Partnership with Harmony Project

This summer, we will begin a partnership with the Harmony Project. Help Sam First fund private lessons for students who would not otherwise have access to one-on-one training. Students will gain greater competency in a personalized educational setting, with the intention of forming a Harmony Project/Sam First jazz ensemble by the start of the 2026/2027 school year.

University Nights

Each month, Sam First features two local university ensembles for our monthly student performance series. Your valuable funding allows these emerging music professionals to gain crucial experience as they perform for a live audience where they are able to connect with other young musicians, attract new fans, and receive video recordings that can be used for future auditions and promotional opportunities. This series is in addition to Sam First’s long-standing partnership with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA.

Musician-Led Teaching Programs

Support teaching programs for musicians in the Sam First family as Sam First provides a venue for inspiring performance, master classes, ensemble practices, and recordings.

PERFORMERS FOR THIS EVENT

Devin Daniels Quartet: Devin Daniels (alto saxophone), Julien Knowles (trumpet), Emiliano Lasansky (bass), Tim Rachbach (drums)

LAUSD Student Ensemble led by Kevin Torres: Kevin Torres (alto saxophone), Justin Stewart (tenor saxophone), Hayden Baquiran (guitar), Logan Wick (bass), Jameson Dunagan (drums)

ABOUT sister dreamer

Melding architecture and sculpture, sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles is a sculpture park and monument to South Central Los Angeles, the neighborhood artist Lauren Halsey and her family have lived in for generations. Located on the corner of Western Avenue and 76th Street in South Central LA, the work invites residents and community members to envision what creative innovation can look like outside of traditional venues for contemporary art. Click here to learn more about Lauren Halsey and sister dreamer.