Teaching Artist Forum

Founded by a generous grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI) was launched in 2020 and is guided by the belief that transformational music education starts with transformational training for teachers. In just three years, TATI has engaged more than 230 Teaching Artists across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Providing more than 5,000 hours annually of professional development, TATI equips Teaching Artists with the tools and skills necessary to strengthen their teaching practice and be better prepared to support the more than 20,000 underrepresented students and communities they work with across the country. TATI is powered by Miami Music Project, which provides legal and fiduciary oversight, financial management, and administrative support. For more information, visit www.tatraininginstitute.org.

Anna Barson is based in Durham, NC and is a passionate educator, musician, and arts advocate. As the Managing Director of the Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI), Anna is excited to develop a sustainable community of belonging that provides applicable and tangible tools and resources for music educators across the US. Anna looks forward to deepening her impact as a nonprofit leader through community-building, training teaching artists to develop culturally responsive classrooms, and engaging nonprofit leaders and educators in conversations around access, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the music classroom.

Prior to working with TATI, Anna taught orchestra at the elementary and middle school levels before transitioning to administrative positions at Kidznotes, an El Sistema-inspired music education nonprofit, and SKJAJA Fund, a community-based scholarship program. Anna holds a dual Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance and Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts degree in Arts Management and Cultural Leadership from Colorado State University.

Outside of work, Anna can be found performing with local orchestras, testing out new recipes in the kitchen, or camping in the mountains with her dog, Milo.