CMCB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Operations Associate
Abby is a singer, traveler, and peacebuilder originally from Topsfield, MA. Following a degree in Music in 2012, she toured for a year with the international singing group Up with People throughout the US, Mexico, and Europe. Abby is a career changer and comes to CMCB with four years of experience working in business management in the group travel industry. She is currently working on a Masters in Peace & Justice Leadership and is passionate about combining music and community building. Abby is a classically trained mezzo-soprano and continues to explore and work with her voice in sacred and secular spaces around Boston.
Job Titles:
- Early Childhood Faculty Instructional Lead, Voice, Musical Theatre Performance Instructor
Akela Franklin (She/Her/Hers) is a classically trained singer, vocal pedagogue, children's music and theatre educator originally from the California Bay Area. She is currently based in Boston and has been teaching voice and choral activities with CMCB since March 2020.
As a progressive performing artist and educator, Akela's mission is to utilize her creativity, artistry, and expertise to empower herself and her community. She strives to fulfill this mission by sparking joy through self expression, fostering confidence and belonging in all artistic spaces, and prioritizing cultural inclusion and sustainability.
Akela feels extremely fortunate to work with the young artists of the Community Music School, as well Boston Public School students through Community Engagement Programs. In addition to her work at CMCB, Akela serves as the Children's Music Coordinator at First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton (FUUSN) and has maintained an active, vibrant private voice studio since early 2018. Akela was a 2020-21 recipient of the Marilla MacDill award for Teaching Excellence and Community Service. She holds a Master of Music (M.M.) from Longy School of Music of Bard College and a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) from University of Puget Sound, with a minor in Religion. She studies voice with Carol Mastrodomenico and is currently pursuing a teaching certificate through Boston Conservatory of Berklee's Alexander Technique teacher training program. In her free time, she loves to cook, binge true crime podcasts and documentaries, and snuggle with her kitty Éowyn.
Education
B.M. University of Puget Sound
M.M. Longy School of Music of Bard College
Job Titles:
- Development & Events Coordinator
Lexi, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received her BA in Cultural Anthropology and International Affairs with a Spanish minor from Northeastern University. From playing piano since childhood to continuing her passion for singing, dancing, and acting throughout college, Lexi is excited to combine her professional experience in community engagement with her passion for music accessibility. Her previous experience includes advocating for communities in Boston at Northeastern's Office of City and Community Engagement, leading programming at a community center in Ecuador with Manna Project International, and interning in Development and Events at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Outside of work, Lexi enjoys traveling, reading, and jamming with her friends on the piano.
Anthony Douglass is an elementary school music teacher at The Community Music Center of Boston. He received his Masters of Music Education from The Boston Conservatory. He also holds a Masters of Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts in African Drumming and Dance, as well as a B. M. from Berklee College of Music.
Anthony has been been teaching private lessons, workshops, after school programs and elementary music for over twenty years. He has taught in the Los Angeles public schools, the Oakland public schools, the Somerville public schools and is currently teaching in the Boston public schools. He has also taught African drumming at California Institute of the Arts and Cal. State Long Beach.
Education:
M.M. California Institute of the Arts
B.F.A. Berklee College of Music
April Medina, originally from Dallas, Texas, has a passion for the arts. Her arts experience has mainly centered around Theater, specifically technical support as well as arts activism. Her professional experience ranges from helping to establish the presence of the "We Were Here" art installation which focuses on embracing diversity and centering Black voices in the town of Danville, Kentucky, supervising the Centre College scene shop, and working alongside equity professionals in the theater arts. April holds a Bachelors in Anthropology and Sociology from Centre College and is bilingual in Spanish and English. April is excited to be a part of a community that is dedicated to making change in music education.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Community Engagement Programs
Christopher Perry is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in music therapy. Whether working with adults with developmental disabilities, children with special needs, Early Intervention, or children with autism, Christopher has a passion for connecting with others through music. He has experience practicing music therapy with groups and individuals, in classrooms, homes and community spaces.
Job Titles:
- Chief Programming Officer
Cori is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received a M.S in Music Industry Leadership from Northeastern University where she was an MLK Graduate Fellow and a B.M. in Violin Performance and Music Industry Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans. Prior to joining CMCB she worked in youth development and higher education as an advocate for educational access and diversity and inclusion programs. Outside of work she plays violin in the Warwick Symphony Orchestra in Rhode Island where she participates in several ensembles and serves on the Board of Directors for JP Kids Arts. In her freetime she enjoys baking, riding her bike, exploring the amazing food scene in Providence, RI.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Elizabeth is a classically trained violinist, teacher, and performer who looks at working in arts administration as a way of giving back to her community. She is a graduate of Longy School of Music with her M.M in Violin Performance, prior to which she was at Boston College studying Applied Psychology and Human Development. She has volunteered and taught at schools such as Gardner Pilot Academy and Conservatory Lab Charter School in Dorchester and hopes to continue supporting musical education through fostering healthy and positive relationships with all the employees at CMCB. Currently she plays with the Apollo Ensemble to satisfy her love for orchestral repertoire - when she is not practicing she enjoys spoiling her pet bunny and cats (2!).
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Operations
Emily is a lifelong musician with a background in finance and data analysis. She has a Bachelor of Brass Performance and a Bachelor of Statistics from Boston University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Arts Administration from Boston University as well as a Masters in Finance from Bentley University. She volunteers as Director of Finance and Principal Trumpet of the Apollo Ensemble of Boston and has played with the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, was manager and a member of the Boston University Trumpet Ensemble, and gigs around Greater Boston. Additionally, Emily serves on the Board of Directors for ātac Framingham, where she is also on the Finance Committee, and works per diem as a grant writer for Upbeat New Hampshire. In her spare time, she enjoys doing yoga and spending time outdoors with her dog, Gigi.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Development & External Relations
Jessica received her M.A. in Child Development from Tufts University and worked at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras before starting at CMCB. Although she now works in Arts Administration, her past musical experience includes playing piano, flute, and singing. Outside of CMCB, she is actively involved in the contemporary a cappella community, serving as the Executive Producer for the NE Voices Festival and participating on the Board of Directors at the Contemporary A Cappella Society. Some of her other interests include playing video games, watching football, and petting all the dogs.
Jingyi is an arts administrator who is originally from China. She received her M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University and is interested in the performing arts as well as community development. She spent time as a Marketing and Development intern at Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK). During her internship she developed a greater interest and curiosity in arts education and looks forward to bringing her passion and energy to CMCB. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her cat, photographing, and making handmade earrings.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Communications Manager
Joi is a composer, vocalist, teaching artist, and administrator originally from Portsmouth, VA. In their artistry, they strive to expose individuals to the vast world of musical possibilities and connect the love of music with a foundation of valuable life lessons and skills. Their music focuses on exploring our world and commenting on our unique experiences (learn more at joiharper.com). Though she originally came to Boston to pursue her Master's, she is so happy to have found a great network and is excited to become more involved within the Boston community. Joi recently finished their M.M. in Composition at Longy School of Music and has a B.M. in Composition from George Mason University. In their free time, Joi enjoys a plethora of different hobbies, including making and eating great food, crafting, and exploring new places and activities.
Job Titles:
- Chamber Orchestra Conductor, Intermediate String Ensemble Conductor, Flute
Kathleen Berger graduated Summa Cum Laude with Distinction from Boston University with a B.M. in Woodwind Performance (Flute) and Music Education and a Masters in Creative Arts Education from Fitchburg State University. She studied flute with many of the world's most notable players: Doriot Dwyer, Julius Baker, Marianne Gedigian, Marya Martin, Carol Wincenc, Alexander Murray, Jeffrey Khaner, Donald Peck, Gary Schocker, Julia Bogorad, and Adam Kuenzel. Ms. Berger has taught privately in the Wellesley Public Schools from 1999-2003 and then again from 2006-present. She also taught privately in the Westwood Public Schools, worked as a teacher and flute choir director at Assumption College in Worcester, and is a frequent substitute coach/conductor for the Boston Youth Symphonies and Intensive Community Program. In addition to teaching in Wellesley, she currently has an active private studio in Marlborough.
As a conductor, Ms. Berger has attended the American String Teachers' Association's International Workshop in Stravanger, Norway and the Conductors Workshop of America at the University of Iowa and conducted the Worcester Youth Concert Orchestra. She has been the Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra and Flute Choir Director since 2005. Starting in the spring of 2020, Ms. Berger began conducting the Colleges of the Fenway Jazz Band and Chorus. Ms. Berger has also worked as a general music and instrumental music teacher in the Shrewsbury Public Schools and an Instrumental Director at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. She has led a student-run, pre-concert lecture series, participated in a number of music festivals, and organized Benefit Concerts and Recital Hours. Ms. Berger also shared her passion for new art and music through teaching an adult class at Danforth Art entitled Contemporary Art and Music, was a docent there from 2009-2011, and a staff member there from 2011-2014.
Outside of the arts, Ms. Berger has attended numerous workshops held by the Asperger/Autism Network and Think:Kids and has much experience working with special needs, including kids who are autistic, twice-exceptional, gifted, kids with ADD/ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar, etc. Ms. Berger and her two kids work with third-year medical students at Tufts Medical School to help educate them about Autism and how they, as doctors, can enhance and improve the lives of their patients. Ms. Berger has two children with special needs, including an autistic daughter who gives her a unique portal into the exceptional lives of neurodiverse students and is very passionate about forwarding the music education of each and every one of her students.
Kenneth Wilson is an actor (stage and screen) and singer. Originally from Durham, N.C., he holds a BA in Spanish from N.C. Central University and has called Boston home the past 15 years. Under an alias, he has fronted and written with various pop, rock and cover bands in the New England area. (His record is fronting three simultaneously.) Kenneth also worked with members of the Grammy-winning Winans family (in partnership with Emerson) in a workshop of their own musical. As an actor, Kenneth has done commercials, theatre (including musical!), has toured nationally and appears in three seasons of a web series.
Job Titles:
- Community Music School Coordinator
Kevin is a double bassist, educator, and composer originally from Manassas, Virginia. He is a versatile musician with a rich background in multiple musical worlds beyond western classical, including bluegrass, metal, and many different experimental spheres. His love for a wide variety of musical cultures (and his affinity for blending them together) lent itself well to education, where he could draw upon a wealth of musical knowledge to address many students' needs. He has taught in the Boston Public School system as well as privately, and continues to perform on a freelance basis. Outside of music, Kevin is an avid fan of marine biology, and will occasionally insert unexpected details about deep-sea life into casual conversation.
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Programs Coordinator
Marcela is a jazz composer, arranger, pianist, and educator. Before joining CMCB, she received her bachelor's degree in Jazz Composition and Piano Performance from Berklee College of Music in 2020 and has been teaching and performing throughout the Boston area. Growing up in Mexico, Marcela got deeply interested in jazz artists who would inspire her to pursue a music career in the United States. Following her passion, she moved to Boston in 2016. Soon after starting her studies at Berklee, she began working in the assistive music technology program at the school, which provides adapted music software instruction and assistance with projects to blind and visually impaired students. This experience soon became a crucial step in her career, leading her to share her experience and collaborate to improve fellow blind musicians' technology resources. She has helped with beta testing software, providing feedback about accessibility to software developers, and has successfully completed various projects through music technology. Currently, she continues to expand her musical journey through teaching, composing, performing, and collaborating with various organizations in the music industry.
Matt Savage, age 28, has had an 18-year professional career as a jazz musician, bandleader and composer with ensembles of different size. He's played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O'Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi and Donny McCaslin among others. Along the way, he's recorded thirteen albums as leader and one as collaborator. He is a Bösendorfer piano artist.
As a composer, Matt has garnered respect. He composed and recorded the score for a full-length documentary film, Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story. The movie, which premiered in 2014, chronicles the life of jazz alto saxophonist Frank Morgan. Additionally, Savage wrote almost all the songs on his twelve albums, several of which have been used in short documentaries, on web sites, in school music curricula and in government educational materials. Savage has toured worldwide and had many national media appearances including performances at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, the Blue Note, Bohemian Caverns, Town Hall, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Scullers, the Jazz Standard, the Pantages Theatre, the Iridium, the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Heineken Jazzaldia (Spain), the Costa Rica International Jazz Festival, the International VSA Arts Festival, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, China, India, Japan, Curacao, Aruba and for the president of Singapore.
In April 2015, Matt opened for Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Shawn Colvin and others at Autism Speaks' "Light Up the Blues" concert event in Hollywood… and in December 2015, he performed with Steve Earle and Jackson Browne at Town Hall in New York City. In 2018, Matt Savage performed in China and India for the first time, and visited Japan for the third time. Matt's latest project is the Matt Savage Groove Experiment's debut EP, Splash Variations, which was released on December 7, 2018.
Media appearances have included Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz," NPR's "All Things Considered," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Late Show with David Letterman," the "Today" Show, ABC's "20/20," the Discovery Channel, BBC, Telemundo TV, and news shows and documentaries worldwide (including the U.S., Germany, France, Japan and the U.K.) The Wall Street Journal, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, TIME, WIRED, Der Spiegel, The Jerusalem Report, People Magazine, TIME for Kids, American Way, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, and others have featured Matt in print.
A graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Berklee College of Music, Matt balances his professional music career with teaching. He teaches at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, as well as several community music schools in eastern Massachusetts. Matt gives masterclasses and workshops domestically and internationally (in English and Spanish) as well as private piano lessons.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial and Operating Officer
With 15+ years of operational leadership roles spanning financial services, e-commerce and the non-profit sector, Meghan brings deep finance and strategic planning expertise to CMCB. Meghan graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Pennsylvania State University before obtaining her MBA from Columbia Business School. Meghan currently serves on the Board of Project STEP and the Board of Advisors for Boston Public Market. While Meghan is undoubtedly the least musically accomplished member of the staff, she is passionate about CMCB's mission and is the proud parent of an Early Childhood Program student.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Cantare Choir at Chelsea High School
Michael Bednarsky maintains an active schedule as both a music educator and performer. Bednarsky is the director of the Cantare choir at Chelsea High School, where he also teaches piano classes. Bednarsky teaches private lessons to woodwind students in the Needham Public Schools, and he is thrilled to have recently joined the piano faculty at the Community Music Center of Boston. Bednarsky is an orchestral conductor and currently serves as Assistant Conductor of the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra in Natick. As an advocate of new music, Bednarsky enjoys collaborations with composers and recently conducted the premiere of the opera The Bedbug by Byron Asher. Bednarsky most enjoys performing classical, rock, and jazz music on piano, clarinet, and saxophone. He studied orchestral conducting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and music education at The Ohio State University.
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement and Clinical Manager
Originally from Austin, Texas, Rachel began playing piano at age five, and steadily fell in love with learning and exploring music. She became a music therapist by pursuing her B.M. in Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music ('16), and has experience working in outpatient and inpatient hospital settings, with children and teenagers with disabilities, and in mental health. She expanded her macro- and mezzo-level knowledge of community interventions when pursuing her MSSW and MPH, and focused on person-centered engagement and advocacy. She brings a passion for community organizing, advocacy through storytelling, and program creation. In her free time, she enjoys running, baking, and cheering on the Red Sox.
Job Titles:
- Guitar Faculty Instructional Lead
A native of Mexico, Santiago Diaz began playing guitar at the age of 13 at the National School of Music in Mexico City and made his first public recital two years later at the Sala Huehuecóyotl. Acclaimed for his lyrical and passionate performances, Mr. Diaz is one of the leading virtuoso guitarists of his generation and is an active concert guitarist in both Mexico and the United States.
The Boston Globe wrote "He's a really spectacular player. The combination of his technique and his passionate performance is really not to be missed"…"A player with flair, lyricism, and technical finesse". According to the guitar figure Joaquín Clerch "Santiago is a young virtuoso who possesses a secure technique, a beautiful sound and an imaginative and sincere musicality". Moreover, legendary guitarist Eliot Fisk said "He is an extraordinary young virtuoso with a solid technique, unique artistic interpretation and superb musicality". In addition, renowned guitarist David Leisner said, "He is blessed with a strong, perfectly natural musical instinct and with an impressive technical facility on the guitar".
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of the Community Music School
Seychelle Dunn-Corbin, D.M.A. is a Boston-based saxophonist known for her dedication and advocacy of works by BIPOC and womxn composers. A first-generation college graduate, Seychelle has studied at Morgan State University, Longy School of Music of Bard College, and Boston University, recently completing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in saxophone performance. Currently, Seychelle is a standing member of NorthStar Duo, Area 9 Saxophone Quartet, and Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra and adjunct faculty at Bunker Hill Community College, Salem State University, and Longy School of Music of Bard College. She proudly serves as a member of the North American Saxophone Alliance Committee on Gender Equity, Shelter Music Boston Board of Directors, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Community Music School Coordinator
Taylor Lents is a percussionist/timpanist, educator, and arts administrator originally from Blue Ridge, GA. She received her M.M. from the New England Conservatory and her B.M. from the University of Georgia's Hugh Hodgson School of Music. As an orchestral musician, Taylor has performed percussion and timpani with various regional orchestras across the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest, and most recently served as a Percussion Fellow with The Orchestra Now (TŌN) at Bard College. In addition to her performance pursuits, she has remained interested and engaged with the ways in which she can serve her communities, leading her to work in various administrative roles throughout her studies. In the summer of 2020, she partnered with conductor and colleague Emily Eng to form the non-profit Lift Music Fund, dedicated to making achievement in music more accessible and equitable. Through their work as an educator, Taylor has presented masterclasses to students throughout Georgia, served as a Percussion Coach in the NEC Prep School, and was invited to serve as a faculty member at the 2022 YOLA National Festival. Outside of her musical pursuits, Taylor enjoys spending time outside or at home with her two cats Cedar and Sage, enjoying tasty coffee, and reading.
Zach Sheets is a musician and arts administrator with a long history of advocating for funding in the arts. He has secured major funding partnerships in the public and private sectors at the 5-, 6-, and 7-figure levels, for work spanning music education, arts-sector workforce development, racial equity, arts and health outcomes, and the creation of new artistic works. He has spoken on the importance of youth development, cultural equity, and arts education before the Massachusetts Legislature, the Mass Cultural Council, Chamber Music America National Conference, Council for Advancement and Support of Education National Conference, and the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Zach held various senior leadership roles with performing arts ensembles in New York City before joining CMCB in 2018. Zach has taught music throughout New York and New England, including in the NYC Public Schools, and currently mentors students in CMCB's youth employment program. Throughout his philanthropic and pedagogical work, Zach is a strong advocate for centering the voices of youth and communities in the conversations that most impact them.
As a flutist, Zach has performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Ballet, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, Phoenix Chamber Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and many more. At 23 he won a tenured role as Principal Flute in the Cape Symphony Orchestra, a post he held for 8 seasons.
Job Titles:
- Chief Advancement Officer