Griff Gall

Griff Gall

Artistic Director

artistic.director@backbayringers.org

Griff Gall is an elementary music and movement specialist in the town of Danvers, Mass. He earned a Bachelors of Music in music education from Westminster Choir College and completed his Level III Orff Schulwerk training through Boston University while attaining his Masters of Music in Education. He continues to study dance with the Boston Ballet School and Urbanity Dance.

Griff is the founding artistic director of the Back Bay Ringers, a community handbell ensemble in Boston, Mass.  He has presented workshops in handbell pedagogy, conducting, and Orff Schulwerk at local and national handbell and music education conferences, and is co-author of “Ring, Dance, Play, first experiences with Choirchimes and Orff Schulwerk” published by GIA.

Cade Murray

Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield

Executive Director

executive.director@backbayringers.org

Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield is the Executive Director of the Back Bay Ringers.  She has rung with the Back Bay Ringers since 2013 and over the years, has served as BBR’s Secretary, Operations Director, and Communications Director.  Stephanie was first introduced to handbell ringing in the 7th grade at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI, and has also been a member of the Old South Ringers at the Old South Church in Boston since 2007.  She has attended national handbell events including Distinctly Bronze East, and is a new member of the Zenith handbell ensemble.  She currently serves as the Dean of Education for the Handbell Musicians of America Area 1 Festival Conference, a 4-day handbell extravaganza held biennially here in New England.

By day, Stephanie is a Workforce Development Specialist with Mass General Brigham, overseeing professional development for hospital support staff, and is an active Big with Big Brother Big Sister of Eastern Massachusetts.  When not ringing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, hiking, baking, and talking about handbells.

Board of Directors

    • Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield, Executive Director
    • Griff Gall, Artistic Director, ex officio
    • Emlee C. Kohler, Secretary
    • Erica Shaw, Communications Director
    • Anna Poplawski, Treasurer
    • Susan Schultz, Operations Director
    • Greg Urban, Member-at-Large

Advisory Group

BBR’s advisory group is a collection of key partners in the Boston arts, commercial, and non-profit world who are assisting in our pursuit of handbell excellence through performance, artistry, and education. If you are interested in working with us, please contact our Executive Director at: executive.director@backbayringers.org. Current members of this group include:

    • Ami Bennitt, Principal, Motor Media, Marketing and Management
    • Vanessa Boulanger, Director of Research Programs at the National Organization for Rare Disorders
    • Terry Byrne, ‎Assistant Director, Development Communications – ‎Massachusetts General Hospital
    • Peter Coulombe, Esq. Co-Founder Back Bay Ringers; Regional Director, Boston Metro Office, Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Division
    • Abe Dewing, Senior Account Executive, New Venture Media Group LLC
    • Jen Falk, Director of Marketing & Communications, ArtsEmerson
    • Betsi Graves, Director, Urbanity Dance
    • Kurt Hanson, Senior Vice President, Citizens Commercial Banking
    • Julie Lima, Director of Individual and Family Philanthropy, Cradles to Crayons
    • David Shapiro, President & CEO, MENTOR
    • Erica Washburn, Director of Choral Activities, New England Conservatory