National Advisory Board
David Arch
former CEO of Blistex, Trustee of Invesco Quality Musicipal Income Trust, jazz bass player, and philanthropist​​.
Orbert Davis
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic,
Artistic Director, CEO, DMDL, Inc; Emmy awarding winning composer, trumpet player, and educator
Ron Harrigan
Award-winning music educator, Director of Bands at Southland College Preparatory High School, and VanderCook alumnus
Joseph Jefferson
Director of Jazz Ensembles at St. Olaf College and 2022 Ellis
Marsalis Collegiate Jazz
Educator of the Year
Bernard Loyd
President and Project Leader of Urban Juncture and former partner at McKinsey and Company consulting
Shameka Nash
Director of Bands and Fine Arts Chair, Morgan Park High School, and Orchestra Director, Sistema Ravina
Rex Richardson
Yamaha Performing Artist, acclaimed soloist and educator, and Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University
Byron Stripling
Yamaha Performing Artist, Count Basie Orchestra member and Principal Pops Conductor of the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra
Zara Zaharieva
Jazz violinist and clinician who has performed with Dionne Warwick, Jennifer Hudson, Arturo Sandoval, and countless others
Changing lives one note at a time.
One City, a community initiative of VanderCook College of Music, provides free, high-quality music education and instruments to elementary and middle school students across the Near South side and surrounding communities of Chicago. Your donations support our lifelong commitment to enriching lives through music education.