Mike Curb Foundation donates to UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, providing modern student recording facility and additional resources.
The Mike Curb Foundation, a renowned philanthropic organisation, has made a significant impact on the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, providing over $200 million in grants and gifts since its inception. One of the most notable partnerships is the collaboration with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, a leading institution for music education and research.
Founded in 2008 and formally established as UCLA's 12th professional school in 2016, the Herb Alpert School of Music has benefited from the Curb Foundation's philanthropy. This partnership has enabled the school to expand its educational offerings, support student musicians, and enhance community outreach initiatives.
The impact of this partnership is far-reaching. It has increased access to music education for talented students through scholarships, supported innovative music programs and research, promoted music as an academic discipline and cultural force, and enabled the school to attract distinguished faculty and guest artists.
In a significant move, Mike Curb, a music industry veteran and California's former lieutenant governor, pledged to fund the construction of a new student recording facility at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in 2025. This facility, named the Mike Curb Student Recording Facility, will provide music industry students with professional-level facilities for apprenticeship and offer music students their own creative space to experiment and explore their musical ideas.
The new facility will be constructed in the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center, and the funds will allow for a complete renovation of that space, leading to the creation of the Mike Curb Student Recording Facility, as well as two new mixing/editing rooms and faculty studios.
The music industry program, taught by an interdisciplinary faculty of academic researchers and working professionals, supports course development, internships, and professional opportunities with industry professionals. The program, launched in 2023, has been instrumental in the school's continued success.
Eileen Stempel, the inaugural dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, stated that the professional-level facilities provided by Mike Curb will foster the development of students, particularly for the music industry program.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is renowned for its academic excellence. Graduates and faculty members are recipients of prestigious awards such as MacArthur fellowships, Grammy Awards, and Emmy Awards. The school has also been named a top music business school by Billboard Magazine since becoming a stand-alone school in 2016.
The school boasts over 40 ensembles performing music from around the world and offers an interdisciplinary education that prizes music performance and scholarship. It has added interdisciplinary programs in global jazz studies, music industry, and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance.
The school emphasises active engagement in the greater Los Angeles community, reflecting the Curb Foundation's commitment to fostering education, scholarship, and the preservation of music heritage. This collaboration underscores the importance of private philanthropy in sustaining and growing arts education institutions.
- The Mike Curb Student Recording Facility, a new addition to the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, will not only provide music industry students with professional-level facilities for apprenticeship but also offer music students their own creative space for experimentation and exploration of their musical ideas.
- In addition to expanding educational offerings and supporting student musicians, the partnership between the Mike Curb Foundation and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music has also promoted music as an academic discipline and cultural force, attracting distinguished faculty and guest artists while fostering its development among students.
