Karen A. Bell Named Chair of Performance Studies The associate dean will expand her responsibilities to manage performance studies courses and oversee departmental faculty.
By
Colette Greenstein
August 22, 2024
Karen Bell
Image by Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo
Berklee is pleased to announce that Karen A. Bell BM 90 has been named chair of performance studies, effective immediately. This new role will be in addition to her current title as associate dean of the Professional Performance Division.
Karen Bell has been a valuable contributor to the college for over two decades, and her recent work as associate dean has made a profound impact on the Performance Division and the students within the performance major, says Sean K. Skeete, dean of the Professional Performance Division at Berklee.
Bell has worked in multiple roles in several departments in Berklee for more than 20 years. She began working in the Professional Performance Division in 2018, and prior to that she spent 13 years working in Alumni Affairs, first as the director and then as the chief alumni officer for the College and Conservatory. During her time in Alumni Affairs, she coproduced Berklees first alumni reunion and concert, and coled the efforts resulting in the Bill Pierce MLK Scholarship Fund, the Jeffrey E. Ramsay Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund, and the Berklee Alumni Achievement Awards.
In her current position, she works with the dean of the Professional Performance Division overseeing its 10 departments, serving on the provost's leadership council, managing the division's course proposals and curriculum development, and supervising faculty and staff. Bell also advises and guides the institution's performing artists in preparation for career longevity in the music industry.
I am honored to be asked to expand my role and to continue my work with Sean Skeete and the Professional Performance Division team in providing necessary curriculum to all students, regardless of their artistic discipline, major, or instrument, says Bell. My personal and professional journey led me to Berklee more than thirty years ago from Camden, South Carolina, and I was as excited then as I am now to share my love for community, music, and education.
Outside of her role in higher education, Bell is a 30-year veteran in the music industry. Her longevity can be attributed in part to having established ongoing support and collaboration with the behind-the-scenes artists who are the backbone of the performing arts industry, including musical directors, rhythm section players, backing vocalists, dancers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and more. A singer by trade, she describes her sound as a mix of R&B and pop with satisfying spoonfuls of Gospel and blues. She has shared the stage with renowned artists Shirley Caesar, George Duke, and Paula Cole, and has entertained audiences at Berklees annual fundraiser Amplify Berklee (formerly Encore Gala) and the Beantown Jazz Festival.
Bell is also the bandleader of the Karen Bell Band, a group ranging from a duo to 10 pieces, including three singers and a three-piece horn section. In addition to her musical pursuits, she is an entrepreneur, having founded Let Me Be Free to Love, a community-based program spotlighting and celebrating the voices of Black women over 40 by fostering community, social change, and advancement through the performing arts and other collaborative endeavors.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Jim Lucchese
Image by Kelly Davidson
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.
Latest
Mateo Londo o
Image courtesy of the artist
Student Spotlight: Mateo Londo o The producer talks about leaving Berklee to grieve the passing of a close friend and fellow student and then returning to finish his degree. He chronicles these emotions in his new song Pachanga.
Former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam, actor De'Lon Grant, and mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy are among dozens of new Conservatory faculty members.
Boston Conservatory Adds a Robust Roster of Artists to Its Faculty Nearly 30 new faculty across the Dance, Music, and Theater divisions bring industry expertise from the Boston Ballet to Broadway and from the fields of ethnomusicology to circus arts.
Music education students play in and conduct an ensemble.
Image by Kelly Davidson
Why Music Educators Choose Berklee's Graduate Programs Explore Berklees flexible master's degrees and certificate in music education, and get advice from working teachers and online learners who've studied here.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Karen A. Bell Named Chair of Performance Studies The associate dean will expand her responsibilities to manage performance studies courses and oversee departmental faculty.
