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.
There are organizations that fill a need. And then there are organizations that fill a void — the kind of void a community feels in its bones. Walker|West Music Academy is the latter.
kpCompanies does not take on searches simply to fill seats. We take on searches because we believe in the organizations behind them. Walker|West Music Academy is an organization that has earned that belief — through nearly four decades of showing up, refusing to stop the music, and building something that the Twin Cities would not be the same without.
So when Walker|West asked us to help them find their next Executive Director, we said yes with intention. And then we got to work learning everything we could about who they are — because you cannot find the right leader for an organization you do not truly understand.
Here is what we found.
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.
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kpCompanies is a Minneapolis-based retained executive search firm with over 20 years of experience connecting mission-driven organizations with transformational leaders. Founded by Miquel McMoore, kpCompanies brings a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at every stage of the search process. Learn more at kpcompanies.com.
