Alan Silverman and Mike Tierney
Mike Tierney and Alan Silverman, both adjunct faculty members in NYU Steinhardt’s Music Technology program, recently shared a landmark achievement as collaborators, mentors, and educators: they won GRAMMY Awards for Cerrone: Don’t Look Down. Tierney received the award for engineering the album, while Silverman, credited with mastering over 100 Grammy-winning and nominated records, was honored as Mastering Engineer.
During his acceptance speech, Tierney thanked Silverman, calling him his most important mentor—an especially meaningful moment given their long professional history and their shared role teaching the next generation of music creators at NYU Steinhardt.
For Tierney, a graduate of NYU Steinhardt Music Technology (MM`17) who then became an adjunct instructor, the recognition was still hard to believe.
“Having this recognition from the industry and my peers has been a surreal experience,” Tierney said. “Even though the composer, performers, and I attended the ceremony together and knew that winning one or more Grammy awards that night was a possibility (our album was nominated for three), the moment our award was announced was a shock. Even more of a surprise was that very few categories award albums for their engineering, so it was especially gratifying to have that recognition.”
GRAMMY Ceremony
Silverman reflected on how their collaboration began soon after Tierney graduated from the program. “Mike and I first began working together when he took a role at my studio, primarily as a mixer,” Silverman said. “We worked on an amazingly wide range of projects, from modern classical—Medeski Martin & Wood’s collaboration with Alarm Will Sound—to traditional folk with the incomparable Judy Collins. I’m sure neither of us imagined a day would come when we’d celebrate our long collaboration by taking home a GRAMMY!”
Silverman described hearing Don’t Look Down for the first time as a powerful experience. “One of the best moments in mastering is hearing a new work for the first time, almost completed, with fresh ears. The initial playback of Don’t Look Down was unforgettable. My assistant, Sharon Hurvitz—a graduate of NYU Steinhardt’s Screen Scoring program—and I were mesmerized.”
He praised both the music and Tierney’s engineering. “The intricate rhythms and sonic textures are transcendent. The playing is precise and playful. Percussion instruments can easily cause distortion in the best of recording chains, but Mike captured it all with warmth and pure clarity.”
As GRAMMY winners, Tierney and Silverman bring their real-world collaboration directly into the classroom. Their shared history—as mentor and mentee, colleagues, and now award-winning partners—offers students a rare opportunity to learn from educators whose work has earned the highest industry recognition and includes collaborations with leading composers, including Steinhardt faculty, while actively shaping the field at the highest level.