“Look to the Artists.” Checking In with Music Legend and Longtime Arts Philanthropist Herb Alpert
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Herb Alpert and Lani Hall. Photo: Phil Stafford/shutterstock
In April 2019, I spoke with the legendary musician, record executive and philanthropist Herb Alpert, who was preparing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Herb Alpert Awards in the Arts, which he created with his wife Lani Hall, and in conjunction with the California Institute of the Arts.
It was a characteristically freewheeling chat with Alpert, whose extensive philanthropy mirrors his improvisational approach to music and art. “It’s all about the feel,” he said, “the magic thing you can’t put your finger on.”
Almost three years to the day later, I caught up with the 87-year-old Alpert in Los Angeles and wasn’t all that surprised to find him as busy as ever. His foundation had just committed $5 million to the UCLA music school that bears his name, and the Herb Alpert Awards were poised to announce this year’s recipients after doubling the number of awardees from five to 10. (The winners, which were named on May 4, are included at the end of this piece.)
And just in case anyone thought Alpert was resting on his laurels, in June, he and Hall will embark on the first leg of a transcontinental tour to promote his latest album, “Catch the Wind,” and Hall’s album, “Seasons of Love.”
“Time is flying for me,” Alpert said. “The older you get, the faster it goes, and it’s just a little crazy now, especially with what’s happening in the world and with the virus.” Through all the craziness, Alpert remains fixated on his north star — groundbreaking and envelope-pushing artists. “Creativity is as important as literacy,” he told me. “This whole world of ours has been built by creative people, and that’s why I’m digging in and doing my part.”
Here are some excerpts from our chat, which have been edited for clarity.
At what point did you decide that you wanted to embark on philanthropy?
It was just something I did. I was blessed way beyond my dreams. I had this amazing opportunity when I was eight years old to pick up a trumpet and it changed my life. My father was also a big influence. He was very generous to others, so maybe it’s in my DNA. I never thought of, like, buying a Van Gogh or Monet and sticking it on my wall for my own gratification. I thought I could use that money wisely, and I wanted to help others the way I was helped.
Can you talk about how the foundation goes about its grantmaking?
We’re able to move quickly. We’ve been supporting 96 or 97 different organizations through the years, and when a group that we’re involved with needs a little extra help, we’re there for them. It’s not as if there’s a board of directors that votes and then four months later, they get a little stipend. We have a staff of four people and they’re very flexible. We do our due diligence and try to be selective and smart with the money that we have.
There’s a little bit more legwork when we do the Alpert awards. It’s run by Rona Sebastian, who’s the president of the Herb Alpert Foundation. She’s able to decode my notes and turn them into action.
Organizations get on our radar in a lot of different ways. For example, in 2010, I saw an article in the paper that said the Harlem School for the Arts was closing down, and it didn’t make any sense to me because Harlem has given so much to the world. We looked into it and decided we wanted to get involved. So little by little, we stuck our toes in, and one thing led to another, and now it’s flourishing.
For this year’s Herb Alpert Awards, you increased the number of awards from five to 10.
That’s right, we double your pleasure [laughs]. When the pandemic hit, we realized that the artists are the heartbeat of our country — our world, as a matter of fact. And we wanted to make sure that they’re supported and they can spread some joy. Human achievement came about through imagination, and that’s what the artists bring to us.
I gravitate towards the road less traveled — I like those artists that are just on the edge or doing something that’s a little bit off the beaten path. And this year’s artists are passionate about what they’re striving for. They’re not thinking about how much money they can make; they’re taking risks and thinking about how they can exercise their own creativity in the most passionate way.
When we last spoke, you mentioned how politicians don’t fully appreciate our artists. Have things improved at all on this front?
No. If anything, we’ve gone backward on that one.
Can you talk about how the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music gift came together?
Well, that gift is specifically going toward the practice rooms, which I saw a couple of years back, and they were in the catacombs. They were not a very creative space. It was like a dungeon down there, and I wanted to make sure that the artists and the students had a space where they can really feel secure to create whatever they choose to create. Refurbishing the school was the missing element to everything else we’ve done at UCLA.
You have a tour kicking off in June. You’ll be playing 52 cities throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Absolutely. We had to cancel a slew of concerts in the last couple of years. We’re booked through 2023. I’m looking forward to it, and we’re just hoping that we’re going to be safe. I know there are people out there who like to hear my music, so I’m excited to do that. I feel like I have a responsibility. I’ve sold so many records or CDs or albums — whatever you call them these days, zeros and ones and streams — and it’s nice to know I can make some people happy with a group of musicians that I feel comfortable with. And of course, my wife is a world-class vocalist. [Note: Alpert’s albums have sold over 72 million copies and 29 of his records have reached the Billboard 200.]
Any parting thoughts?
We need art more than ever now. It’s one of those times when art really speaks to us, whether it’s painting, sculpting, acting or poetry. I’ve said it before, but I really believe it — creativity is as important as literacy. So we need to look to the artists. They’re the truth seekers, and we need more truth seekers in this world.
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The 2022 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts winners are Yanira Castro and nia love (dance), Bani Khoshnoudi and Terence Nance (film/video), Tomeka Reid and Cory Smythe (music), Aleshea Harris and Virginia Grise (theatre), and Guadalupe Maravilla, Martine Syms (visual arts).
