BMCC
Departmental Leadership
1) P & B, Deputy Chair, Scheduling, Orientation, etc
Curriculum
1) Consistent Updates (New Courses + Course Revisions + CPL)
2) Internships
Jazz & Popular Music
1) New Specialization
2) Articulation Agreements
3) Course Hubs
Workshops with Industry Leaders
1) List of Workshops since 2018
Commencement
1) 2023 Cultural Celebration
2) 2021 Virtual Graduation
APR
1) Music APR
2) Art APR
1) P & B, Deputy Chair, Scheduling, Orientation, etc
Since my appointment as an Assistant Professor in 2018 I have progressively moved towards more administrative and departmental leadership responsibilities, culminating in my current role as deputy chair and program coordinator of jazz & popular music. Below is a summary of these responsibilities.
Personnel and Budget Committee (P&B)
Fall 2023⸺present (Elected member)
-
Reviewing sabbatical applications & adjunct promotion applications.
-
Advising on budgetary items.
-
Meeting with faculty who have grievances or other issues within the department.
-
Spring 2022 (Guest member)
-
Faculty search: Jon DeLucia (Lecturer Line: PVN #23736).
-
Spring 2019 (Guest member)
-
Faculty search: Can Olgun (Tenure Track, Professorial Line: PVN #19844).
Deputy Chair & Scheduling
Since Fall 2023, I have also served as the deputy chair and department scheduler. This includes a revamp of the schedule to be implemented in Fall 2024, and taking on a variety of day to day tasks to support the chair of our department.
Music Major Orientation + Transfer Fair
Since Fall 2021, I have led a Music Major Orientation every semester, and an annual Transfer Fair.
The Music Major Orientation occurs in the 1st or 2nd week of classes, during club hours, and introduces music majors to the department. I designed both the music major handbook, and the music major orientation slide presentation, which serves as the foundation of the meeting.
The Transfer Fair is held every Fall. I host the event and invite/facilitate virtual visits with representatives from City College, Hunter College, York College, Lehman College, & Queens College.
1) Consistent Updates (New Courses + Course Revisions + CPL)
Since 2020, I have led 5 curriculum changes, written 11 new courses, collaborated on 3 additional syllabi for new courses, and led 8 courses to be offered as CPL (credit for prior learning). Below are summaries of these changes and syllabi, along with a pdf and screen shot of one round of these changes in 2019.
Summary of Changes since 2020
-
Spring 2024 (New Courses, Course Revisions, CPL)
-
Spring 2023 (Curriculum, New Courses)
-
Spring 2022 (Curriculum)
-
Fall 2021 (Curriculum)
-
Spring 2021 (Curriculum, New Courses, Course Revisions)
-
Fall 2020 (Curriculum, New Courses, Course Revisions, CPL)
Credit for Prior Learning
-
MUS180 Guitar I
-
MUS190 Guitar II
-
MUS160 Voice I
-
MUS170 Voice II
-
MUS123 Basics of Digital Music Production I
-
MUS119 Keyboard I
-
MUS219 Keyboard II
-
MUS105 Exploring Music
New Courses Created
-
MUS137 Jazz & Popular Music Theory I
-
MUS237 Jazz & Popular Music Theory II
-
MUS138 Jazz & Popular Music Aural Skills I
-
MUS238 Jazz & Popular Music Aural Skills II
-
MUS114 Music Business
-
MUS109 Bebop to Hip-Hop (Pathways)
-
MUS122 The World of Hip-Hop (Pathways)
-
MUS801/802/803/804 Popular Music Ensemble I/II/III/IV
New Courses Created with Other Faculty
-
MUS128 The Music of Latin America (Pathways)
-
MUS132 The Music of Brazil (Pathways)
-
MUS311 Music Internship
One Example from 2019 (click on the PdF):
2) Internships
Recently, inspired by the third strategic priority of the BMCC 2020-2025 Strategic Plan: “Expand career development leading to meaningful work with family-sustaining wages” I have taken a leadership role in rolling out our department's first internship program. I developed our first ever internship with East Side Sounds (a recording studio), and placed students in the Summer of 2023. Fall 2023 the program continued, and we added our first paid internship, at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (organized by Jon DeLucia). Currently, in Spring 2024, we now have our first cohort of students enrolled in an internship class, a section of CED301 (under Jon DeLucia), however, I have created the vast majority of the internships we offer (highlighted below in green), and also led the creation of a new Music Internship Syllabus, MUS311, including securing an articulation agreement from York College.
1) New Specialization
After witnessing the overwhelming interest from the music major students in popular music, production, music business and modern-day career paths in the music industry, I led curriculum changes to develop a new specialization of “Jazz and Popular Music”, which music majors have been able to pursue since Fall 2021.
Creating a specialization in Jazz and Popular music involved:
-
Developing a relationship with City College; mirroring their ‘popular music’ program and securing an articulation from the former Chair, Prof. O’Donnell for five new courses.
-
Writing 5 new syllabi, 17 course revisions, and preparing the final package.
-
Liaising with BMCC administration including Provost Wong, Carei Thomas, Peter Pallis (Academic Advisement & Transfer Center) and Mohammad Alam (Registrar).
2) Articulation Agreements
I have been the sole liaison, negotiator and facilitator for 3 different articulation agreements, summarized below.
City College
Articulation Agreement for Jazz and Popular Music
-
York College Reps: (current chair) Prof. Jonathan Pieslak and head of department Shaugn O’Donnell
-
BMCC Rep in Registrar helping: Peter Pallis
-
Completed: June 23rd 2021. https://bmccprodstroac.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/2021/07/musjazzccny.pdf
Articulation Agreement for Jazz and Popular Music:
-
Hunter College Rep: Prof. Keberle
-
BMCC Rep in Registrar helping: Lindsey Johnson
-
Completed: October 17th 2021. https://bmccprodstroac.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/2021/10/mushunter.pdf
Articulation Agreement for Jazz and Popular Music.
-
York College Rep: Marc Adams
-
BMCC Rep in Registrar helping: Peter Pallis
-
Completed: June 23rd, 2022. https://bmccprodstroac.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/2022/07/musjazzyork.pdf
3) Course Hubs
I created the following course hubs (Login to open lab/CUNY academic commons is required):
1) Workshops With Industry Leaders
Primarily through ELIC funding (Enhanced Learning in the Classroom), I have used personal connections in the music industry to secure high-profile artists for workshops and performances at BMCC. Below is a summary:
Spring 2024: “Building Your Musical Brand: Strategies for Success in the Digital Age” —SEIDS (Songwriter & Producer)
Fall 2023: “Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship: A Guide to Creating Opportunities in the Modern Popular Music & Hip-Hop Industries” —Kokayi (Emcee & Producer)
Spring 2023: “Online Entrepreneurship: A Realistic Blueprint for How Anyone Can Promote
Their Art & Make a Living Online” —Noah Kellman (Youtuber & Entrepreneur)
Spring 2022: “The Art of Negotiation” —Leikyn Bravo (Singer Songwriter)
Spring 2022: “How Artists Can Reach Their Audience: Practical Tips for Marketing and
Audience Development” —Alan Blanchard (Director of Operations at ‘Outside in Music’ Record
Label)
Fall 2021: “Developing a Band Sound & Synergy” —Molly Miller
Fall 2021: “How I Went from the Practice Room to 7 Figures” —Jenny Shaw
(CEO/founder of ‘Tone Academy of Music’)
Fall 2020: “A Modern Approach to Developing Technique on Guitar” —Ben Eunson
Spring 2019: “Succeeding as a Female in the Male Dominated Idiom of Jazz” —Roxy Coss
(CEO of WIJO [Women in Jazz Organization])
Fall 2018: “YouTube for Musicians: Monetization, Workflow and Content Creation” —Adam
Neely (YouTuber & Influencer)
Spring 2018: “Instagram for Musicians and Artists” —Sam Blakelock (CEO of PickUpMusic)
1) 2023 "Cultural Celebration"
From 2019 on-wards, I have served as the artistic director for Commencement entertainment. While the workload for each year is significant, I have chosen to highlight two significant years below, 2023 “Cultural Celebration”, and 2021 Virtual Graduation.
2023 “Cultural Celebration”
2023 was BMCC’s 60th anniversary since the founding of the College. As such, we celebrated in style with a large production that included 52 dancers and 17 musicians (69 people total), and a budget of $40,000. A key part of the graduation was a ‘cultural celebration’ that featured a custom 60th anniversary song played by a New Orleans brass band, and dancers from 10 different cultures, representing more than 20 unique dance styles. While the initial idea came from VP Craig & BMCC Presidential Cabinet, I was the sole person responsible for bringing this large production to life, including presenting multiple times to the cabinet for comments, and eventually this slide presentation for final approval. Other than liaising with the cabinet, below are more examples of administrative and creative responsibilities for this large-scale production:
-
Contracting a 7-piece brass band for student processional, and cultural celebration
-
Contracting performers for the Alma Mater & National Anthem
-
Contracting a ‘house’ band for the Recessional
-
Collaborating on an arrangement of a song with a “BMCC 60th anniversary” chant
-
Contracting 52 dancers (curating a list, negotiating pay, scope of work, etc.)
-
Drafting an MOU (memorandum of understanding) for Michael Reyes which dancers & musicians signed
-
Visiting Barclays two separate times with the graduation team, to inspect the space and make requests to accommodate the large celebration
-
Leading rehearsals prior to the graduation
-
Organizing the transport of instruments with Buildings & Grounds from Fiterman Hall to Barclays
-
Preparing and presenting for approval (on two separate occasions) a budget of $40,000 to BMCC’s Presidential Cabinet
Clips of the cultural celebration, processional, recessional, alma mater and national anthem can be viewed below by clicking on the highlighted text:
2019 Video Clips (The first year I took over), available below:
Recessional (Quintet with Voice):
National Anthem (Solo Saxophone):
2) 2021 Virtual Graduation
As part of the Virtual Commencement event 2021, music accompanied the names of graduating students for approximately 13 minutes. I met regularly with the Administration (led by V.P. Craig) to come up with a plan, and then arranged, mixed, mastered, performed the guitar parts, and directed the drum, bass, keyboard and saxophone parts for the virtual recording of the following songs. The graduation can be viewed here. The music can be heard from approximately 36mins 36seconds until 49mins 37seconds. Alternatively, you can click the links to the individual tracks that are hyperlinked below:
1) Music APR
I led the music programs inaugural Academic Program Review, from start to finish. This was a huge undertaking, and a large service to the college & department. It included the following:
-
Leading an internal APR team and assigning tasks
-
Authoring Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 & 10
-
Overseeing and editing APR faculty Chapters 5, 7 & 8
-
Leasing with IEA representatives for data, survey and focus group
-
Find reviewers for Fall 2023 campus visit
-
Submit names and bios of external reviewers to Provost for approval
-
Lead the external reviewer visit our campus, including designing this handbook for their visit
-
In Spring 2024 external reviewers submitted their reports (Report #1, Report #2), which were accepted by IEA & the Provost, and I and the department chair scheduled a final meeting with Gail Fernandez & Vicki Cedeno to discuss the APR (findings, recommendations, etc) and conform plans for the next APR cycle
2) Art APR
I have served as co-chair of the assessment committee in the Music & Art Department throughout the entire preparation and successful completion of a 196 page APR document for the Art Major. The document is 10 chapters long, and can be downloaded below by clicking the PDF icon below. While I only co-authored one chapter (the final chapter), I have served as an editor, met with other chapter authors, facilitated and attended meetings with Erika Carlson, followed up with tardy faculty contributors, helped build assessments and/or analyzed data for almost all of the other chapters. Click the PDF icon below to view the APR.
