Jim Marcus: A UCLA Jazz Journey and Beyond
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA stands as a beacon of excellence, nurturing young jazz musicians and propelling them toward extraordinary careers. While the program consistently attracts exceptional talent, the story of individuals like Jim Marcus, though not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, exemplifies the kind of success that can emerge from a UCLA music education and a dedication to one's craft. This article will explore the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, the opportunities it provides, and the broader context of musical education at UCLA, while highlighting the potential trajectory of a musician like Jim Marcus.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA: A Crucible of Talent
Launched in 1995, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance accepts a select ensemble of musicians each year, offering them unparalleled opportunities to hone their skills. The program emphasizes the defining element of improvisation, providing students with the chance to study with master musicians, composers, and educators. The institute's commitment to fostering talent is underscored by full scholarships and stipends that cover monthly living expenses, allowing students to focus entirely on their artistic development.
The institute's prestige is further enhanced by its roster of Artists-in-Residence, which includes jazz legends such as Kenny Barron, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, Dave Holland, Branford Marsalis, Jason Moran, Lewis Nash, Danilo Pérez, Dianne Reeves, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, and Clark Terry. These luminaries provide personal mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition, guiding students in their artistic journey.
The program also encourages experimentation, urging students to expand jazz in new directions through their compositions and performances. This forward-thinking approach has led to performances at International Jazz Day events in various global cities, including Istanbul, Osaka, Paris, Havana, St. Petersburg, Sydney, Melbourne, Tangier, Abu Dhabi, and even the White House.
Bob Fink, Interim Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, aptly stated, "We are extremely proud of our continued partnership with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz." This collaboration underscores the school's commitment to providing a vibrant interdisciplinary education that prizes both music performance and scholarship.
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Spotlight on the Class of 2027
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA consistently attracts a diverse and talented group of musicians. The incoming Class of 2027 is no exception, featuring six extraordinary young jazz musicians from around the world. Akinmusire, who has served as the program’s Artistic Director since 2023, expressed his excitement about working with this new group of students and guiding them in their artistic journey. Herbie Hancock added that the program has set a very high standard, and he is always impressed to see how the quality of the students continues to reach and often exceed that standard.
The Class of 2027 includes:
- Nicolaus Gelin (trumpet): Born in Miami, Gelin began his musical journey with violin and piano at age 7 before discovering the trumpet at age 12. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Jon Faddis and Ingrid Jensen. Gelin is a YoungArts winner and was selected for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center. He also contributed the original score to a short film by Rosie Elliot, which received the Phil Knight Foundation award.
- Nathan Gilbreath (trombone): Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Gilbreath began his musical studies on piano at age 7 before picking up the trombone three years later. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Andre Hayward, Joshua Redman, and Marcus Printup. Gilbreath has performed with Matt Brewer, Tom Catanzaro, David Sanchez, and Matt Wilson. He was named Outstanding Soloist at the Bellevue College Jazz Festival and was selected to participate in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
- Mwanzi Harriott (guitar): Born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harriott started learning guitar at age 7 by observing his father. He attended Tri-Cities High School, studying classical string bass before focusing on jazz guitar. Harriott attended the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with Terri Lyne Carrington, Tim Miller, and Joanne Brackeen. He received a National YoungArts Honorable Mention Award for guitar during his first year. After Berklee, he moved to New York City, where he led his own band and played with artists such as Orrin Evans and Nasheet Waits.
- Yerin Kim (bass): Born in Daejeon, South Korea, Kim began her music studies on piano at age 5. She received her undergraduate degree in Bass Performance from Berklee College of Music, where she was awarded the Wes Wehmiller Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Berklee International Network Scholarship. Kim participated in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center, studying with Jason Moran and Benny Green. She has toured internationally with her group, performing in South Korea, Japan, and the United States.
- Elisee Ngbo (piano): Born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ngbo began his musical journey in church playing the drums at the age of 3. He earned a degree in Music Performance in Contemporary Percussion from Western Connecticut State University, studying with Doug Perry. He also competed in Drum Corps International as a snare drummer. While in college, Ngbo received mentorship from Jimmy Greene, Buster Williams, Dayna Stephens, Jean Baylor, and Jaleel Shaw.
- Rakotonanahary (piano): Rakotonanahary started playing classical percussion and drums in Toulouse before focusing on jazz at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. He won the Best Soloist award at the Trophées du Sunset Sunside. He was a member of the Gutenberg Jazz Collective, where he studied with Terri Lyne Carrington, David Virelles, Christian McBride, and Melissa Aldana. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues across France and won several competitions with his band, AMG.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music: A Hub for Musical Innovation
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music provides a comprehensive education for aspiring musicians, preparing them for twenty-first-century careers. The school's faculty includes renowned musical scholars, music industry experts, and world-class musicians, educators, and composers. This diverse expertise allows the school to offer a vibrant interdisciplinary education that emphasizes both music performance and scholarship.
Founded in 2008 with a naming gift from the Herb Alpert Foundation, the school was formally established as UCLA’s 12th professional school by the UC Regents in 2016. The school originally comprised the departments of ethnomusicology, music, and musicology, and has since added interdisciplinary programs in global jazz studies and music industry, in addition to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance.
The school's graduates and faculty members have received prestigious accolades, including MacArthur fellowships, Grammy Awards, and Emmy Awards. They are leaders as composers, musicians, educators, scholars, and innovators in the music industry.
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The Broader UCLA Community: A Legacy of Achievement
UCLA's commitment to excellence extends beyond the realm of music. The university boasts a distinguished alumni network across various fields, including law, business, education, and the arts.
For instance, in the legal field, Jason Linder (Pomona College Class of 1997) is a white-collar partner at Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, chairing its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Practice. Tamara Zakim is Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice. Bernice B. Yu (Pomona College Class of 2010) is an associate at Cleary Gottlieb, focusing on corporate and financial transactions. Brendan worked at an economic analysis consulting firm in the clean energy sector in San Francisco. Four years later, he decided to go to law school to continue his effort to make progressive policies a reality. At Harvard Law School, he interned with the Massachusetts Attorney General, the National Consumer Law Center, and for Senator Elizabeth Warren. After school, he joined the law firm Cohen Milstein, which specializes in advocating for individuals who have been victimized by corporate misconduct.
In the business world, Dan (Pomona College Class of 1997) is Chief Financial Officer of Crothall Laundry Services. Brian Adelstein is the Director of Transactions for a global C&W client. Damon Healey is the Founder and Managing Principal of Eternal Companies.
In education, Juan (Pomona College Class of 2003) taught middle school in the Compton Unified School District for 17 years before moving on to teach in Montebello Unified.
UCLA's alumni have also made significant contributions to the arts and entertainment industry. Lynda Obst (Pomona College Class of 1972) is a prolific female producer in the film industry.
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These examples demonstrate the breadth of UCLA's impact and the diverse paths its graduates pursue.
Harmon's Harmonious Path: From UCLA Quarterback to NCIS Star
While the focus remains on music, the success story of Mark Harmon, a UCLA alumnus, provides an interesting parallel. Harmon's journey from a UCLA quarterback to a successful actor and producer illustrates the diverse opportunities that a UCLA education can unlock.
Harmon attended The Harvard School (now known as Harvard-Westlake) in Los Angeles, playing football, baseball, and rugby. He later quarterbacked the team to a 7-2 record in 1971, earning All-America honors. His performance earned him multiple scholarship offers, and he helped orchestrate a UCLA turnaround, quarterbacking the Bruins to a combined 17-5 record in 1972 and 1973.
After UCLA, Harmon declined professional football offers to pursue acting. His hard work eventually paid off with roles on St. Elsewhere, Reasonable Doubts, and Chicago Hope. He also had memorable arcs on Moonlighting and The West Wing before landing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. In 2011, Harmon became an executive producer on NCIS, and in 2014 an idea he co-developed became the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans.
Harmon's success demonstrates the potential for UCLA graduates to excel in diverse fields.
Architecture and Design: Shaping the Built Environment
UCLA alumni have also made significant contributions to the fields of architecture and design, shaping the built environment in innovative and impactful ways.
Lina Chiu is a Principal with Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) and a design management consultant to the Obama Foundation. Jessi is a Principal and Practice Leader at Stantec Philadelphia. Whitney serves as Planning and Design Director for Compass Development Marketing Group. Chris Lanzisera is Senior Vice President of Suffolk Illuminate. Lauren is Vice President and Campus Planning Studio Leader with SmithGroup. Jessica (Betel) Loovis, AIA, is a Principal / Vice-President at ASD|SKY. Evan Mathison is Principal and Co-Founder of Mathison I Mathison Architects (MMA). Parini Mehta brings over 15 years of experience in architecture, design and medical planning to CO Architects. Ryan Mullenix is a design partner at NBBJ. Kristen Padavic, AIA, is the Director of Design at Cedar. Mike is co-director of CannonDesign’s health practice. Geoffrey Salvatore leads multidisciplinary teams in crafting next generation workplace environments at Gensler’s New York office. Kyle Schertzing is the Principal Architect for the San Diego Arcadis office. Katie provides innovative design solutions for public facilities as Principal and Cultural Practice Area leader. James was the principal and founder of Gridwerk Architecture. James Witherspoon is the Senior Vice President of Architecture and Design at Bedrock.
These individuals exemplify the diverse career paths available to UCLA graduates in architecture and design.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz: A Legacy of Excellence
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit education organization dedicated to offering promising young musicians college-level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters. The Institute also presents public school music education programs for young people around the world. Its mission is to preserve, perpetuate, and expand jazz as a global art form and to utilize jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. All of the Institute’s programs are provided free of charge to students, schools, and communities worldwide, underscoring its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
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