Scholarship

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies. University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA.

Certificate for Leaders in Education, Perrone Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership, Boston, MA.

Master of Arts in Education, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY.

Bachelor of Science, Music Performance and Music Education, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY.

PUBLICATIONS

Gellerstein, B.A. (2023). Altogether Different: Student belonging and culturally generative music making. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 72(2), 15–16.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2023). Reimagining jazz and contemporary music education. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 71(3), 75–76.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2022). Remembering Jarritt Sheel. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 71(2), 42–43.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2021). Scratching the surface: Confronting white supremacy in our music classrooms. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 70(2), 28–30.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2021). We cannot go back to normal. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 70(1), 13–15.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2021). Daring to see: White supremacy and gatekeeping in music education. Doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts Boston, 2021.

Gellerstein, B.A. (2014). Community engagement saves the arts. Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, 63(2), 44–45.

COURSES TAUGHT

Urban Issues and the Changing Faces of Music Education, ME-530 Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, Summer 2023

White Supremacy in Music Education: Peeling Back the Layers, ME-540, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, Spring 2023

Directed Study in Music Education, ME-498, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, Spring 2023

Master's Thesis in Music Education, ME-696, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, Fall 2022 & Spring 2023

Urban Issues and the Changing Faces of Music Education, ME-530 Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, Summer 2022

Research Methods in Educational Leadership I, EDLDRS-740, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA, Spring 2022

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Full disclosure: Exposing and confronting white supremacy in music education. (2025). National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference, Hartford, CT, USA. (forthcoming)

Altogether different: Student belonging and culturally generative music making. (2024). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Worcester, MA, USA.

Cracking the "urban code": Music teaching and coded language. (2024). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Worcester, MA, USA.

Panelist, Culturally responsive teaching in the music classroom (2023). Berklee Music Education Symposium, Boston, MA, USA.

Lifting the veil: Confronting white supremacy in music education (2023). National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference, Rochester, NY, USA.

Panelist, Exploring sense of belonging: Defining and taking action (2023). Exploring the intersection of DEI and sense of Belonging, Sturbridge, MA, USA.

Culturally generative community building: Music making with and for communities (2023). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Focal points: Decentering whiteness in music classrooms (2023). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Deciphering the “urban” code: Pre-service music teachers and the city (2022). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Disengaging teachings: Facing down white supremacy in music education (2022). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Making meaning: Responding to culture through music education (2022). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Defying white supremacy: Responsible engagement in music classrooms (2022). Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference, Boston, MA, USA.

Daring to see: White supremacy and gatekeeping in music education (2021). MayDay Colloquium 32, Eugene, OR, USA.

Cutting the strings: On the need for confronting white supremacy in music education (2020). [Conference postponed]. MayDay Colloquium 32, Eugene, OR, USA.

Let’s rock their world: On the need for culturally relevant music education in our public schools (2011). Innovate! National Title I Conference. Tampa, FL, USA.

The need for culturally relevant music education (2010). Summer National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). Nashville, TN, USA.

INVITED TALKS

Pulling the threads: Unweaving the tapestry of white supremacy and music education. (2023) Kodaly Music Institute, Massachusetts, USA.

Panelist, Career readiness for the emerging music educator (2023). The University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

Challenging the regeneration of whiteness in music education (2023). University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.

Troublemaking and obedience: Engaging friction in music classrooms (2022). University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.

Best intentions and harmful impacts: Advocacy and white supremacy in music education. (2022) NAfME Collegiate Chapter, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA.

From data to narrative: Structuring research narratives (2022). University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.

Panelist, The changing landscape of music education (2021). University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.

Peeling back the layers: Challenging white supremacy in music education (2021). Lawrence Public Schools, Lawrence, MA, USA.

Eyes wide shut: White supremacy and gatekeeping in music education (2020). University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.

Daring to see: Music education and the regeneration of whiteness (2020). Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA.

The hidden ideologies of music education (2020). University of Toronto, ON, Canada.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Harmonic bliss: Alignment and culturally responsive teaching in the arts (2023). Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA, USA

Program alignment: Vertical, horizontal, philosophical (2023). Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA, USA

Good heavens: Religion, holidays, and public-school arts education (2022). Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA, USA.

Dys-chords and harm-onies: Conflicts and contradictions in music education (2021). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Retooling for our students: Re-imagining assessment through a culturally responsive lens (2020). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Retooling for our students: Reprogramming our understanding of school performances and repertoire (2020). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Retooling for our students: Reintroducing ourselves to our students and students to ourselves (2019). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Classroom culture and the specialist (four-part series) (2019–2020). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Retooling for our students: Resisting dominant paradigms in music education (2019). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Classroom culture: An introduction (2019). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Classroom management and the specialist (four-part series) (2018). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Classroom culture, student engagement, and classroom management in the arts (four-part series) (2017–2018). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Classroom culture, student engagement, and classroom management in the arts (five-part series) (2016–2017). Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA, USA.