Mekhi Gladden on Entrepreneurship, Education, and Service
Mekhi Gladden (Oboe ’22) has forged an entrepreneurial path guided by curiosity. A musician, educator, and medical practitioner—Gladden recently became a certified pharmacy technician and vaccinator—they fuse these passions to craft a career entirely their own.
“I’ve learned that you don’t have to wait for permission to create the career you want,” Gladden says. “When you create work in service of others, that can become your infrastructure—and that kind of agency is incredibly powerful.”
Now, Gladden is bringing this entrepreneurial spirit to Imani Winds, the Grammy Award-winning quintet lauded for their innovative work that uplifts artists of color. As Curtis’ first-ever faculty wind quintet, Imani Winds is also deeply committed to education and outreach—two of Gladden’s core values.
Below, learn more about Gladden in our one-on-one discussion about their artistic path, passion for teaching, and drive to uplift other Black creatives.
You’re an alum who recently joined the school’s faculty as part of Imani Winds. What inspired you to join the group as a next step in your career?
When I first played with Imani Winds in 2024, it was like a veil was lifted. I’ve always had a passion for new music and chamber music, and we play such a wide variety of genres—soul tunes, jazz, blues. Imani Winds also gives me the opportunity to teach, which is a huge reason why I love music. It almost feels unreal, bringing everything I love together into one thing. It all coalesced, and I’m super thankful for that.
You’re led a highly entrepreneurial career so far, fusing music performance, medicine, and teaching. How do you see this approach informing this next chapter?
It feels like part of my mission now to demystify social entrepreneurship. I want to inspire more people to create their own projects and play for their communities.
There’s so many ways to do this: You don’t always have to rely only on the infrastructure that’s already in place. You can create your own infrastructure, and that can become your career—or even just part of your musicianship. That gives you so much agency as an artist, and it’s amazing to experience that.
At first glance, classical music and medicine seem like very different fields. For you, what’s the throughline?
My throughline has always been building and supporting community. Pharmacists are a first line of defense for people: People can come and ask questions and get support when they’re stressed. It’s the same kind of intellectual space as music education, which I’ve always really cared about.
Another is physically playing for patients. Music has been shown to have a hugely positive effect on recovery and pain management. I believe in the power of coloring a space in this way to make it welcoming and supportive.
As a Black artist, what are you most energized by with Imani Winds moving forward?
Over the past 30 years, Imani Winds has formed a specific style and sound world we can impart to students. It’s similar to how someone might study a specific orchestral sound. They also have a media company, which records and spotlights artists of color. They’ve created this empowering space where people can go. I’m just excited to learn more about it all: Whose ideas were these? How did it happen?
What advice would you give to other young Black musicians or creatives pursuing similar paths?
Lean into the support of your community. It’s amazing how many networks of Black artists and creatives exists. It feels like there’s a place for everybody. I’m the complete product of that; I’ve been shepherded to this position. This is what keeps us feeling empowered and sharing ideas. All of this doesn’t happen because of just one person. It happens because of what we’re doing together.
