Krystal Prime Banfield Named VP for Education Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship

Berklee has named Krystal Prime Banfield vice president for Educational Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship (EOSE). In her new role, Banfield, who previously served as associate vice president for EOSE, will oversee Berklee City Music® and the Berklee PULSE® Music Method and lead workshops and trainings for students and teachers. 

Berklee City Music provides theory and musicianship classes, ensembles, one-on-one instruction and mentoring, and performance opportunities to thousands of youth across the U.S. and Canada. PULSE is an online music education portal that enables students to study, jam, and practice using interactive modules and an ever-expanding collection of popular music. 

“I am excited to lead EOSE in working with other areas of the college to increase funds for scholarships, and to broaden our programming to include contemporary dance and musical theater, creative entrepreneurship, production, and engineering," said Banfield. 

Since 2006, Banfield has held several positions at Berklee, including dean of Berklee City Music, where she launched a training program for teachers working with youth in Cape Town, South Africa; Bogotá, Colombia; Santiago, Chile; and Guadalajara, Mexico. In 2016, Banfield received the Amtrak Pioneer Award, created in celebration of Black History Month to honor African American leaders who have made impactful contributions to the city of Boston and the greater community. That same year, Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester presented her with the New England Women’s Leadership Award. 

Prior to coming to Berklee, ​Banfield served as director of education for VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum, where she initiated and produced educational and creative programs, such as BandQuest and the Composers Suitcase, representing people and communities across the country. She has also worked as a voice instructor at St. Paul Conservatory of Music and an adjunct voice professor at the University of St. Thomas, and has performed as a soloist and chorister at the American Embassy in Havana, Cuba, and in Bavaria, Germany. 

A Detroit native, Banfield holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Howard University, a Master of Music from Indiana University-Bloomington, and a Doctor of Education with concentrations in curriculum development, critical pedagogy, and educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas-Minneapolis.

Listen to Banfield discuss her work on Sounds of Berklee.