The event “The Sound of Music through Democracy,” was held on May 4th was a success. The award allowed for several different vendors and community members to be involved and benefit from the gathering. There were flyers distributed amongst the community in advance and a social media presence which helped people know about the event. There was also music lessons provided for children between the ages of 4-16. In addition, there was a live local band performing songs from Central America and Mexico. There were also community vendors at their stations which included: 1. M & T bank 2. Esperanza Center 3. CareFirst 4. MIMA 5. Disability Rights of MD 6. SBDC Small Business Development Center Also, in attendance was Speaker Edwin Pérez, who recently won the 2024 Latinx Educator of the Year Award, beating out 116 other educators in the United States. The event also had in attendance the “Juventud Latino dancers,” who shined with every step. This event, which was held at the Esperanza Center, was critical for the community, especially the Latin community, after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The importance of this was shown by families of the workers who died on the bridge being from this community. To be able to provide over 20 bags of food and a space for the families to gather was crucial. Richard D. Johnson is the winner of the 2024 SNF Agora School of science grant. The purpose of the SNF Agora Faculty Grants Program is to encourage and support work of Johns Hopkins faculty, particularly faculty from the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS), that is complementary to SNF Agora’s mission. This could take the form of scholarship, convenings, policy briefings, and more. SNF Agora wants to support and amplify this work through its institute and foster faculty collaboration across the university on ideas and efforts that can reinvigorate global democracy and the civic spaces that fuel it.

The Nexus Awards are a university-wide initiative launched in 2023 to support convening, research, and teaching anchored at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. Awarded projects and programs span the breadth of the faculty’s scholarship and expertise: Artificial intelligence and health policy, the arts and humanities, planetary health and gender equity, and much more. Richard was selected from 278 Faculty applications. His 2 day conference focused on Jazz education during day 1 and Pan-American music during day 2, culminating with a concert by the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin All-stars!

The AI & Music Forum, held on May 1, 2026 at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, brought together artists, educators, technologists, and students for a bilingual (English–Spanish) exploration of artificial intelligence in Latin American jazz and Afro-diasporic musical traditions. Sponsored by the Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI) at Johns Hopkins University, the event featured live demonstrations, short talks, music, discussion, and networking centered around the evolving relationship between technology, culture, improvisation, and creative identity. The program was facilitated by Richard D. Johnson, Associate Professor of Jazz at the Peabody Conservatory, whose grant-supported initiative focused on building interdisciplinary dialogue between music, technology, and education. Featured presenters included Kevin D. Johnson from MIT, Henrique Eisenmann from The Juilliard School and Brazil, and Fran Vielma from Johns Hopkins Peabody and Venezuela. Topics ranged from machine learning and generative systems in music to AI-assisted creative practice, workflow innovation, and the importance of human expertise in validating musical traditions and educational systems. The forum highlighted the intersection of jazz, engineering, and public engagement while encouraging artists and audiences to consider how emerging technologies can support creativity without replacing the human experiences, histories, and cultural traditions that shape music itself. Richard D Johnson Associate Professor of Jazz Peabody Conservatory Johns Hopkins University Johnsonworksllc@gmail.com

The first session of Let’s Build Together took place on May 8, 2026, at Johns Hopkins University and brought together students, faculty, artists, engineers, and community members through an interdisciplinary program centered around jazz, creativity, education, and collaboration. Hosted by Professor Richard D. Johnson in partnership with Dr. Jordan Green from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the event explored how music, improvisation, science, and community engagement can intersect to create meaningful educational experiences. The session featured live jazz performances, audience participation, discussion, and hands-on activities designed to make the creative process accessible to audiences of all backgrounds. Featured student performers from the Johns Hopkins Peabody Jazz Department included Rayah Thomas, Isacc Felix, and Sebastian Zamarripa, alongside Ph.D. student Grace Shoemaker. Together, the participants helped demonstrate important elements of jazz, improvisation, communication, and collaboration while encouraging dialogue between the arts and sciences. The event highlighted the value of mentorship, interdisciplinary learning, and public engagement while creating an environment where students, faculty, and community members could connect through creativity, discussion, and shared experiences. letsbuildtogetherjhu@gmail.com Peabody Jazz Department Richard D Johnson

Let’s Build Together returned for its second session on June 1st, 2026 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., bringing together students, educators, scientists, musicians, and community members for an interdisciplinary exploration of Latin jazz improvisation and gene mutation. Inspired in part by the way mutation and transformation are portrayed in films such as X-Men, the program examined how improvisation, adaptation, variation, and creativity exist both in music and in science. Hosted by Professor Richard D. Johnson and Dr. Jordan Green, the event created a unique space where the arts and biomedical engineering could interact through performance, discussion, and hands-on engagement. The session featured dynamic performances and conversations with musicians Fran Vielma, Gabriel Vivas, and Tedd Baker, highlighting the role of rhythm, communication, spontaneity, and collaboration within Latin jazz. Audience members also explored how mutation, innovation, and change influence both human biology and musical expression. Through live music, networking, interactive activities, and community dialogue, Let’s Build Together continues expanding its vision of connecting Johns Hopkins schools and departments through creativity, innovation, and public engagement. letsbuildtogetherjhu@gmail.com

We all have influences wether it be family members or just bands we like. In this episode we have an amazing guest who has studied all types of music and is a house hold name in the several corners of the world. "Dee Alexander" expresses her thoughts on music and how she became who she is. If you are a young or not so young musician you will want to listen to this because she takes us deep into the Chicago jazz scene and talks about the history of the known and unknown artist.

Luis Perdomo stopped by my office and we decided to play a little blues for you. "Straight No Chaser" by Thelonious Monk. Luis is thrashing!!!

Kacey Greene joins us today to talk about a few different ways to approach your branding as a musician. About With more than 15 years of experience as an Award-Winning Creative Executive, Kacey Greene has a background in brand identity and strategy. Throughout his career, he has showcased my proven ability to lead high-performance cross-functional teams in concept development, generating bold and innovative ideas to drive brand exposure. He is a very skilled in agile methodology, risk identification, mitigation, and program development. Fueled by passion, he utilizes his executive collaboration expertise to secure growth and success within an organization. Key Achievements Include: ✅ Served as Creative Director and oversaw a team of 7 designers spanning the US and UK and the $1.2M budget, managing the creative development and execution of design projects, leveraging expertise to deliver clear direction and guidance for various markets, as well as effectively managing the agencies and vendors ensuring consistency ✅ Established a culture to ensure the alignment of content, voice, and audience with the organizational goals and objectives, designing unique and culturally relevant ideas that were produced across multiple platforms ✅ Designed and launched the BET+ premium streaming service, a targeted joint venture between BET and Tyler Perry Studios to deliver 10 BET+ original series and movies within 6 months, achieving 500K+ subscribers across Google, IOS, ROKU, SVOD, and Amazon platforms ✅ Remodeled a Creative Team and led the team through 7 SVP organizational changes, establishing alignment of the team with the vision and requirements of the new management team, removing any barriers, and setting short and long-term goals