Laguna Beach developer, restaurateur makes largest gift to date to UCI’s School of Social Ecology

UC Irvine officials announced Monday a donation from Laguna Beach philanthropist Alec Glasser that will fully endow the school’s new Center for the Power of Music and Social Change.

Exactly how much Glasser — a developer who opened the upscale Laguna Beach restaurant and live music venue the Drake in 2019 — gifted the university is not being disclosed, but its impact will be wide reaching, according to plans shared with the public Monday.

“This gift, the largest ever to the [UCI School of Social Ecology], is truly transformative, building on the science of music to establish a platform at UC Irvine that will inspire people locally and globally,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a news release. “Mr. Glasser’s bold generosity will create a significant and lasting legacy.”

Launched in August under the School of Social Ecology, the new center aims to focus on harnessing the power of music for individual enrichment and social well-being through collaborative research, education and community engagement.

It also provides annual scholarship opportunities for 10 UC Irvine students seeking to incorporate music into their future professional paths.

Glasser, who at age 12 aspired to be a saxophone player, years later experienced a transformative moment working as an elevator operator at the Drake Hotel in Manhattan, where famed blues and jazz musicians such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis frequently played.

After earning a law degree from USC, he went on to practice law and work as a real estate developer before launching the Drake to bring fine dining and fine music under the same roof, he told the Daily Pilot in an interview last February.

“I believe music has the power to drive social change by bringing people together and breaking down barriers like culture, language and socioeconomic differences,” the Laguna Beach businessman stated in Monday’s news release issued by the university.

“It’s a unifying force that can inspire real change — empowering communities, raising awareness, healing wounds and advancing education.”

University officials said Glasser’s passion for music and improving the lives of individuals and communities dovetails perfectly with UC Irvine’s mission.

“[It] is going to support groundbreaking innovation,” said Jon Gould, dean of UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology. “We are aligned in our pursuit of solutions for the world’s most pressing problems.”

UCI professor of urban planning and public policy Richard Matthew, who will lead the center, said science demonstrates the benefits of engaging with music on everything from health and brain development to promoting social justice and communicating across cultures.

“Research is evolving quickly, and we are excited about leveraging the power of music in our turbulent society and finding ways of improving mental and physical health, mobilizing people around social change and justice, promoting a sustainable world and addressing the challenges of climate change and pollution,” he stated.