Walker West Music Academy, a cherished cornerstone of St. Paul’s music and cultural community, has received a transformative $4 million gift from Pat and Gary Sauer — the largest in its history.
For more than three decades, Walker West has been a haven for students of all ages fostering growth, connection, and creativity through the universal language of music. This donation paves the way for a major expansion, allowing the academy to deepen its mission of sharing music inspired by the African American cultural experience.
“This amazing gift not only allows us to move forward quickly on our plans, but it also will save us significant financing fees over the next 10 years,” said Braxton Haulcy, executive director. The $4 million gift will fund the acquisition and renovation of a building at 650 Marshall Ave. Phase 1 of the project will reconfigure the space to house music education studios and administrative offices.
Since its founding in 1988, Walker West has been dedicated to expanding access to quality music education inspired by the African American cultural experience. Located in St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood, the academy plays a pivotal role in preserving Black cultural traditions and fostering musical talent.
The music academy’s founders, the Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West, wanted to make music education available to every student who wished to learn.Credit: Courtesy Walker West Music Academy
The academy provides accessible community education to more than 300 students every week and 5,700 program participants annually. Now, thanks to the Sauers Family Foundation, Walker West is poised to expand its mission and footprint. The foundation supports Minnesota-based organizations that serve at-risk children, including schools, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other collaborative networks.
Walker West stands apart by emphasizing improvisation and listening as foundational skills in music learning. While classical training is offered, the academy specializes in jazz, gospel, and other improvisational styles.
Its founders, the Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West, wanted to make music education available to every student who wished to learn. Students often begin with the music of Stevie Wonder before diving into the works of Bach and Beethoven.
“In 2019, I launched the Rondo Community Music Series, which continues today,” said Haulcy. “We’re always performing. We’ve always performed, whether at the Twin Cities Jazz Fest, local competitions, or other community events. During COVID, I realized that listening to music is just as vital as learning it. And so that just really gave me the impetus to say, we need to have ‘perform’ in our mission.”
Walker West’s mission has always been deeply tied to celebrating and preserving Black culture. Music, as the Rev. Walker explains, has long been a source of resilience and healing for African Americans. From gospel hymns sung during civil rights marches to the improvisational freedom of jazz, Walker West honors these traditions while fostering new ones.
“In the face of trauma, we were singing. We were marching. Music has always been the thing that just moved us and kept us going despite whatever barriers we were facing. And so even with jazz and gospel, all of that trauma, how do you heal through that? Resilience. And our experience as Black Americans we have to rely on that and the music,” said Haulcy.
Walker West partnered with Ujamaa Place, a safe space hub for young African American men experiencing inequity and poverty, to create the digital music production program that will teach students ages 13-21 how to make music in a modern way. The curriculum includes learning specific software programs, music fundamentals, and audio recording, among other essential skills for job readiness.
What can be most exciting is the opportunity for expansion. Walker West has already reached parts of North Minneapolis, including the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center and St. Cloud. Their reach is growing across the region.
“We have online capabilities,” Haulcy said. “We have an Amazing Grace Chorus. This is our dementia-friendly [chorus] that we [host] online, and then in person twice a month, it’s one or the other. Grant West teaches lessons. He has students in Portland, Atlanta and Dallas. And we also do our Rondo community music series.”
Walker West’s jazz ensembles have consistently earned accolades, including first-place honors at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival. They remain the only youth ensemble from a non-academic school to compete on such a level.
String students regularly join elite programs like the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies and have performed with celebrated acts like Black Violin at the Ordway, proving that accessibility, passion and education are intersections of social success.
“I’m trying to develop Grammy award-winning humans. Not Grammy award-winning musicians — Grammy award-winning humans,” Haulcy said. “Each kid should have music in their lives or art in their lives. And we’re here to make sure that happens as much as possible, and as Grant West would say: ‘There are no bad notes.’”
