ChriStopher
Schroeder.
BUILDING DYNAMIC & CREATIVE ECOSYSTEMS
S
Boston-based musician, educator, and arts advocate, Christopher Schroeder is a catalyst for social change through music and arts education. With over a decade of arts leadership and teaching experience, he has successfully established programs and influenced music ecosystems within the Boston community and throughout the United States. Most recently, he was recognized as a finalist for the 2022 Excellence Award in Leadership award for the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network, Boston Future Leader by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and a quarter-finalist for the 2019 Grammy Music Educator Award.
Schroeder currently serves as the Executive Director of the Boston Music Project, Adjunct Faculty at Emerson College, Visiting Faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College, and is a guest conductor and clinician with Conn Selmer, Inc. Under his leadership, Schroeder led the Boston Music Project through transformative growth amidst a global pandemic, penning its first three-year strategic plan, leading an organizational rebrand, expanding the scale of the program from 1 site serving 150 youth with 17 staff, to 14 sites serving 1,000 youth with 52 staff, and establishing fiscal health - quadrupling its operating budget from a -$53K deficit to +$1.3 million in three years.
As an experienced conductor and trumpeter, Schroeder connects and inspires musicians of all ages to achieve their highest level of musicianship, while instilling character traits that transcend rehearsal and performance spaces. As a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant, he works together with arts leaders and educators on organizational strategy, program development/ implementation, interdisciplinary curriculum design, and community engagement.
Prior to this work, he was an Arts Coordinator with Boston Public Schools, the Director of Community Engagement & Resident Artist for Conservatory Lab Charter School since the inception of its El Sistema music program in 2010; Music Director of the Cape Youth Orchestra with the Cape Symphony & Conservatory; Program Manager and Faculty for Longy School of Music of Bard College’s El Sistema Side-by-Side Program; and National Teaching Faculty with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s YOLA National Youth Orchestra.
Jan 16, 2020
Boston Conservatory at Berklee – Boston, Massachusetts
"Career Pathways in the Music Industry"
Feb 28, 2020
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference – Pittsburg, PA
"Enhancing Student Creativity with Music Technology"
April 1, 2020
Massachusetts Cultural Council "Culture Chat" - Boston, MA (virtual)
"Embracing Distance Learning with Youth Musicians"
Oct 20, 2020
National Association for Music Educators - Washington, D.C. (virtual)
"Creative Student Engagement in the Virtual Music Classroom "
Dec 3, 2020
Global Leaders Program - Washington, D.C. (virtual)
"A New Way Forward: Student-Voice at the Center of the e-Classroom"
Feb 11, 2021
Department of Elementary & Secondary Education - Boston, MA (virtual)
"Blending Technology and Creative Expression in your Virtual Classroom"
Feb 27, 2021
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra - Boston, MA (virtual)
"Strategies for In-person/Remote Teaching"
Mar 30, 2021
University of The Arts - Philadelphia, PA (virtual)
"Surviving to Thriving: Reflections on 2020"
Apr 1, 2021
University of Massachusetts - Boston, MA. (virtual)
"Strategies for In-person/Remote Music Teaching"
Apr 10, 2021
New England Conservatory - Boston, MA. (virtual)
"Creative Student Engagement in the Virtual Music Classroom"
Apr 22, 2021
National Association for Music Educators - Washington D.C. (virtual)
A New Way Forward: Student-Voice at the Center of the e-Classroom
May 6, 2021
Department of Elementary & Secondary Education - Boston, MA (virtual)
"Interdisciplinary Curriculum Design: Get Your Blues On"
June 16, 2021
Conn Selmer Institute - Elkhart, IN. (virtual) Click to Register
"Embedding Music-making in Academic Learning"
June 24, 2021
International Summit on Student Voice
Keynote Address: "Amplifying Student-voice through Creative Composition"
July 13, 2021
The International Music Education Summit (virtual) Click to Register
"Blending Music Technology and Creative Expression in your Classroom"
July, 2021
National Association for Music Educators - Washington D.C.
Published:"Identify, Belonging, and Agency : Social Emotional Learning in Music"
Aug 30, 2022
Williamsville District Music - Williamsville, NY
"Demystifying the Creative Process with Student-Driven Composition"
02 PORTFOLIO
LATEST STUDENT PROJECTS.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
03 Experience
2020-PRESENT
EMERSON COLLEGE
AFFILIATE FACULTY
Lecturing on the "Introduction to
The Creative Economy," part of Emerson's Business of Creative Enterprises program.
2021-PRESENT
LONGY SCHOOL OF MUSIC
OF BARD COLLEGE
VISITING FACULTY
Teaching pre-service music educators best practices for teaching brass players in K-12. Facilitating teacher evaluations of practicum for graduation and initial teacher certification.
2018-2020
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ARTS COORDINATOR
Supported administrative and arts team at the Quincy Elementary school; organized annual performances involving over 800 youth and 100 teachers; produced three-day BPS City-Wide Arts festivals featuring over 900 youth and MLK Celebration featuring over 600 youth; coordinated BPS Summer Arts Intensive 2019, and led first-ever, City-Wide Summer Band and
co-led City-Wide Marching Band.
2018-PRESENT
BOSTON MUSIC PROJECT
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Boston Music Project is a creative youth development program committed to ensuring the long-term social-emotional and musical success of Boston youth. Under his leadership, Schroeder led the organization through transformative growth amidst a global pandemic, penning its first three-year strategic plan, leading an organizational rebrand, expanding the scale of the program from 1 site serving 150 youth, to 15 sites serving 1,300 youth, and establishing fiscal health - quadrupling its operating budget from a -$53K deficit to $1.4 million in three years.
2014-PRESENT
CONN SELMER, INC
EDUCATION CLINICIAN
Part of a team of nationally recognized music educators dedicated to sharing best practices and teaching strategies for music educators across the United States.
2017-2020
GLOBAL LEADERS PROGRAM
MODULE DIRECTOR
Designed and facilitated "Learning Systems" module for cohort of 70 rising change-makers in music on music education learning systems from around the world, affecting people from early childhood and throughout their lifespan.
2014-2019
CAPE (COD) SYMPHONY
MUSIC DIRECTOR, CAPE YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Serve as conductor for the Cape Youth Orchestra, responsible for all musical instruction, direction, leadership, community engagement and recruitment (9th-12th grade); formulate and pursue an active strategy for recruiting new students for all levels of the Youth Orchestra Program; represent organization at media events, fund-raising promotions, and operational meetings.
2010-2018
CONSERVATORY LAB CHARTER SCHOOL
2014-2017
LONGY SCHOOL OF MUSIC OF BARD COLLEGE
PROGRAM MANAGER & FACULTY
Managed state-wide youth orchestra program serving students participating in El Sistema-inspired music programs throughout Massachusetts (Began Sept 2015). Tripled enrollment and led an expansion of programming to include a symphony orchestra, intermediate wind and string ensembles and choir
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Direct advanced orchestra, advanced wind ensemble, and beginner wind ensemble; Oversee direction of the advanced strings, winds, brass and percussion programs, and define curriculum and artistic vision with senior staff; Build and strengthen relationships with community partners and music and arts organizations; Develop specific projects/performances for students with local organizations that connect to students classroom learning and music studies.
Additional roles at CLCS included:
Director of Brass and Wind and
Development & Marketing Associate
2015-2017
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
NATIONAL TEACHING FACULTY
Collaborated with team of 12 internationally recognized Teaching Artists to establish selection process and programming for inaugural YOLA NATIONAL Youth Orchestra. Served as hi-brass faculty for inaugural festivals in 2016 at Aspen Music Festival and Bard College. Coordinated and facilitated pre-festival rehearsal sessions in Boston, NYC, and Miami.
CONTACT
Send me a note! I would love
to hear from you and connect.
chris@christopher-schroeder.com
Tel: 407.718.1147