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Music is more than just entertainment. Science tells us that music carries great benefits for health, problem solving, bringing people together, peace building, and more.
ALEC GLASSER CENTER FOR THE POWER OF MUSIC AND SOCIAL CHANGE
What we are building is unprecedented, timely and life-changing — a truly novel approach to understanding and leveraging music’s transformational role in society. Together, we are establishing tangible programs and partnerships that enrich lives and strengthen communities.
We invite you to join leaders, faculty, students, researchers, activists and artists in exploring how the vast power of music can be used as an effective tool of transformation as we harness the science of music to address pressing contemporary challenges through four pillars of activity: Educate. Research. Mobilize. Celebrate.
*Alec Glasser has fully endowed this novel Center at the University of California, Irvine’s School of Social Ecology.
“Alec Glasser’s generous donations to our school have enabled us to establish the Glasser Center and award student scholarships – and that’s just the beginning of the groundbreaking innovations we are planning. We are committed to our pursuit of solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.”
- Jon Gould, Dean of the School of Social Ecology
THE FOUR PILLARS
Educate
Through innovative programs and interdisciplinary collaboration, we’re exploring music’s power to inspire learning, creativity, and connection. Courses like Power of Music and Social Change invite students to examine how music mobilizes communities, improves health, promotes justice, and drives personal and social growth. Music is more than art — it’s a catalyst for transformation.
Research
In collaboration with faculty across UCI, researchers are exploring music’s impact in areas such as education, health, sustainability, social justice, and healing. By prioritizing research, we’re demonstrating the real-world power of music and strengthening the foundation for continued support and innovation across disciplines.
Mobilize
Engagement is at the heart of the Center’s mission. Through partnerships with local and global organizations, schools, and communities, we’re creating opportunities for underrepresented youth to access and experience the transformative power of music. Current collaborations include the Samueli Academy, Regents Point, UNESCO, the Roskilde Festival, Yole!Africa, CMAP/Chicoco Studios, Kakuma Sound, and Playing For Change.
Celebrate
Music unites, uplifts, and reminds us of our shared humanity. The Center celebrates this power by fostering global connections, participating in festivals, and hosting an annual event at UCI that honors music’s profound influence on individuals and communities. Together, we celebrate creativity, connection, and the universal language of music.
THE TEAM
The Center is spearheaded by Richard Matthew, professor of urban planning and public policy and director of the UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, in close collaboration with Alec Glasser, Chairman of its Executive Committee and Founder of The Drake Gives, a vibrant nonprofit dedicated to utilizing the power of music for personal growth and social good.
Left to right: Michelle Ly, Richard Matthew, Wendy Misner, Alec Glasser, Stacy Skwarlo, Anna Kamanzi
