Meet The Team

Comprised of mostly BIPOC instructors and program staff, our team at Keys Beats Bars embodies a mentorship, teaching, and programmatic style that is flexible and people-focused to the youth we support and the community partners we engage with.

From the range of lived experiences amongst our team to the decades of combined professional experience in our instructors’ creative arts and our staffs’ admin, programming, and media work, we move collectively in our work of displaying cultural music as an alternative form to heal and strengthen people and communities.

  • Image of instructor, Aaron Nigel Smith.

    Aaron Nigel Smith

    Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of Program Coordinator, Adam Carpinelli.

    Adam Carpinelli

    Founder, Multi-Instrumentalist, Advocate, Scholar

    Read Bio

  • Akash Gaman

    Beatmaker, Dancer

    READ BIO
  • Image of of media staff, Alejandro IV Barragan

    Alejandro IV Barragan

    Multimedia Artist, Filmmaker, Photographer

    Read Bio
  • Image of Ghanaian instructor Alex Addy

    Alex Addy

    Percussionist, Educator (Obo Addy’s son)

    Read Bio

  • Alexa Lux

    Singer-Songwriter, Songleader, Marketing Support

    Read Bio
  • Image of instructor Blacque Butterfly

    Blacque Butterfly

    Musician, Singer, Poet, Activist

    Read Bio
  • Image of Ghanaian instructor, Boinor Nartey Jr.

    Boinor Nartey Jr.

    Percussionist, Educator

    Read Bio

  • Caroline Davis

    Musician, Activist, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of instructor, Chaz Chavez

    Chaz Chavez

    Musician, Producer, Sound Engineer, Sound Healer

    Read Bio

  • Elijah El-Beze

    Hip Hop Educator, Artist, Activist

    Read Bio
  • Instructor of instructor, Gordon Lee.

    Gordon Lee

    Composer, Jazz Pianist, Conductor, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of Brazilian instructur Hans Barklis

    Hans Barklis

    Musician, Capoeirista, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of Cuban instructor, Isidro Valor Perez.

    Isidro Valor Perez

    Master Percussionist, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of Ghanaian drummer, Israel Annoh.

    Israel Annoh

    Drummer, Percussionist, Educator

    Read Bio

  • Machado Mijiga

    Composer, Producer, Multi-Instrumentalist

    READ BIO

  • Mapathé Diop

    Master Drummer, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of Huehca Omeyocan duo, Eduardo and Maria.

    Maria & Eduardo

    Founders of Huehca Omeycocan

    Read Bio

  • Martin Vavra

    Director, Filmmaker, Film Instructor

    Read Bio
  • Image of Senegalese instructor, Massamba Diop.

    Massamba Diop

    Master Tama Drummer
    Percussionist

    Read Bio
  • Image of instructor, Mic Crenshaw

    Mic Crenshaw

    Poet, Emcee, Advocate, Rapper, Educator

    Read Bio
  • Image of dance instructor, Michael Galen.

    Michael Galen

    Dancer, Musician, Educator

    Read Bio

  • Nicole Tignor

    Photographer, Coffee Roaster, Mentor

    Read Bio

  • Nomi Asghar

    Visual artist

    Read Bio
  • Image of instructor, Olive DelSol

    Olive DelSol

    DJ, Producer, Digital Artist, Teacher

    Read Bio
  • Image of Marketing Coordinator, Ryley Ha'o.

    Ryley Ha'o

    Marketing Manager

    Read Bio

  • Swiggle Mandela

    Hip Hop artist, Mentor

    Read Bio
  • Image of instructor, Talilo Marfil.

    Talilo Marfil

    Hip Hop Artist, Filmmaker, Educator

    Read Bio

  • Toni Hill

    Singer, Educator

    Read Bio

  • Valentina Ortiz

    Musician, Storyteller

    Read Bio
  • Image of videographer, Xavier Tavares.

    Xavier Tavares

    Videographer

    Read Bio