans because without them he understands that it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve success.