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She was a humanitarian and a philanthropist. She was a UCLA Bruin and a businesswoman. She was a champion for education.
Mimi Alpert Feldman passed away at her home in Beverly Hills on February 9, 2026, surrounded by her family and friends. Among those who mourn her passing are all those she touched at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. For nearly half a century—48 years—Mimi Alpert Feldman’s scholarships have directly funded more than 100 students. Affectionately called “Mimi Scholars,” those who have received the scholarship have moved on to astounding success. More than 90% are now in performance, academic or music education careers. “Mimi Alpert Feldman’s scholarships have been lifelines for our music students,” said Michael Beckerman, dean of the school of music. “But what stands out is how deeply affected the students have been by her caring and sensitivity, and how deeply personal they consider their connection with Mimi.” She was a benefactor and a nurturer. She was a leader and a mentor. She was a passionate advocate of the arts. Mimi Scholars always noted her keen interest in their careers, her penetrating questions. Her interest was more than topical. In the early years of her scholarship giving, she interviewed candidates. She kept up with their stories and studies. She stayed in touch after they graduated. It made a lasting impression. “I was struck by your warmth, kindness and generosity during our interview,” wrote Vanessa Martucci (MM 2018) in a card she sent to Mimi Feldman upon learning she was awarded the scholarship in 2017. “Thank you for the kindness you have shown, not just to me, but to the career you are supporting.”
https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/in-memoriam-mimi-alpert-feldman/
Dearest, sweet Mimi, thank you for all the tremendous support you showered on so many students at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. I am so grateful for your support to me and others. And I feel so fortunate to have known you. Peace and love, Erika
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So proud of my students' wonderful performances in both of last year's recitals! I love to see their musical and technical development, as they continue to tackle more challenging pieces with such a high level of artistry! Bravo!    Another great studio recital! I'm so proud of my wonderful students-- and so grateful to be doing what I love! :) I'm so proud of every member of my horn studio (even the ones who weren't available for this recital, btw!)!!! Their hard work, passion, and love of music shine through in each and every performance! The studio also presented a diverse selection of music, including standard horn repertoire, more modern works, and arrangements from movies and operas! In case you missed it under my Students tab, you can check out one of the most advanced pieces on the recital here. I can't wait to see what they do next! :) Here is a great video with clear instructions and video you can use if you need to restring your horn. I recommend the yellow Yamaha string, a small screwdriver (1/8 in.), and very sharp, sewing kit scissors. The tongue position is an often overlooked but critical aspect of good horn playing, and goes well beyond just tonguing the notes. I encourage all horn players to incorporate lip slurs into their daily routine, as smooth lip slurs require good tongue arching. For a smooth upward slur, from a 3rd space C to a 5th line F, the tongue will arch from a "taah" position to an "ee" position in the mouth. Check out this great MRI footage of how the tongue functions in a variety of horn playing settings (rapid tonguing, double tonguing, scales, slurring, etc) that Sarah Willis of the Berlin Philharmonic has provided. Note how the tip of the tongue is employed for tonguing, but the entire tongue's position changes depending on the range played. Especially, check out how much her tongue arches for higher pitches! I have neglected the studio blog for some time now; it somehow has been incredibly busy! The studio is strong and healthy, and we have presented two to three online studio recitals per year since 2020!
Many of my middle and high school students auditioned for and were accepted into their respective All-State Honor Bands the last few years, and a few of my high school students have gone on to study music at the university level. Some high students have performed or will perform in Carnegie Hall this year, namely Clare and Julian (congratulations!). Students are also returning to in person concerts with their local youth orchestras, yay! Several adult students are returning to their local community bands and orchestras; it is truly an exciting time! All their hard work and dedication is paying off as they return to the stage with their colleagues and hear the progress they have made these many months! :) The next online studio recital is this Saturday, May 14, 2022. There are about 15 students performing everything from "Oh Canada" and "Champagne Song" to Saint-Saëns' "Morceau de Concert" and Bernard Krol's "Laudatio." I am excited to hear everyone! Please follow these steps so you have the best settings for horn lessons. 1. Open Audio Settings A. If you are starting from the Zoom home screen, click on the Tools symbol at the top right. A new screen will appear with several options. Click on Audio. B. If you are adjusting audio settings when you are on a call already: 1. Click on the ^ symbol between your Mute and Stop Video buttons, on the bottom left of your Zoom screen. This upward arrow will open a menu of options. Click on Audio Settings. 3. You will see Speaker and Microphone options. You may want to adjust the input volume or output volume. For most of my students, about 70-80% volume works well for both. For those of you who have external mics: Under Microphone, check that your external mic is being used by your computer by clicking on the drop-down menu and making sure your external mic is selected. 4. Under Microphone: uncheck the option box that says "Automatically adjust microphone volume." You do not want the Zoom software to change your volume as you play. 5. Click on Advanced Settings, which is a tab at the bottom right of the Audio Settings screen. 6. In Advanced Settings, check the box at the top that says "Show in-meeting options to 'Enable Original Sound' from microphone." Once you check this box, your system will keep your original sound and not try to "fix" it. 7. On the same Advanced Settings screen, under Audio Processing, click the following: Disable, Disable, and Auto. You want to disable both "suppress background noise," which will otherwise lead to intermittent cutting in and out of your audio as the system tries to guess which sounds it hears are "noise." These steps will not take long to set up, but will provide a much better continuous audio experience for lessons! -Erika NB: Although an external mic is not required, it does make a huge difference in how well your sound is picked up and transmitted via Zoom. I strongly encourage students to consider investing in a USB external mic. They provide a truer image of your sound compared to your internal microphone on your computer, which is designed for talking voices and in addition is probably is a bit too far away from you and your sound. Here is a short video that also goes through the options if you'd rather follow a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MynQPhULNRU Below is a screen shot highlighting the Audio and Advanced Audio Settings you can change:   Well, this post was gong to be about best Zoom audio settings, but that's not how it came out!
The times we are living in have been so difficult and challenging, for so many, many reasons. I have been reminding myself that we are all doing the best we can, and that everyone's circumstances are different and often unknown. While some challenges may be obvious to those around us, others may not. Now, more than ever, it is hard "to see" what others are dealing with, given the distancing we are observing. I am grateful that I have a community of wonderful, online students that constantly bring meaning and joy to my life. Every week, my students inspire me, and help me continue to grow in my own learning and understanding. Thank you. And just one more idea to chew on: Music is powerful. Like so many other important, wonderful events, the IHS scheduled for August 2020 has been cancelled. Although this cancellation is a huge loss for so many, it is a small sacrifice in the big picture of the pandemic. Here in the greater LA area we have been sheltering in place since March 12th. I read somewhere last week advice about personal outlook during this challenging time. As hard as it is, the advice suggested, try to focus on what we have gained through this experience, rather than what we have lost. I am trying to remember this idea every day, sometimes with more success than other times. Of course, this advice seems terribly inadequate to the many, many families who have lost loved ones, in our own neighborhoods, states, and the entire world. Please do what you can to stay positive, help others, and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. And don't forget the power of music, whether you are listening or playing!
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