Trumpeter Herb Alpert, known for his unique brand of Latin-tinged jazz pop, and for being a co-founder of A&M Records, a label that released key albums by artists from Cat Stevens to Janet Jackson, is now making his mark on education. The musician’s namesake foundation, co-founded with his wife, singer Lani Hall, is making a $10.1-million donation to Los Angeles City College that will provide all music majors at the school with a tuition-free education.
“LACC is a gem of an institution,” Alpert said regarding the donation. “The biggest motivation was helping kids who don’t have the financial energy to go to a major college. At LACC, they’ve nurtured thousands of dedicated students every year. My brother went there. My ex-partner [record producer] Lou Adler went there. I’ve visited the school. It’s alive. It’s kickin’.”
Robert Schwartz, the director of the LACC Foundation, said the gift to the public, two-year college, will be transformative.
“It’s the largest gift to an individual community college in the history of Southern California,” he said. “And it’s the second-largest gift in the history of the state.”
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