Performances + Events
Institute for Teaching Artistry
The Institute for Teaching Artistry (ITA) at NEC advances our mission to make music matter in the world.
Through pedagogy, external programming, and residencies, the ITA advances NEC’s global leadership in defining the musical field of teaching artistry. At the same time, we demonstrate the positive impact that working musicians can make in their communities.
Through our offerings in the College and Expanded Education — including professional development, workshops, curriculum, and experiential learning — we develop teaching artists who consciously integrate the skills and sensibilities of seasoned educators with the talent and training of gifted performers, all for the betterment of our broader community.
Public Programs and Partnerships
Eight times a year, the ITA at NEC hosts free, open-enrollment workshops for the general public, practitioners in the broader field of teaching artistry, students, and members of the NEC community.
These on-campus and interactive virtual-learning opportunities are designed to broaden access to the resources and lessons of teaching artistry and foster creativity and professional versatility.
College Programs
What does it mean to be a complete musician? Through our Teaching Artistry and Music Education Concentration and our Community Engagement and Professional Studies (CEPS) programs, we help students answer that question by connecting them with every sector of their communities — from grade schools to corporations and from hospital rooms to concert halls.
We also equip students for creative, flexible, and multifaceted careers with coursework, coaching, and experiential learning in community engaged performance, entrepreneurship, and music education.
Expanded Education
NEC’s renowned Expanded Education programs — spanning early childhood to adult learning — provide the foundation for professional development in teaching artistry from the ITA.
Our on-campus and community-based classes, workshops, and learning laboratories offer hands-on student-engagement opportunities for NEC students and members of the broader educational community.
Stephanie Muñoz and Vijay Gupta
ITA Scholars-in-Residence
The Institute for Teaching Artistry will host two Scholars-in-Residence during the 2026–2027 academic year. These field experts will be embedded in the NEC community, where they’ll share their work with students in the Conservatory’s College and Expanded Education divisions. The Scholars-in-Residence will also design and lead integrated fellowships that offer deeper insight into their respective areas of focus.
In the Fall 2026 semester, NEC alumna Stephanie Muñoz ’15 MM, ’17 GD, a music educator at the Margarita Muñiz Academy in Jamaica Plain, will highlight her public-school work through individual advising sessions, class visits, and a presentation in the Teaching Artistry@NEC Workshop Series.
ITA Community Ensemble Residency Intensive
Each year, the ITA at NEC selects an emerging professional ensemble for residency based on its excellence in performance and its commitment to using music as a means of building relationships with community members.
With a combination of performance and teaching-artistry coaching sessions, ITA-specific coursework, and experiential learning, the ITA will help expand the professional profile, teaching artistry skill-set, and societal impact of the ensemble in residence.
After NEC
Reflections on the ITA
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Jordan Hadrill is a British-Australian violinist and educator who specializes in classical, Baroque, and avant-garde music.
Jordan Hadrill ’22, ’24 MM
“For me, one of the best parts about a focus on teaching artistry is getting out there in the field and working with people of all ages and skill levels. Just as important is the one-on-one feedback with faculty to discuss the challenges we come up against in getting non-musicians engaged in music.”
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An award-winning double-bassist, vocalist, and educator, Kirsten Lamb has been praised by the Boston Globe for her versatility and assurance.
Kirsten Lamb ’15 MM
“Teaching artistry is a holistic approach to music. Yes, you want to learn to be a virtuosic performer, but you also want to know how to build a studio schedule, how to set your rates for different types of engagements, how to set yourself up for retirement. You want to be ready to handle all the different roles that being a musician entails. In essence, a musician is a small business owner. The ITA can fill in these essential blanks.”
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Jazz vocalist Zion Dyson is a performer, arts educator, researcher, and nonprofit program director of the Cambodian Village Fund in Cambodia.
Zion Dyson ’23
“Being involved in teaching and education at NEC was such an incredible experience and laid the foundation for my career. Whether you pursue a career in performing, teaching, nonprofit administration, or something in between, you will develop the skills you need through Teaching Artistry.”
