In The Band was founded in 2002 to fulfill the need for an affordable and culturally relevant solution to cuts in funding for music education in public schools.
In The Band programs create a lifelong interest in and understanding of music, one band at a time!
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.
