Emmie Head

Event Organizer

Emmie Head (she/her) is a PhD student in UCLA’s Department of Musicology. She holds a B.A. in music from St. Olaf College and an M.A. in musicology from UCLA. Emmie’s recent academic work has focused on the ways in which intellectual property policy and developing music technologies like AI challenge and complicate conceptions of musical ownership. Emmie’s dissertation project is poised to exist at the intersection of US intellectual property policy, artificial intelligence, and music making — asking how it is that regulatory powers such as the law or corporations directly impact the musical ecosystems of the country. Emmie has presented her work at the AMS – Midwest chapter, the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Music and the Moving Image, and the First International Conference on the Study of Music and AI in Stockholm. In addition to her work as a musicologist, Emmie teaches flute lessons on a volunteer basis to increase access to quality instrumental music education for those who are underserved in classical music communities. When not musicking, Emmie can be found baking pastries for her big Greek family or hanging with her miniature dachshunds Mr. Peabody, Dobby, and Fig Newton. 

Michele Yamamoto

Event Organizer

Michele Yamamoto (she/her) is both a musicology scholar and a human-focused administrator within mission-driven organizations. Her research interests include the role of popular music in the development of self-identity, cultural identity, and other conceptual social frameworks. She is especially interested in arts justice and the way music and sounds enter and evolve within marginalized communities. Other research interests include politics, human geography, music and space/place, and sound studies. She holds an MA in musicology from California State University, Long Beach (2022) and a BA in Music History from UCLA (2009).

Will Rand

Composer, Pianist

Will Rand (he/him) is a creative visionary who is passionate about spiritual wholeness, social justice, ecological wellness, and building new communal practices of healing in our world. Will has facilitated storytelling festivals where people shared stories of their lives, concerts cultivating a multiplicity of creative disciplines, and communal gathering spaces where people come to heal and be spiritually renewed.

As the founder of EarthStory, a project that convenes community in the pursuit of ecological wholeness, Will draws together creatives, storytellers, and community members to remember their stories of belonging as a part of the biotic community. Will is a collaborative pianist, composer, and conductor and has shared music in many different communities around the United States. He is the next the Music Director of the Seattle Peace Chorus. He has served local churches as a Minister of Worship Arts in Seattle, Washington, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Toledo, Ohio.

Will graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Olaf College where he received his Bachelor of Music in Composition. Will’s deep passion is creating in collaboration with co-conspirators who share the intention of bringing more healing, joy, and grace into the world.

Grace Alexander

Violinist

Grace Alexander (she/her) is a professional violinist and environmental conservationist currently based in Vancouver, BC. Grace is a freelance chamber musician, private instructor, and recital artist in the greater Pacific Northwest area, and a substitute musician with regional and professional orchestras. Her musical interests are rooted in collaborative work with musicians/artists, and is a member of Duo Emersi, Kermode Quartet, and a former/founding member of Høyde Quartet. She has performed at summer festivals/institutes around North America and Europe, including Bowdoin International Music Festival, Domaine Forget, Brevard Music Center, Við Djúpið Music Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, among others. Grace was a prize-winner at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, Friends of Chamber Music Young Musicians Competition, Frances Walton Competition, and more. As a musical leader, she co-founded and was co-artistic director of Synergy Musicians’ Collective, and is currently the Associate Director of EarthStory, among others. She is currently a Master of Music student at the University of British Columbia, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College. In addition to her artistic career, she continues the work alongside her family in rural forest health, conservation, and habitat management in Northwest Montana, U.S.A.