Debbie Wastling

Executive Director

Debbie Wastling, MA, BA Theatre, ALAM (Acting), LLAM (teaching)

As Executive Director of Kings and Clowns 501(c)3 for 22 years, Debbie believes every school age student should have access to quality music and arts training.

Debbie has taught and directed at Junior College level, High School (Head of Music, Drama and Dance) and K-8 in several schools. However, she started her music career in touring Rock Bands in England. She plays piano, saxophone and drums.

Grounded in the classics, she holds qualifications with LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) together with a BA and MA in Theatre and Musical Theatre. Once transplanted to California she directed over 60 productions many popular musicals and produced many variety shows for choral groups.

Debbie has experience in volunteering on grant committees both for Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Long Beach Arts Council and consults with beginning non profits to help them navigate non-profit status and grant writing. She is a long-term member of the Society of Speech and Drama (UK) and holds a Red Carpet Award from Women in Theatre(LA) -2006.


Matt Bartley

Arts Alive Treasurer and Board Member

Matt Bartley has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford and is employed at Honeywell Aerospace.  He began his involvement with Arts Alive in 2013 setting up and operating sound equipment for recitals and helping troubleshoot problems with keyboards, cables, and sound equipment. Matt also plays piano and saxophone. In his spare time, he likes swing dancing.


Ebony Murphy-Root

Board Member

Ebony Murphy-Root teaches middle school humanities at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica and serves as Emerge California 2021 SoCal Class Representative. This year Ebony trained with Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute and ADL LA’s Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute and was selected for Facing History’s new California Civic Fellows Program. In 2018 she was a fellow of the Religious Literacy Summer Institute for Educators at Harvard Divinity School. Ebony, a University of Connecticut alumna, is passionate about community engagement and looks forward to supporting young artists from diverse backgrounds.


L’mar Kojani

Board Member

L’mar Kojani was born and raised in the South Bay area within Los Angeles, CA. While he has lived abroad and is multilingual, LA will always be his home. This love for LA drives him to provide a superior experience to every client he serves because enriching the lives of community members, in turn, enriches the community.

Growing up in a family of real estate developers, L’mar has been involved in the industry his entire life and enjoys assisting clients with both residential and commercial property transactions. He and his family have decades of experience in real estate development, from building homes in the South Bay beach cities and Beverly Hills,  This background in real estate construction has given him a deep knowledge of investment properties and potential “flips”.  L’mar’s professional background in building construction is an expertise that most agents simply don’t have and helps him give his clients sound, detailed advice they can rely on. 

A past drummer who still loves music and he gives his time to community and church projects to help in education and with homeless issues.