Gabe Romero
Gabe Romero is a senior music education major at Temple University. Born and raised on Long Island, music has been his #1 passion since taking up the piano and the cello as a child. He decided to make that passion his career after his positive musical experiences in high school, which included performing as a soloist with his school orchestra at Carnegie Hall and participating in multiple choirs, jazz bands and church music groups. While studying at Temple, he has gotten many opportunities to hone his teaching skills, serving as an intern with Philadelphia String Project and Philly POPS, as well as teaching cello privately and working as a 1:1 aide for students with special needs during the summers.
Gabe is excited to be working with Fflat Books this semester via Music Service Learning, an internship allowing college students to explore music education experiences beyond their coursework and help schools and organizations in need. In particular, Gabe has used the internship as an opportunity to explore the incorporation of popular music and student-centered creativity into all levels of music education. During his time with MSL, he has helped design integrated-arts curricula for Columbia Public Schools and a virtual songwriting/production unit for Interboro High School’s choirs. In addition to his blogs, he is also helping to create educational supplements to the fantastic Switched on Pop podcast!
When not working, you might find Gabe hiking his favorite park trails, searching for more vinyls to add to his collection, or cooking anything involving pasta!
eBooks by Gabe Romero
Posts by Gabe Romero
Beyond the Gig Economy: A Multiple-Case Analysis of Creative Entrepreneurship
Authored by Giuliana Byrne, Gabriel Collante, Brandon Harrison, Omari James, Xiaoyu Sang, Elena Ta, Shiyi Zhu, Joel Almeida, & José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Abstract This multiple–case editorial examines how entrepreneurial intelligence shapes sustainable creative careers in [...]
Busy, Branded, and Broke: Why Creative Professionals Confuse Activity With Entrepreneurship
By José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Abstract This article examines the widespread tendency among musicians and creative professionals to confuse relentless activity with authentic entrepreneurial growth, revealing how multi-role hustling often masks structural instability, financial vulnerability, and [...]
The Entrepreneurial Professor in 2026 and Beyond
By Dr. José Valentino Ruiz Abstract This article argues that the future of arts and music entrepreneurship education depends on professors who embody the very principles they teach—modeling authentic, cross-sector entrepreneurial practice beyond the classroom. It [...]
Building Six- and Seven-Figure Music Enterprises: Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Systems for Sustainable Creative Prosperity
by José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D., Jesse Tillman Pitts, M.B.A., & José Leonardo Leon, D.M.A. Introduction The post-AI music economy has redefined what it means to be a professional artist. Musicians are no longer confined to the [...]
Understanding B2B and B2C in the Creative Industries
by José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. Why Categorizing Client Requests Is Essential for Clarity and Sustainability In creative entrepreneurship, few distinctions are more critical—yet more misunderstood—than the difference between B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) services. This is [...]
Stop Excusing. Start Executing: The Hard but Liberating Work of Building What You Say You Want
by José Valentino Ruiz, Ph.D. We live in an age where the word entrepreneur gets thrown around like confetti. Business cards, LinkedIn profiles, and Instagram bios say it easily. It’s glamorous to talk about “launching” and [...]