Image by Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo
Karen Bell
Originally from South Carolina, Karen Bell is the associate dean of the Professional Performance Division and chair of performance studies at Berklee College of Music. Previously, she served as director of Alumni Affairs for 13 years, during which she coproduced Berklee's first alumni reunion and concert. She also co-led efforts that resulted in the establishment of the Bill Pierce MLK Scholarship Fund, the Jeffrey E. Ramsay Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund, and the Alumni Achievement Awards.
“The Professional Performance Division provides necessary curriculum to all students at Berklee, regardless of their artistic discipline, major, or instrument,” Bell says. "All Berklee students are performers, whether on stage, in the studio, or within the business aspects of the industry. The Performance Division prepares them to engage with audiences, whether it’s an intimate setting or a crowd of 20,000 and beyond."
In addition to her significant contributions to higher education, Bell brings 30 years of experience in the music industry, where she takes great pride in her ongoing collaborations with the artists who form the backbone of the performing arts. These collaborations include work with musical directors, rhythm section players, backing vocalists, dancers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and more—the creative pillars upon which industry stars build and sustain their success.
Beyond her on-campus responsibilities, Bell actively maintains a performing career and is a seasoned vocal coach and bandleader of the Karen Bell Band. This versatile group ranges from a duo to a 10-piece ensemble, including three singers and a three-piece horn section. Bell is also an entrepreneur, having founded Let Me Be Free to Love, a community-based program that celebrates the voices of Black women over 40. This initiative fosters community, social change, and advancement through the performing arts and other collaborative endeavors.