Encouraged by Alvaro Is Rojas, Pohjola moved to Boston, Massachusetts to study at Berklee College of Music. His teachers included Herb Pomeroy, Gary Burton, Phil Wilson, Ed Bedner and Hal Crook. Pohjola also met many new music collaborators, such as Johanna Grüssner, Matt Penman, Roberto Dani, Fernando Huergo, Sophie Dunér and Yusuke Yamamoto. Pohjola graduated from Berklee with honors in 1994. That same year he recorded his first album, "Myths and Beliefs" (GM Recordings) produced by Gunther Schuller.