About Us

"Real Music Comes From Musicians" ^sm is an educational / awareness program sponsored by The American Jazz Institute.

Conceived by Stephanie O'Keefe, a professional musician working in Los Angeles, the program is in response to the increasing use of electronically generated music, particularly in genres and venues in which live music was once a very important factor.

As O'Keefe explains, “We have two generations who have grown up thinking that music comes out of boxes, and have never heard, for instance, the sound of a clarinet coming from a real clarinet. I think it's very important to educate the public about our profession, so they understand who makes the music.”