About us
At Musical Soulmates
Our program thrives thanks to the heartfelt efforts and unwavering dedicated parents and community volunteers and of all the musicians no matter their age or experience. To the listeners: You are the most important people in the room! We play for you.
Meet our Founder and Board of Directors
Kate Saphir Alm
Founder, President /Artistic Director
A lifelong musician, I’ve been a devoted and dedicated performer, teacher, and producer in Santa Cruz since 1991. I have been producing expansive Musical Soulmates events since 2019 and in this journey, I’ve not only integrated my training in different modalities of music but I have deepened and broadened my community ties. Musical Soulmates has moved forward with constant support and creative energy from my Soulmates performers and from my community. As Musical Soulmates becomes a nonprofit, I am overjoyed to literally transform from “I” to a “We” and to be a part of ensuring the legacy of our mission and vision.
Victoria Theodore
Victoria Theodore is an acclaimed pianist who has performed with luminary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ariana Debose. Victoria is also a composer, arranger and lyricist. She is co-composer for the new musicals “MARIAN” and “Co-Founders”, pianist for the Oscar-winning film “CODA”, an actor in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick…BOOM!”, an on-stage performer in the improvisational hip-hop show "Freestyle Love Supreme." She is a published author, has 2 Bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College / Conservatory, a Masters degree from Stanford University, and is co-founder of her band, EnSPirits. Victoria is also a motivational speaker, yogi, dancer and polyglot.
Victoria is excited to bring her focus on being in service to music to Musical Soulmates.
Sonia Swain
Sonia is a passionate, community-focused supporter of arts, crafts, and music. As a board member of Musical Soulmates, Sonia intends to inspire and collaborate on ways to spread love, connection, and rhythm throughout Santa Cruz County.
Alexandra Montreal
As a lifelong connoisseur of music, food, wine and arts, it is a privilege to support Musical Soulmates’ unique and purposeful endeavor.
I intend to continue bringing ease to Musical Soulmates at their performances and look forward to being a strong and reliable teammate to the project and Board.
Jessica Heit
Heit Family Dentistry DDS
I grew up listening to my dad play guitar and sing and I deeply appreciate the power of music to inspire, heal, celebrate, mourn and communicate parts of the human experience that words can’t fully express. In bringing my enthusiasm and reverence for art in a supportive role to the organization, I intend to to enable our students and musicians to focus on their creativity and performance.
Ana Elizabeth
SURETHING Productions
As a lifelong arts advocate, I look forward to bringing the vision and programs of Musical Soulmates to benefit as many in our community as possible.
Selam Woldetensaye
A seasoned accountant specializing in grants management, with over 20 years of experience working with various international donors such as United Nations, and federal grants. Deeply committed to the betterment of the world, Selam collaborates with all who strive towards this noble goal. As a Bahá'í, Selam firmly believes in the oneness of humanity, a principle that guides all aspects of their work and life. An ardent admirer of music and the arts in all their forms, Selam is honored to serve on the board of Musical Soulmates, and to contribute to fostering joy, healing, and connection through the arts.
Meet our Staff
Wes Weatherspoon
Marketing and Social Media Operations
Hey everyone, I’m Wesley Weatherspoon. I have been drawn to art for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching a lot of cartoons and enjoyed sketching and creating my own characters, working with pastels, and even designing clothing for friends! In the past few years, I have dove into creating digital art. Alongside my passion for art, I have a passion for community organization and also study Sociology right now at Berkeley City College, taking online classes while living in Santa Cruz. Since moving here I have been combining my passion for art with my love of bringing people together. I have had the pleasure of working with multiple non-profit organizations in Santa Cruz, I started working with the organization Santa Cruz Black in 2022 in communications and as their graphic designer. As a part of that organization, I feel I have become part of the Santa Cruz community and through one of my friends from Santa Cruz Black, I met Kate.
I’ve been working with Kate and Musical Soulmates since the Spring of 2023. As the publicist of Musical Soulmates, an organization dedicated to creative expression, I feel honored to reflect their values in my artwork. Whether it’s designing flyers for events, editing videos that capture Musical Soulmates in action, or sharing the joy of the programs through social media, it’s been very inspiring to be part of these gatherings that encourage a thriving community here in Santa Cruz County.
It’s been a beautiful journey watching Musical Soulmates grow and continue to bring people together and I would love to encourage you all as supporters to continue spreading the word about Musical Soulmates programs, our Instagram page is @musicalsoulmatessc! I encourage you all to visit the page, check it out, and share it with your networks to help us pursue our mission to cultivate authentic relationships among the performers and in the community.
Our program thrives thanks to the heartfelt efforts and unwavering dedication of our valued volunteers, talented musicians, and passionate performers. We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from our warm and devoted community members who share our passion for making accessible to all. Your involvement is what makes our musical family so special.
Join us in fulfilling our vision
Musical Soulmates is a nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Contributions made to it are tax deductible, subject to the general limitations otherwise applicable to contributions for income tax reporting purposes. Musical Soulmates is also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests under Section 2055…: please inquire. Thank you for your attention, care, and support. We can’t do this without you!
Please send donations of any amount to:
Musical Soulmates PO Box 145
Davenport, CA 95017
Venmo: @MusicalSoulmates
To donate through Square CLICK HERE
