Cheers to 80 Years! LAMusArt Celebrates Milestone Anniversary at Stars for the Arts

On Sunday, September 21st, Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt) celebrated 80 years of artistic excellence at the annual Stars for the Arts gala hosted at Tamayo Restaurant and Gallery. Friends, family, teachers, and supporters all came together to honor this golden milestone and another successful year for the organization.

The night began with a lively cocktail reception, where guests gleefully engaged with one another and explored a silent auction that boasted wonderful entries. LAMusArt was fortunate to be the recipient of items donated by the Lakers, Raising Cane's, In-N-Out, and surrounding theaters, including The Nocturne Theatre, Boston Court Pasadena, and A Noise Within, among others. Items such as full-day outings, gift cards, signed memorabilia, and vacation packages were auctioned off in support of arts programming provided by LAMusArt.

With the silent auction concluded, attendees made their way to their seats for the commencement of the ceremony. Danny Jolles, the event’s EmCee, took the stage and welcomed the audience with hilarious anecdotes and heartfelt comments on LAMusArt as a past Stars attendee and performer.

Guests savored a delicious dinner and enjoyed exciting entertainment as The Fabulous Esquires Big Band occupied the stage alongside the LAMusArt Advanced Choir. The big band performed many songs, including On a Slow Boat to China, Let’s Dance, and Kiss of Fire with the LAMusArt Advanced Choir joining them for L-O-V-E and From the Start. LAMusArt Advanced Choir students, Noreen J. and Nadia S. sang solos with the band during At Last. Syriany D., Isabella O. and Mercedes N., closed out the first portion of the performance by joining the band for Fly Me to the Moon.

Once the song came to its harmonious end, three past Executive Directors: Isela Sotelo (1997-2015), Manuel Prieto (2015-2022), and Tahnee Freda (2022-2025) took the floor. Each shared touching remarks as they reminisced on their time as leaders of the organization and recounted the moments that solidified their passion for the arts. The importance of the past 80 years was highlighted in each of their voices, and the room was reminded of the reason they had all been gathered. In celebration of the 80th Anniversary, patrons of the event were asked if they would like to pledge a donation in exchange for a tile to be included in the Community Mosaic displayed at the entrance of LAMusArt’s building.

The excitement of a lasting legacy filled the air as guests raised their hands. Soon after, The Fabulous Esquires Band reconvened on stage for their postlude performance as guests were served coffee and pastries from Porto’s for dessert. The band played many iconic tunes such as Beyond the Sea, Luck Be a Lady, and Crazy Little Thing.

The Los Angeles Music and Art School would like to thank all who attended and supported us including our amazing auction donors: A Noise Within, Beautyologie, Chipotle, Clue Perfumery, Ike’s Love and Sandwiches, In-N-Out, Susie Cakes, Kendra Scott, Pacific Park, Boston Court Pasadena, Malibu Wine Tours, Villa Amor, Total Wine, Raising Cane’s, Portillo’s, The Huntington, Universal Studios Hollywood, The Nocturne Theatre Lakers, Gourmet Gift Baskets and The Paramount.

We would also like to extend gratitude to our sponsors, Jo Mitchell Foundation, SNAP Foundation, Jane and Lou Castruccio, Jasmine Ako, Tatania Minguet, Eduardo Arteaga and Manuel Prieto, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Citizens Bank, Colburn Foundation, Four Friends Foundation, Rose Hills Foundation, LACDAC, and Mattel for supporting another year of expanding arts education in East Los Angeles!

See all photos from this event by clicking here!