Instructor: Gregory Acker

LFS Program Assistant Gregory Acker is a teaching artist who plays multiple woodwinds and percussion instruments. With a classical and jazz flute background, including early jazz studies with Jamey Aebersold and flute lessons with Francis Fuge (LO), he branched into saxophone playing in jazz bands at Oberlin College, studying with Floyd “Candy” Johnson and Wendell Logan.

After college, he joined the Peace Corps for two assignments (Morocco and Togo), which inspired him to develop music in community settings back home, to learn to build homemade instruments, and to delve further into the “world winds.” The journey (with study tours in Kerala, South India, and Java, and Bali, Indonesia) eventually led to an MA in Ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University (CT), focused on traditional music from South India, Indonesia, and West Africa. Locally, he performs with the Andean fusion group Yapa, the pan-Asian ensemble Saw Peep, and the Kuvebo West African Drum Ensemble.

Gregory has led artist residencies throughout the state with Arts For All Kentucky and the Kentucky Arts Council, as well as through the Kentucky Center's Arts-in-Healing and Arts Education programs. He has also worked extensively with Louisville’s immigrant and refugee populations through KRM, Americana, and other community organizations.

As Program Assistant, Gregory coordinates residencies and lends support at concerts, camps, and other LFS community projects.