UCLA Depar tment of Ethnomusicology–Professor Kenny Burrell, Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA, seated at the piano with students from his Ellingtonia class. Photo by Patricia Williams
“Over the next two years,” says Waterman, “our intention is to offer courses that integrate the study of world and Western classical music, popular music, jazz and other genres, and to facilitate students who want to craft an interdisciplinary specialization rather than a traditional one.
“As for the longer term, I think we would defeat the purpose of the school if we tried to decide today what it was going to look like five or 10 years down the line. But I can say that the curriculum and the staff will be world class, and the School will be a vital public forum for exploring the full range of human musical expression and for understanding the role that music will play in our future.”
It must be noted that it was the Herb Alpert Foundation that first reached out to UCLA upon hearing of its desire to update its musical programs. It’s also noteworthy that the school’s mission jibes with the borderless, genre-bridging aspect that defines Alpert’s long-running career as a performer and record company chief.
Think of Alpert’s success leading the Tijuana Brass during the ‘60s, reworking mariachi and other Latin sounds into an impressive run of popular recordings (which won eight Grammy Awards and sold a staggering 72 million albums worldwide.) Or his numerous triumphs at the label he founded – A&M Records – working with legends of pop, Brazilian, rock, jazz, R&B, disco and a myriad of other styles.
Out of his phenomenal success grew the Herb Alpert Foundation, a charitable organization he closely over-
“A lot of the giving has been done anonymously,” Sebastian adds. “We don't accept unsolicited proposals, and we don't advertise what's being done. Over the past few years, the Foundation has wanted to strengthen its focus on music.
As Dean Waterman points out, “Our relationship with Herb actually precedes the Foundation, going back to 1969, when he made his very first gift to UCLA. He and Lani have also given generously to our Music Partnership Program, which provides musical education for local schools and nonprofits.”
Waterman – a bassist by training and trade – points to another, personal, connection to Alpert. “My first paid gig was in 1967, when I was 13 years old,” recalls Waterman, admitting that it was a humble beginning. “The venue was a junior high school cafeteria in Florida, and the band was a Tijuana Brass ‘cover’ band. We played enthusiastic, if less than virtuoso, renditions of Alpert’s hit recordings.”
Music – as Waterman’s story helps to show – has a large circle of influence and community, able to unite and transform people. But that circle must begin somewhere, and education remains the most valuable and effective source point.
It’s a point that Alpert knows of intimately. His own career began with trumpet lessons in grade school, and led to higher levels of learning and, ultimately, success. It was only a matter of time – and good timing – before his Foundation found an institution that understood this process and was deserving of the grand gesture that now establishes The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
“In our discussions with UCLA,” Sebastian recalls, “it became clear that we shared a similar vision of what music education could, and should, be: to fully prepare students for personal and professional success. It was the right moment on both sides.”
Ashley Kahn is the author of “A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album” and other books on music; he is often heard on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.”