Alina Bloomgarden was originating producer of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Reel to Real series and Director of  Visitors Services at Lincoln Center for 23 years, where she received the Directors Emeriti Award for outstanding achievement. She proposed and produced the first critically-acclaimed seasons of Jazz at Lincoln Center and invited Wynton Marsalis to participate as Artistic Advisor, the same role he now has for MOTI. Inspired by Louis Armstrong and his life-changing experience of music education when he was incarcerated as a youth, she launched MOTI to give youth and adults impacted by incarceration today what Armstrong had: music education, mentorship, encouragement and hope. MOTI taught guitar, singing and songwriting on Rikers Island, Queensboro and Edgecombe. At the start of the pandemic, MOTI launched “Musicians for Justice” concerts, featuring over 500 musicians in 75 concerts on Zoom. It has now become her life’s work to galvanize the community of musicians as a positive and healing force in criminal justice.