MindShift Podcast
MindShift Podcast
KQED
Randy Porter’s Middle School Jazz Band
18 minutes Posted Mar 10, 2026 at 10:00 am.
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Show notes
In this episode, KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo visits the band room at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland and speaks with longtime music teacher Randy Porter, who is retiring after 40 years in Oakland Unified schools. Porter shares how introducing students to experimental jazz, including the music of Sun Ra, helps young musicians explore creativity and possibility.