Alum Matt Hansen and his parents, Erin and Brian Hansen, have just created the Hansen Family Endowment for scholarships to support students studying ethnomusicology or the global music industry at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

We sat down with Matt Hansen to talk about his music, his education and why he`s taking the time so early in his career to start giving back. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW, link in bio. UCLAalpert ...

Peanut Butter Wolf—DJ, producer and Founder of Stone’s Throw Records—kicked off THE BERRY GORDY SPEAKER SERIES in Lani Hall this Fall. He sat down with Dr. Tiffany Naiman to discuss the longevity of Stones Throw in the context of taste, finding your own point of view, and the desire to follow creative instincts rather than trends. The conversation opened up to students, who had the opportunity to join in.

THE BERRY GORDY SPEAKER SERIES is hosted by the Berry Gordy Music Industry Center at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The series brings the people shaping the industry—from creatives to executives—directly to UCLA students. Conversations highlight the human side of the industry, from personal growth and wellness to social impact and responsible leadership. ...

Getting ready for Coltrane 100 at UCLA. SCENES from rehearsal. Remember, symposium and music Friday, starting at 2 pm in Lani Hall. The concert: Saturday, 8 pm, Schoenberg Hall. ...

Madame Gandhi is the first recipient of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s Dean’s Medal of Distinction. A musician, activist and feminist thinker, she has recorded five studio albums and holds degrees from Stanford, Harvard and Georgetown. Her career has been defined by curiosity, creativity and a commitment to making the world more connected and compassionate. Her music has reached Spotify’s Viral Top 50 and has been featured by Netflix, FIFA and others.

Madame Gandhi was the first commencement speaker of Dean Michael Beckerman’s tenure, and she recently sat down with him to record an episode of his upcoming podcast, UCLA Music Now. Stay tuned for that conversation.
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Michael Beckerman established the Dean`s Medal of Distinction in 2026 to celebrate faculty and guests who have achieved distinction in their fields. The award is commemorated by a special medal and honors individuals whose talents, dedication, leadership and curiosity and creative achievements have made a lasting impact on our community. ...

The best part of the fortepiano recital? The Beethoven. And then the after party. ...

FALL WELCOME! Great to see our students back and together for a meet-and-greet, academic program breakouts, lunch in Dickson Court and a town hall to kick things off. Basically, a full day of talking about music and thinking about music. Eventually, we will make some music.

Here’s to a great 2026–27, filled with music, creativity, critical scholarship and hopefully a reasonable amount of sleep. Go Bruins! ...

SUMMER DISPATCH | Yixuan Jiang (Ethnomusicology PhD `30) writes: This summer in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I had the joy of participating in the 2026 ICTMD Study Group Joint Symposium with the Reviving the Sound of Silk project from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Over the past three years, our project has explored Jiangnan sizhu through both research and historically informed performance (HIP) practice, including the restoration and revival of historical silk-and-bamboo instruments. At the symposium, members of the Yueyue Ensemble and I performed da-dui-zi, an improvised form of Jiangnan sizhu in which two instruments respond to one another through variations on a shared melody. We were also grateful to welcome Asst. Prof. Dr. Nachaya Natchanawakul, Chair of the Thai and Oriental Music Department at the College of Music, Mahidol University, and Assoc. Prof. Tharanat Hin-on from Khon Kaen University, who kindly visited us during our rehearsal. It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and share our work with colleagues and musicians in Thailand. And special thanks to Tingting Tang for capturing these beautiful moments for us! 🧡 ...

SUMMER DISPATCH | Paloma Majumder (Ethnomusicology PhD ‘30) writes: I spent the summer between Kolkata and Shantiniketan, meeting scholars, performers, friends, watching performances, and sharing conversations that extended beyond the page. It was a summer of listening, learning, reading, and unexpected encounters. All of it held together by the joy of returning to familiar places and finding new ways of seeing them. ...