A borderlands jazz project to inspire and empower students.
Through jazz, students explore the history and identity of Mexican-American, Afro, and Afro-Latin cultures—connecting music, self-discovery, and community. Led by a first-gen Mexican-American artist, the program also offers creative and entrepreneurial mentorship.
Help fund a $2,000 scholarship for a Mexican-American student in South Tucson to attend the acclaimed Tucson Jazz Institute.
This project is sponsored in part by the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.
The Foundation is acting as fiscal agent for this project making your donations tax-deductible.
We aim to foster trust and dialogue within the community.
This project weaves traditional Mexican music with jazz and improvisation to explore identity, history, and shared struggles. By drawing parallels with African-American and Afro-Latin movements, and honoring voices like Natalia Lafourcade and John Coltrane, it shows how Mexican-American artists can shape powerful, global narratives.
Alan Acosta, a first-gen Mexican-American from South Tucson, working in the Education Department at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC.
He has performed at world-renowned jazz festivals such as Umbria in Italy; Montreux in Switzerland; Nice in France; Birdland in New York City; and the Monterey Jazz Festival in California.
He is a student of Arturo O’Farrill (son of Afro-Latin jazz legend Chico O’Farrill) and Reggie Workman (bassist for John Coltrane and Art Blakey).
In addition to performing, Acosta produces and manages international artist tours and educational exchanges, while maintaining an active career as a multi-instrumentalist.
© 2025
Strife Through Sound
Alan Acosta