Walker|West Music Academy has spent 38 years rooted in the African American cultural experience, delivering thousands of hours of music education in Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood. As the organization searches for its next Executive Director, kpCompanies is honored to help shape what comes next.
Exploring the legacy, impact, and future of one of the Twin Cities' most influential music institutions—and the leadership search helping shape what comes next.
Built from a Calling, Not a Curriculum
In 1988, the Reverend Carl Walker and Grant West founded Walker|West Music Academy in the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul. Rondo is a neighborhood with a story — one marked by displacement, resilience, and a deep cultural identity. What Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West created there was not just a music school. It was a safe place for children to grow, a gathering space for a community to breathe, and a declaration that access to excellence was not a privilege reserved for others.
Thought to be the oldest community music school in the nation founded by African American musicians, Walker|West has been rooted in the African American cultural experience since its very first lesson. That rootedness is not incidental to their work. It is the work.
They teach piano, organ, brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings, voice, and digital music production. Every instructor is a professional, performing musician. The standard has always been high — because the students have always deserved it.
The Numbers Behind the Mission
We believe in celebrating impact with specificity, so here is what Walker|West is actually doing, year over year:
- More than 3,200 hours of music education delivered annually to students across the economic spectrum of the Twin Cities
- Hundreds of students served every week; thousands of program participants each year
- Programs for every stage of life, from early childhood (6 months and up) through older adults
- Instruction in all genres, with deep emphasis on jazz, gospel, and improvisational music
- Online capabilities and expanded programming reaching North Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and beyond
- Jazz ensembles with first-place honors at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival — the only youth ensemble from a non-academic school competing at that level
- Alumni who have gone on to Juilliard, Berklee, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestras, and the Minnesota Youth Symphony
In 2021, Walker|West was named one of ten Regional Cultural Treasures by the Ford and McKnight Foundations. That recognition is meaningful. The work that earned it is more meaningful still.
A New Chapter, Thoughtfully Led
Every organization that has done something meaningful eventually faces the question of what comes next. Walker|West is in that moment now — and it is an exciting one. With a growing student base, an expanding footprint, and a community that has rallied around them through capital campaigns and thousands of donors, they are not in a moment of uncertainty. They are in a moment of opportunity.
The search for Walker West's next Executive Director is about more than identifying a leader. It is about finding someone who can honor the organization's legacy while helping shape its future. The right leader will build upon decades of impact while guiding Walker West into its next era of growth, visibility, and community connection.
kpCompanies is honored to be leading this search. We have spent more than 20 years partnering with mission-driven organizations that are doing irreplaceable work — and that experience has taught us that leadership transitions, when handled with care, can be the beginning of something even greater than what came before.
Staying Connected to What Matters
If you are in the Twin Cities and have not yet experienced Walker|West Music Academy, this is your invitation. Attend a performance. Enroll a student. Donate to their scholarship fund. The work they do is held up by community support, and there is room for everyone to be part of it.
To learn more about the organization and its programs, visit walkerwest.org. To explore the Executive Director opportunity, visit kpcompanies.com/careers.
At kpCompanies, we believe the right leader changes everything. Walker|West has always known that. We are proud to stand alongside them as they step into what is next.
Hey Leader, Don’t Miss What’s Next at kpCompanies!
Something big is coming. From fresh ideas to transformative opportunities, we’re building resources for leaders ready to grow.
Sign up now to be the first to know when it drops and join a community of leaders shaping the future of work.
