Music Educator

Brian Paulding is on music faculty at Boston Arts Academy teaching Winds and Brass Technique, Big Band, Brass Band, Music Theory, and more. He also is the Brass Instructor and Director of the Youth Latin Ensemble at Zumix, an award winning youth development organization in East Boston, MA. He believes strongly in the agency and competency of young people, and develops lessons for youth of diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds centered around student-selected repertoire. Noticing a lack multi-instrumental modern band skills and repertoire in youth music education, Brian shares an authentic voice of a touring, contemporary artist. He brings the passion, lessons, and life skills from the stage and the tour van into the classroom, providing a framework for youth interested in pop, rock, latin, and other contemporary musical genres.

At Boston Arts Academy, Brian teaches a broad spectrum of musical genres and instruments. He directs the BAA Big Band where he selects and arranges diverse repertoire from jazz to funk to bhangra to West African hi life. In 2023, he established the BAA Brass Band, performing the music of New Orleans Brass Bands. He also plays an instrumental role in the school’s musical productions, serving as musical arranger and band director in “Simply The Best: A Tina Turner Tribute.”

Brian also directs ¿Porque Puma?, Zumix’s Youth Latin Ensemble. As director, he fosters musical exploration and improvisation, musicianship, and friendship. With members from 14-18 years old, the ensemble has developed a large repertoire of Latin arrangements and original songs ranging from Cumbia to Latin Rock to Bossa Nova. ¿Porque Puma? performs regularly, and in 2024 performed and facilitated a master class at the Panama Jazz Festival. They have shared stages with Eguie Castrillo, Debo Band, and Dr. Loco, and in the summer of 2019 were invited by Cindy Blackman Santana’s Milagro Foundation to attend a Santana concert with soundcheck and backstage access plus an artist meet and greet.

Brian holds an MA in Music Education from Longy School of Music, and a BA in Entrepreneurial Music Business/Management from Berklee College of Music with a minor in Africana Studies. In 2018, Brian was awarded a fellowship with Massachusetts Cultural Councils second cohort of META (Music Educators and Teaching Artist) fellows.