Michael J. Wong: Practicing Love Loudly Through Equation and Ensemble

By Sir Kippy Marks–

“Practice Makes Love Easy” highlights the notion that, over time, the challenges and complexities of human relationships become more manageable; we are all partners in developing a deeper understanding of each other’s needs and desires. As humanity navigates the ups and downs of our universal journey together, we build resilience and find more effective ways to support and care for one another. Through practice, and the mathematics of music, we learn to navigate conflicts with grace, we celebrate each other’s successes, and we cherish the moments of humanity and connections.

It is like any ensemble. In essence, the phrase encapsulates the belief that love becomes more fulfilling and effortless when all people are committed to continually nurturing and growing human relationships. It is my honor to celebrate, and recognize an individual who practices love through equations and ensembles. Our sixth PMLE recognition champion is Michael J. Wong.

He is a passionate educator, musical director, and activist who exemplifies the spirit of PMLE in both the classroom and the concert hall. As Co-director of the Mathematics and Statistics Program at UC Berkeley’s Student Learning Center, Michael has spent more than 20 years championing mathematics as a pathway to empowerment, especially for students from historically marginalized communities.

He sees math, not just as numbers, but as a language for self-expression and a tool for social justice, guided by the legacy of civil rights activist Robert Parris Moses and his belief that algebra is the “new civil right.” Michael’s journey began in the halls of Berkeley, where his love of physics, music, and teaching converged during his work with the Summer Bridge Program—a space where he witnessed firsthand how education could transform lives.

Equally inspiring is Michael’s dedication to the San Francisco Pride Band, where he serves as Artistic Director of the Marching and Pep Bands. Since first joining the ensemble as a teenager in 1998, Michael has used music as a powerful vehicle for visibility, self-love, and community cohesion. Under his direction, musicians of all levels find confidence and purpose in sound, and audiences discover joy in shared celebration. Drawing inspiration from Band founder Jon Sims and former Artistic Director Jadine Louie, Michael treats every performance as an act of love—fostering unity, honoring authenticity, and lifting spirits across San Francisco and beyond. Through both melody and mathematics, Michael lives the philosophy of PMLE: amplifying voices, cultivating passion, and practicing love boldly and brilliantly.

Kippy Marks: How does love manifest through your work as both an educator and artistic director?

Michael J. Wong: I’m fortunate to have two positions where I have the privilege of practicing love every moment of the work. By day, I am Co-director of the Mathematics and Statistics Program at UC Berkeley’s Student Learning Center, where I have been approaching math education as social justice for over 20 years. But the one most appropriate to this column is my role as Artistic Director of the Marching and Pep Bands for the San Francisco Pride Band (formerly the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band), where I inspire musicians of all experience levels to use music to unite communities, and to promote visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. Music speaks to everyone, and by engaging in music, whether as a performer or as an appreciative audience member, we forge authentic connections and shared community. I joined the Band as a teenager in 1998 and have been serving as the Artistic Director for the Marching and Pep Bands since 2016.

Kippy Marks: Who or what motivated you to become the community activist and music director you are today?

Michael J. Wong: Even though I never met Jon Sims, his legacy as the Band’s founder taught me how music can be a type of activism. His “Message of Music” encapsulated by his re-written lyrics to “If My Friends Could See Me Now” inspired me to use music as a radical statement of visibility and power for the LGBTQ+ community. One excerpt in particular encapsulates this notion: “I’d like for all the folks to see for a fact/That we’re a source of power they’ll never take back/The closet’s empty now, just like it ought to be/The time is right for us, just look around and see/What a set-up, holy cow!/They’d never believe it if my friends could see me now!” More directly, when I joined the Band in 1998, the artistic director of the Band at the time, Jadine Louie, inspired me to embrace music as empowerment for everyone of all levels, as a way to practice self-love and build community through music. 

As for my work in mathematics education, I first came to realize how mathematics is empowerment when I was studying physics and music at UC Berkeley. I was fortunate to be able to work for the Summer Bridge Program, where I was able to teach math to incoming first-generation college students who came from marginalized communities and under-resourced schools. It was there that I realized that understanding mathematics was the gateway to so many scientific fields, and how systemic inequalities in K–12 education prevented many from being able to achieve their goals. I began to view mathematics education as social justice when I learned how civil rights activist Robert Parris Moses shifted from his earlier work of voter education and registration to calling algebra the “new civil right.” This was further cemented by working over most of my career with the great Cara Stanley, who just last month retired as the Executive Director of the Student Learning Center and who continues to inspire me to use mathematics education as empowerment for members of marginalized communities. 

Kippy Marks: How old were you when you decided to focus on both math and music?

Michael J. Wong: I started on both of these paths as a teenager, as a member of the Band in 1998, and when I taught my first class at UC Berkeley in 1997.

Kippy Marks: What advice would you give to others on how to practice love on the daily?

Michael J. Wong: Whether it is with math or music, the best piece of advice I would give is to find your own voice, and know that your voice matters and is important. That is the first part of practicing love—learning to love yourself. As a musician—and, yes, everyone is a musician, even if that only manifests as singing by yourself in the shower—that means knowing that you’re always good enough, as long as you engage with music with passion. This could be listening to that artist whom no one else ever heard of, and not caring because their music speaks to your soul. Or it could mean finding that one song (Dr. Dee Spencer says everyone has their song, and I agree!) that you just can’t resist singing along to whenever you hear it. And then share it! Share that music with your community, and also listen without judgment to the musical gifts others share with you! 

As for mathematics, so many students see mathematics as something someone else does; they approach math classes as boring classes where you just reproduce what your math teachers tell you to do, and to think how they think. But once you realize that math is a study of ideas, and that learning math is actually learning how to express your ideas in the language of mathematics, then it becomes so much more empowering and also much more fun to learn!

Kippy Marks: If you were granted two universal wishes, what would you wish for?

Michael J. Wong: My first wish would be for everyone to have the time and resources to locate and explore their authentic passions. The second would be for everyone to be able to share those passions with the rest of the world freely and without judgment. What a better place this world would be if we all were able to spend the precious time we have on this Earth doing something that we love, and we were able to co-promote those passions with those who share it, and share these passions to those yet to discover them.

Kippy Marks: Please share any current practices that our readers may find useful, and where we can find and see you.

Michael J. Wong: Practicing love begins with practicing self-love. You cannot truly love others until you learn to love yourself. That means that you need to accept who you are and what special magic that you bring to this world, and not compare yourself to others, which I know is a difficult task and is something I’m constantly reminding myself to do. This doesn’t mean that you don’t try to improve yourself, but rather that you see how you can learn and grow, and find ways to pursue that growth, which is itself an act of love. Surround yourself with people who support you in practicing this self-love, and, in turn, spend your external energy supporting others to do the same.

To join the San Francisco Pride Band Marching and Pep Band, visit
https://bit.ly/4lYEKbW

We perform 35+ times throughout the year in community and civic performances large and small. On most Thursday nights, you can join me at Dee’s Keys, where Dr. Dee Spencer transforms Beaux into an open-mic piano bar from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Sir Kippy Marks is a spirited solo entertainer whose shows are permeated with an infectious joy. His distinctive sound arises from his heart, through his 1822 violin consort, Izabella. Marks’ rare talent, broad smile, and radiant warmth will brighten any event to create lasting impact. He is also Grand Duke XL of The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco. He is the first ever elected African-American Grand Duke.

Practice Makes Love Easy
Published on July 31, 2025