Teacher of the Month: Andrew “Bear” Benford
This month, Kingmakers of Oakland proudly recognizes Brother Andrew “Bear” Benford as our Teacher of the Month. Brother Bear serves as the Music Educator for our Media Academy, teaching daily at the KOO Labs Design Center & Production House Monday through Friday from 4:00–6:00 p.m.
For the past two years, Brother Bear led our Media Academy music class at Oakland Tech High School. This year, he advocated to move his course to KOO Labs so that students could fully utilize our state-of-the-art recording studios. This strategic shift has been transformative, resulting in a consistent cohort of 7–10 young creatives who show up ready to learn, collaborate, and build community.
Brother Bear’s teaching practice beautifully blends direct instruction, guided creativity, and peer collaboration. His classroom is equal parts technical training and artistic exploration—a space where students learn not only how to produce music, but how to express themselves as thinkers, innovators, and engaged creatives.
In addition to being a thoughtful, dynamic, and culturally grounded educator, Brother Bear brings an impressive array of professional skills to our Kings and Queens, including:
Music Production & Engineering (Tracking, Recording, Mixing)
Studio Management & Operations
Sound Design & Sampling
Teaching & Curriculum Development
Live Recording & Podcast Editing
Music Licensing & Distribution
Artist Development & Mentorship
Outside of Kingmakers, Brother Bear is an accomplished and respected figure in the Oakland music community. His body of work includes studio ownership (The Reef Studios), teaching at Oakland School of the Arts, and audio production and scoring for organizations such as CozyBoy Studios, Tales of the Town Podcast, YR Media, Western Digital, Empire, WaxRoof Productions, and even HBO's Insecure.
Kingmakers of Oakland is truly fortunate to have Brother Bear as part of our Media Academy team. His commitment to cultivating young artists, his deep industry expertise, and his unwavering dedication to Oakland’s creative community make him an invaluable member of our village.
Please join us in celebrating Brother Andrew “Bear” Bearford—an educator, artist, mentor, and pillar of our Kingmaker community.