Bradford (BJ) Yamamoto, Jr. grew up in Hawaii, raised by his grandparents, and moved to Los Angeles in 2008. He attended public schools in Hawaii, studied music education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and later earned a BA in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles, followed by an MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University. Currently pursuing a PhD in Education at Claremont, BJ has diverse professional experience, including teaching music in Hawaii’s public schools for five years, managing non-profits, and founding a successful technology consultancy and data science startup. He now lives in Los Angeles with his doodle-mix, Jade.
As an advocate for music education in Hawaii, BJ co-founded Aloha Music, a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing school music programs. He serves as the President & CEO and Research Fellow, leading initiatives to reverse the decline of music education through research, advocacy, and public performances. BJ’s work underscores the economic and cultural importance of music education, with a firm belief that “thriving, not surviving, is the bare minimum.”
BJ is a proud member of the LGBTQIA community and is also a vocal advocate for mental health awareness, drawing from his personal experiences with bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder. His commitment to music, education, and mental health reflects his broader mission of supporting individual and community well-being.
In late 2023, BJ suffered acute kidney failure, falling into a coma for over a week and nearly losing his life. Alongside the emotional challenge of a divorce after a 15-year relationship, he faced a tough recovery, spending months relearning how to walk and speak. With the help of his family and friends, he regained his ability to walk, though he now speaks with a speech impediment due to lithium toxicity in his brain. Embracing this new disability as a challenge, BJ uses it as an opportunity to communicate more effectively about his work. On New Year’s Day, BJ committed to a new mantra: “thriving, not surviving, is the bare minimum.” Determined to make a positive impact, BJ embraced this mindset, and in 2024, he founded a nonprofit organization, resumed his PhD journey, and found a renewed sense of purpose in his life.
In early 2024, BJ, along with his co-founders Kuʻulei Arceo and Rickey Badua, founded Aloha Music, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing music education in Hawaii. Driven by their deep passion for music and a desire to see music education flourish, the trio aimed to reverse the decline of music programs in Hawaii’s schools. Through advocacy, research, and public performance initiatives, Aloha Music seeks to provide students with quality music education while emphasizing the cultural and economic value of music in the state’s communities. Their collective experience and commitment underpin a mission to ensure that music education thrives throughout Hawaii.
At Claremont Graduate University, BJ is currently taking coursework in education and arts administration. As a PhD in Education student, his research centers on arts education policy, with a focus on how arts programs are supported in schools. His long-term goal is to drive policy change in Hawaii by leveraging data-driven research that highlights the cultural, social, and economic benefits of arts education. BJ views his PhD journey as a vital stepping stone, providing him with the expertise needed to advocate for meaningful, lasting improvements in Hawaii’s education system.