Gabriel Figueroa is a third year student at the George Washington University pursuing a double major in music and history. Born in the Washington, DC area, Gabriel has spent his life pursuing his intertwined passions and is thrilled to be a rehearsal assistant for the CCW.

Gabriel’s life in music began during band class in 6th grade, where he learned to play the tenor saxophone. Throughout high school, Gabriel performed jazz on tenor and baritone saxophone while becoming a self taught bassist and guitar player. Upon arriving at GWU’s Corcoran School of Music, Gabriel quickly became involved in multiple ensembles, including jazz trumpet player Thad Wilson’s Uber Combo and the GWU Hip-Hop ensemble, headed by acclaimed MC Dumi Right. Gabriel has written and performed several original works while playing tenor saxophone and bass in the Uber combo, combining a tapestry of jazz, funk, soul, and a variety of other genres that have inspired his musical journey. He is proud to have been a performing bassist at the Kennedy Center and a gigging member of the children’s music group Marsha and the Positrons.

Through his studies at GWU, Gabriel has produced several research works that incorporate his intersecting interests of music and history. In his sophomore year of studies, he worked alongside Professor Loren Kajikawa on a research project detailing the rise and systemic causes of conservative hip-hop, particularly detailing the influence of the MAGA movement on the hip-hop community through the lens of social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Youtube. Other research projects include a comprehensive ethnography of hip-hop producer J Dilla and the effect of systemic social systems on the image of singer D’Angelo.

Gabriel will graduate from the George Washington University in May of 2025.