In The Band instructors are professional musicians with real world experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge and expertise. Our team is made up of musicians and music lovers, all of whom share a commitment to our mission of providing high quality music education to students in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles.
Yasmyn Herrera is a singer, songwriter, and drummer from Los Angeles, California. She began her musical education with In The Band in 2009, attending the Boyle Heights program. In 2014, she continued her music education at Glendale Community College before attending the five-week Summer Program at Berklee School of Music in Boston during 2016 via a full scholarship. Through In The Band, Yasmyn has been the given the opportunity to experience and work with professional musicians in the industry, leading her to learn, work, and now teach as an instructor with the organization. Yasmyn has a passion for music and continues to expand her knowledge and education.
Cal Kevany is an LA born and raised multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and teacher. His formal background is in jazz and he obtained a Jazz Studies degree at USC’s Thornton School of Music. There he received invaluable mentorship from his professors, providing him with experience and insight that he hopes to pass onto his students. After college, Cal’s music career pivoted into the world of touring, where he began splitting his work between hitting the road and teaching with In The Band between tours. Being an LA native, he cherishes the opportunity to give back to his community through music education as an instructor with In The Band.
Lincoln Mendell is a multi-instrumentalist with an emphasis on keyboards, as well as a songwriter, arranger, and producer. A working musician for over 15 years, Lincoln holds a master’s degree in Commercial Music from Cal State LA, and brings a breadth of knowledge to the classroom that incorporates an academic understanding of music with real-world experience. Lincoln began teaching with In The Band in 2013. After three years of working as an instructor, Lincoln began developing curriculum for In The Band, eventually becoming Program Director in 2018. Lincoln continues to be heavily involved in the classroom, teaching at multiple In The Band programs throughout Los Angeles.
Joni Milken-Noah is vice president of Mike’s Math Club (MMC), a curriculum enrichment program that makes math useful and entertaining while cultivating a sense of self-worth in students. The Math Club Team of teacher-mentors make class-time visits to Los Angeles-area public elementary schools and also correspond with students all around the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Trinidad, and St. Vincent. The Club’s pen-pal program, which receives more than 1,000 letters each year, nurtures friendships and a sense of belonging by connecting each young letter-writer with a Team member. Present and former students—some now grown with kids of their own—visit Joni in her colorful MMC offices in Santa Monica, filled with art, photos and other memorabilia that reflect on MMC’s lasting impact. Aside from her work with MMC, Joni lends an enthusiastic voice to the Milken Educator Awards, Milken Scholars, the TAP system and other MFF initiatives. Passionate about football and music, she can be seen in her spare time rooting for the Oakland Raiders or taking in a Neil Young concert.
