MDYMP singers at Cinco de Mayo’s Main Stage

The Cinco de Mayo Festival was held on Valencia Street in the Mission District this year. Singers in CMC’s Coro Solera (Mission Neighborhood Center) and Coro de la Treinta (30th Street Senior Center), and Community of Voices choirs at Mission Neighborhood Center and Centro Latino de San Francisco sang that afternoon for an appreciative crowd.

Community Music Center’s Mission District Young Musicians Program hit the main stage with musica bailable including favorites from Mexico, Colombia and Cuba. Later that afternoon in the Kids Zone, Community Music Center offered an Instrument Petting Zoo: CMC faculty and students from the Mission District Young Musicians Program demonstrated Latin Percussion, Guitar, Violin, Cello, Accordion, and Flute!

View photos by Jiale Zhi.

The post CMC at Cinco de Mayo in the Mission appeared first on Community Music Center.

PR Contact:
Sonia Caltvedt, Marketing Director
Community Music Center
(415) 647-6015 x75
scaltvedt@sfcmc.org

Architect Mark Cavagnero to Design Community Music Center’s
Expanded Mission District Campus

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 20, 2014) — Community Music Center (CMC), a non-profit music school with the mission of making music accessible to all, has announced the selection of renowned architect Mark Cavagnero for an exciting — and critical — campus expansion project.

To meet a growing need for high quality, affordable music lessons in the Bay Area, Community Music Center purchased the property next door to its Mission District Branch in September of 2012. Gifts from CMC’s Board of Directors and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, coupled with financing from the Northern California Community Loan Foundation made this ambitious step possible. The timing couldn’t have been better: CMC’s Mission branch is at capacity, with waiting lists for prime lesson times and offsite teaching due to limited classroom space.

Says Executive Director Christopher Borg, “We believe that music transforms lives and that everyone should have access to a high quality music education.  The expanded campus will prepare Community Music Center well for our second century of serving Bay Area residents.”

Integrating the Victorian next door to CMC’s home at 544 Capp Street will nearly double the center’s capacity to offer music lessons and classes. When the campus is completed, students, faculty, staff and performers will enjoy more teaching studios, ensemble rehearsal spaces, work areas, and a state-of-the-art renovated concert hall.

Architect Mark Cavagnero was selected in part for his deep understanding of how architecture creates and fosters community.  His unique and thoughtful approach to leading an organization through the design process makes him the clear choice for this project.  In partnership with Community Music Center stakeholders, Cavagnero will develop a solution that best captures CMC’s identity and meets its needs while being mindful of cost.  Mark Cavagnero Associates has won many awards and is responsible for the acclaimed new SFJAZZ Center, as well as the innovative renovations of the Oakland Museum and the historic East Bay Center for Performing Arts.

Mark Cavagnero shares CMC’s enthusiasm for an enhanced and expanded presence in the Mission District: “Community Music Center’s lovely campus has been an important player in San Francisco’s cultural and community life. It is with great excitement that we begin our journey of taking CMC to an even higher level of music instruction and performance, all the while reinforcing the community connection in a city searching for just such opportunities.”

To manage the project, CMC has engaged Equity Community Builders (ECB), a real estate developer with a focus on responsible development that contributes to the strength and vitality of neighborhoods and communities. ECB has worked with clients such as the East Bay Center for Performing Arts and Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage Coffee House.

Community Music Center is in the early stages of raising funds for this $10-12 million project.

About Community Music Center:

Community Music Center is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded in 1921 with the mission of making high quality music accessible to all people, regardless of their financial status. CMC is the Bay Area’s oldest community arts organization and San Francisco’s largest provider of free and low-cost music classes and concerts. During the 2012-13 school year, over 2,300 students of all ages, ethnicities and income levels enrolled in CMC programs and over 19,000 people enjoyed musical performances at no or low cost. Learn more at www.sfcmc.org.

###

The post Architect Mark Cavagnero to Design CMC’s Expanded Mission District Campus appeared first on Community Music Center.

PR Contact:
Sonia Caltvedt, Marketing Director
Community Music Center
(415) 647-6015 x75
scaltvedt@sfcmc.org

Community Music Center’s Older Adult Choir Program
Finalist for Bay Area Impact Challenge Grant

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 22, 2014) — Community Music Center (CMC), a non-profit music school with the mission of making music accessible to all, is a Top 10 finalist in Google’s Bay Area Impact Challenge.  To compete, local nonprofits were invited to share their most innovative ideas for improving Bay Area communities. Four winners will receive a $500,000 grant and technical support from Google. Finalists were selected based on the following criteria: community impact, innovation, scalability, and feasibility.

Community Music Center will bring the joy of music making to hundreds of older adults through community choirs. The program will extend the innovative work of the Community of Voices research study, which is a partnership between CMC, UCSF and the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services. The study examines whether singing in a community choir is a cost-effective way to promote health and well-being among culturally diverse older adults. It is funded by the National Institute on Aging and supports each choir for one year.

As a finalist, Community Music Center has already been awarded $250,000 to extend rehearsals for the 12 choirs that are participating in the Community of Voices study. With enough public support during the Google Bay Area Impact Challenge voting period, CMC can increase its grant funding to $500,000, ensuring that the positive impacts of the senior choirs continue for at least four years beyond the duration of the study.

The results have been truly transformative for choir members so far.

“When someone is old and shut away in a room watching television, it withers the soul. With [singing] you feel very good. It gives life.” — Francisco Sanchez, 83

“All week, we wait with enthusiasm for Friday [rehearsal]. I feel a lot better physically and spiritually.” — Isabel Heredia, 76

The public voting window is open from May 22 to June 2. Visit g.co/bayareachallenge to learn about all ten finalists or visit Community Music Center’s voting page directly. On June 3, the top four winning projects will be revealed.

Community Music Center is honored to have been selected as a finalist by a distinguished panel of advisors: Honorable Aida Alvarez, Secretary Norman Mineta, Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed, Reverend Cecil Williams and Major League Baseball player Barry Zito.

About Community Music Center:

Community Music Center is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded in 1921 with the mission of making high quality music accessible to all people, regardless of their financial status. CMC is the Bay Area’s oldest community arts organization and San Francisco’s largest provider of free and low-cost music classes and concerts. During the 2012-13 school year, over 2,300 students of all ages, ethnicities and income levels enrolled in CMC programs and over 19,000 people enjoyed musical performances at no or low cost. Learn more at www.sfcmc.org.

###

The post Community Music Center’s Older Adult Choir Program Finalist for Bay Area Impact Challenge Grant appeared first on Community Music Center.

We would like to thank our supporters for helping us mobilize and broaden our community around CMC’s Bay Area Impact Challenge campaign and to congratulate the four winners that Google announced tonight in San Francisco. We have been in great company.

Community Music Center was a top ten finalist in this highly competitive campaign and has been awarded $250K to continue our older adult choir program. On top of the grant, the campaign has also provided invaluable exposure for CMC throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

Stay tuned for more updates and concert announcements from our older adult choir programs. There is much more to come!

Sincerely,

Christopher Borg
Executive Director, Community Music Center

The post CMC awarded $250K in Google’s Bay Area Impact Challenge appeared first on Community Music Center.

Nearly anyone who studied, worked or stopped by Community Music Center’s Mission District Branch in the last 25 years was welcomed by Registrar Kathy Cole. The face of the school in the afternoon and evening, Kathy has shaped our community with her positivity, laughter and most importantly, her deep appreciation for what we do.

After twenty-five years as CMC’s Mission District Branch Registrar, Kathy Cole retired last month.

CMC Staff at Kathy’s Send-Off

Says CMC’s Executive Director Christopher Borg:

“With my office located across the hallway from where Kathy worked, I had the frequent opportunity to hear Kathy greet students, faculty, volunteers, and guests at our front office.  Fitting for a music school, Kathy’s voice carries a melodic quality that often left me smiling at my desk and feeling assured that people felt welcome in our community.  Kathy’s strong belief in CMC’s mission is inspiring and provides insight to much that is special and important at Community Music Center.   I remain profoundly grateful to Kathy for her many years of service at CMC and wish her all the best for a well-deserved retirement.”

Stephen Shapiro, CMC’s Executive Director from 1978-2011, remembers working with Kathy fondly:

“Kathy grew to know the teachers, students and their families more than anyone else at CMC. She understood teachers well and made good recommendations to students.

Kathy developed systems for managing student records and kept a lot of balls in the air at once. Her ability to keep things in good order was essential to CMC fulfilling its mission. As the years went by, there was a lot more to keep track of, including off-site programs. There were lots of layers of information that she had to keep track of and she was able to do it!

She really cares about the people, the music and the Community Music Center: three things that are essential for a person in her role. I really appreciated the opportunity to work with Kathy.”

Richmond District Branch Registrar Janet Houser shares Shapiro’s appreciation:

“It is Kathy’s care and concern for the students and faculty of CMC that have been the foundation of her work.  Her approach has been inspirational.”

Filling Kathy’s role is Tania Morales, who was CMC’s Assistant Registrar at the Mission District Branch for the past seven years.  “Kathy is passionate about her job and is fun to work with. She thinks about every little detail and not one thing escapes her mind. I believe I’m the saddest person at CMC to see her leave. It has been great to work under her leadership!”

Mission District Registrars (left to right): Tania Morales , Linda Hitchcock and Kathy Cole

At an emotional send-off for Kathy in Chris Borg’s office, Kathy shared several kind and inspiring words with our staff. Here are just a few: “I know that while CMC is in your capable hands, it will continue to make sure that music can be a part of everybody’s lives.”

Community Music Center would like to congratulate Kathy on her retirement and thank her for her many years of service and care for our community. She is an important and much-loved part of our school’s story and we wish her every happiness in her post-CMC life!

P.S. Look for interviews with our new registration team in the coming months.

The post Mission Branch Registrar Kathy Cole Retires After 25 Years at CMC appeared first on Community Music Center.

By Christopher Borg, CMC’s Executive Director

Architect Kang Kiang of Mark Cavagnero Associate Architects

June was an exciting and busy month with the Mission Branch facilities project as we moved into the beginning stages of the design phase. Architect Mark Cavagnero and his team gathered and analyzed responses to stakeholder surveys filled out by faculty, staff, current and past board members, community partners, donors, renters of CMC spaces, and a cross section of students and parents.

Two meetings with the stakeholders took place at which the architect team presented a lengthy analysis of the surveys and framed a discussion to deepen their understanding of how our community would like to bring together a new campus.  At two upcoming Town Hall Meetings this summer, the architects will present progress made with key design concepts and gather reactions for further consideration and massaging of the overall direction of design.

Read more about our campus expansion project here: Architect Mark Cavagnero to Design CMC’s Expanded Mission District Campus

The post Campus Expansion Architects Hearing from our Community appeared first on Community Music Center.

Claire Phillips

Welcome woodwind player Claire Phillips to CMC’s Mission Branch faculty!  In addition to leading CMC’s Jazz Ensemble on Tuesday night, Claire is also teaching private lessons in saxophone and flute, and on the faculty of our Young Musicians Program. She is taking the place of Ken Rosen, who’s just retired after nearly 40 years of inspiring students at CMC.

Claire is the perfect fit for the job. She has broad teaching experience with all ages and levels, she’s taught music to middle school students through the SFJAZZ Jazz In The Middle program, workshops for middle school, high school and college students, and founded and directed the Sheffield University Jazz Orchestra. Claire also teaches middle and high school jazz ensembles and theory at Oakland School for the Arts.

We couldn’t resist asking Claire a few questions for the Do Re Mi Newsletter…

CMC: What drew you to CMC?

Claire: I was drawn to the friendly, open vibe at the CMC. Everyone here truly believes in the mission of the organization and strives to make each program meet the needs of the participants while engaging their creative side.

CMC: What are you hoping students get out of your Jazz Ensemble?

Claire: I hope students gain a deeper understanding of jazz music in a friendly, safe and fun setting. I hope they leave knowing more about the ins and outs of ensemble playing, communicating, and improvising while having a good time together.

Claire has an incredibly rich background as a musician and educator. She has a BA in Music from UCSC, and an MA in Contemporary Music Studies in Composition from the University of Sheffield, England. She previously worked at SFJAZZ as the Education Program Manager and plays in and writes for the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band. She has performed in the US, France and England in a large range of ensembles as both leader and side-woman. She is currently playing soprano sax and flute in an Oakland-based Klezmer band, Hernandez Hideaway and working on several composition projects. She has enjoyed performing in a large variety of musical ensembles including duos, saxophone quartets, jazz quintets, funk and soul bands, Big Bands, and more.

On saxophone, she has recorded an album of original compositions in Paris with pianist, Charlotte Torres, as their duo, C Comme C, an EP with her jazz quintet, L’Ame A Vague, an EP and album with her klezmer band, Hernandez Hideaway, an EP with her saxophone quartet, London Fields Sax Quartet, and has had her compositions performed by the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band, the Sheffield University Jazz Orchestra, the Fidelio Trio, and her numerous other ensembles.

Asked about her latest musical projects, Claire said, “I recently recorded an album with my Klezmer band, Hernandez Hideaway, which should be out sometime in the Fall.  We play new arrangements of traditional Eastern European, Russian and Klezmer tunes, adding silly lyrics and excitement to beautiful melodies and harmonies. Find us on Facebook or at www.hernandez-hideaway.com for details.”

Check out Claire’s music and join us in welcoming her to the Community Music Center family!

The post Meet Claire Phillips, New Leader of CMC’s Jazz Ensemble appeared first on Community Music Center.

Anne Mitchell, CMC’s Associate Registrar

Now that Tania Morales has taken Kathy Cole‘s place as Mission Branch Registrar, Anne Mitchell has joined us as Associate Registrar. Anne is a former student and a fantastic musician as well. Read our interview with her and say hello next time you see her at CMC!

CMC: How did you first get involved with CMC?

Anne: I moved to the Mission District of San Francisco in 2002 from the San Luis Obispo area. I’m originally from near Dayton, Ohio. I started studying composition and piano at City College, then started taking lessons at CMC in 2011. I studied with Jono Kornfeld and Davide Verotta and now I’m studying piano with Erik Walker. We’re working on open position seven chords so that I can play jazz. I’d like to learn how to write music on the piano. Normally I write on the guitar.

CMC: Do you ever perform in public?

Anne: Yes! I released an album of originals called “Migration Songs” last April at The Lost Church in the Mission. You can check it out at annecarol.com.

CMC: How would you describe your music?

Anne: Lyrical and folksy. I like to listen to all kinds of music though.

CMC: Tell me about your work background.

Anne: Before I came to CMC, I taught guitar and singing to kids. I also taught after-school music classes in public schools with an organization called Nusku Arts. I became a program coordinator there as well. I’m really interested in arts organizing and writing music, so working at CMC really appealed to me.

CMC: How’s it going so far?

Anne: It’s a full-on community here. I really like all of the relationships that I’m forming already. It’s like a family at CMC.

Well it’s really great to have Anne here on staff. Like she says, she is part of the family now. Say hello to her next time you see her and check out her original music – it’s just beautiful!

The post Welcome Anne Mitchell, New Associate Registrar at CMC’s Mission District Branch appeared first on Community Music Center.

Muza Mdzinarishvili, CMC piano faculty member

Congratulations to Muza Mdzinarishvili’s CMC piano students Samantha Tang, Kelly Lee, Rebecca Portnoy and Leo Yan, who just received their results from examinations given by ABRSM, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK) and RCM, the Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada). These exams are a way for an independent institution to formally evaluate the level of accomplishment of a student. Muza’s students all passed their examinations with distinction!

About the ABRSM and RCM examinations
Some CMC teachers help students prepare and present music examinations on a wide range of instruments given by independent accredited institutions.  Among the most highly regarded are ABRSM, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK), which administers exams around the world, and RCM, the Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada), which administers exams throughout North America.  Music exams are a way to formally evaluate the level of accomplishment of a student – ABRSM grades from level 1 to level 8, and RCM has ten levels.  Exam results can range from passing from one grade to the next, to passing with greater levels of distinction.

At the examination, the student performs material that she or he has selected and prepared, choosing from the syllabus set in advance for that year by the examiners.  For example, in the case of ABRSM, three pieces are performed – one piece is from the Baroque or early Classical repertoire, another from the Romantic period, and a third from 20th Century or Contemporary compositions.  Both at ABRSM and RCM exams, the student is also asked to play scales and arpeggios, sight read a piece of music, and listen to and analyze a piece.

Preparing for and presenting exams is a valuable learning opportunity for the student:  the student has a structured framework for progressing from beginner levels to the highest levels of accomplishment.  At CMC this year, 17 of Muza Mdzinarishvili’s piano students passed their examinations with distinction, and one obtained the highest mark – a Certificate of Excellence – awarded by the Royal Conservatory. CMC would like to congratulate these students on their hard work and great accomplishments!

The post Students of Muza Mdzinarishvili Ace ABRSM and RCM Exams appeared first on Community Music Center.

Each May, juries of faculty and staff listen to scores of students to select full scholarship recipients for the coming year, based on need and merit. The following young people are the recipients for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2015.

Charlotte Ackerly Memorial Scholarship
Ying Chen, violin student of Sin-Tung Chiu

Chevron Scholarship
Ryan Nguyen, piano student of Lilia Zheltova

Bella and P.P. Chiu Memorial Scholarship Fund at CMC
Calvin Chan, flute student of Diane Grubbe
Loren Gigi, violin student of Sin-Tung Chiu
Gunnar Huang, piano student of Tatyana Mikhaylenko
Elaine Wu, cello student of Jessica Ivry

Ruth and Martin Elsner Memorial Scholarships
Isaiah Scandrette, violin student of Monika Gruber-Gibbons

Ruth and Martin Elsner Memorial Scholarships
Qiao Ying Chen, piano student of Evegenia Leshchisina

Gertrude Field Memorial Scholarship
Jason Ha, saxophone student of Michael Jordin

Marian N. Ford Memorial Scholarship in Strings
Gabriella Mendoza-Gorska, violin student of Olga Mandrigina

Tyler Guge Memorial Scholarship
Aaron Bierman, guitar student of Patrick Greene

Harold Haber Memorial Scholarship
Jacky Yee, violin student of Olga Mandrigina

Hilda Haber Memorial Scholarship in piano
Hannah Kim, piano student of Katy Luo

Koret Scholarship
Jane Sae Lai, guitar student of Scott O’Day

Ross McKee Memorial Scholarships in Piano
Jane Kim, piano student of Katy Luo
Trinity Lee, piano student of Tatyana Mikhaylenko
Rosa Zhang, piano student of Lilia Zheltova
Journey Rae Moore-Prewitt, piano student of Lilia Zheltova
Tiffany Ian, piano student of Tatyana Mikhaylenko

Alice Morini Memorial Scholarship
Vivian Wang, cello student of Samsun Van Loon

Maurice, Helen, and Carl Shapiro Memorial Scholarship
Sunnie Lee, piano student of Katy Luo

The Shenson Foundation Scholarship
Brenton Lai, piano student of Lilia Zheltova

Shorr Memorial Scholarship in Chamber Music
Kelly Lee, violin student of Oscar Hasbun

Gioia Taber Piano Scholarship
Alexander Lee, piano student of Christian Bonvin

Mrs. Paul L. Wattis Memorial Scholarship
Sophia Manodori, violin student of Alise Ewan

Joan Wild Memorial Scholarships
Vanessa Lopez, piano student of Shirley Marshall
Addison Kuang, guitar student of Willie Ludan

Peter F. Ostwald M.D. Memorial Scholarship
Nora Milyak, cello student of Anne Suda

Rhea Sadowski Memorial Scholarship (sponsored by Women’s Musicians Club of SF)
Jennifer Lee, piano student of Christian Bonvin

Isabel Hesselberg Memorial Scholarship
Calvin Liu, piano student of Grace Yu

The post Congratulations to CMC’s 2014-2015 Merit Scholarship Winners! appeared first on Community Music Center.

We are happy to announce that we have had an incredible crop of new faculty join us this summer! Learn more about them by clicking through to their bios.

The post Meet New Teachers! appeared first on Community Music Center.

Left to right: Chad Dawson, Chinchin Hsu, Peiling Kao, and Nick Brentley Photo: Christy Funsch

“This is the Girl” is a new full-length work by Christy Funsch’s Funsch Dance Experience, with accompaniment by the Grrrl Brigade Taiko drummers, guitarist Dory Ellis, and members of CMC’s Children’s Chorus covering songs by PJ Harvey. Directing the singers is Beth Wilmurt.

“This is the Girl” questions representation, narrative, and conventional depictions of women in myth and in dance performance. It features Christy Funsch and Nol Simonse in a series of duets wherein conversations and experiments take on these topics. Interspersed between the recurring duets are movement sections for five dancers, highlighting and also abstracting the tension introduced in each proceeding duet. Members of the Grrrl Brigade accompany on Taiko drums, with Dory Ellis on electric guitar and a chorus of singers—all covering songs from female punk/activist PJ Harvey. “This is the Girl” asks where identities of “girl” are lodged within each of us as it confronts the conventions of power that potentially hold us back.

Dates:
Friday, September 12th, and Saturday, September 13th, 2014 at 8:00pm
Sunday, September 14th, 2014 at 7:00pm

Location:
Dance Mission Theater, SF
3316 24th Street at Mission
www.dancemission.com

Tickets: 
$15-25 (Use Discount Code “CMC” to purchase tickets for $10!)
Purchase at Brown Paper Tickets

The post CMC’s Children’s Chorus Singers Will Appear in Dance Performance, “This is the Girl” appeared first on Community Music Center.

After 11 years of coordinating CMC’s Chamber Music program at our Mission District Branch, pianist and arranger Jennifer Peringer is passing the torch to Rachel Condry, CMC clarinet faculty member since 1998. I sat down with Rachel in CMC’s courtyard to learn more about her vision for chamber music at CMC.

CMC: How do you define chamber music?

Rachel: Chamber music is acoustic music played in small groups of interdependent parts (generally there is no more than one person on a part). Beyond this basic framework, chamber music can vary wildly both in instrumentation and genre. Note the recent rise in pop/rock instrumental chamber groups! For that reason, the chamber music program is a great way to meet the diverse needs of our CMC community.

CMC: Why is chamber music important for musicians to study?

Rachel: Playing chamber music encourages both active listening and musical multi-tasking – both of which are incredibly important for musical development. The best musicians are listening on many levels at a given time and making musical decisions based on what they hear and feel. Building these skills is important for all musicians!

Chamber music makes demands on musicians that may be overlooked in private practice. For example, playing with others requires them to:

1) Maintain a good sense of time. Everyone has to agree on tempo, and most importantly, keep their place and keep going even if mistakes are made!

2) Practice musical multitasking. Players need to follow all of the parts, not just their own, and discover how they “fit” together.

3) Listen for balance. For example, it’s important that musicians identify the role they are playing at any given moment. They should ask themselves, “Am I playing an important melody where I should come out or a supportive role where I should back off?”

4) Trust themselves and one another.  Many chamber music students feel a responsibility to the group that can motivate them to show up on time and practice more regularly.

5) Last but not least, it’s exciting to be a part of a group! It’s a social experience, and it can diffuse the anxiety of performance, too.

CMC: What are you hoping that students get out of CMC’s chamber music program?

Rachel: I hope that chamber music students achieve a new level of musical inspiration and connection through this program. In all aspects of my teaching life, I want to help students let go of perfectionism and the self-limiting judgment thoughts that plague so many of us (myself included!). I strongly believe that one cannot move forward without accepting where one is. Playing chamber music can help us let go of these subversive thoughts. After all, it is about the group, not just about you! The program also offers the chance to put these ideas to the test in a performance at the end of each quarter. Our Fall Quarter performance will take place Sunday, December 7 at 7:30pm at CMC’s Mission District Branch. It’s free, and all are welcome!

CMC: What kind of ensembles could come together through the program?

Rachel: I’m open to working in really any genre and am even interested in mixing genres (pop, classical, improvisation etc.) where there is interest within ensembles. For example, I have two piano students interested in jazz that are teaming up to work in a Latin jazz duo, and there is a group of young students who met at Camp CMC during the summer of 2013 who are continuing as a chamber group with me this year, working on chamber skills from a variety of styles. Which reminds me, in addition to practicing set pieces, I always use listening games and simple improvisation strategies to practice critical chamber music skills with my ensembles of all levels. I think it is extremely helpful to practice these skills without the having to read and translate written material. I am also trying to drum up interest for composition students at CMC to write for our chamber ensembles, which not only gives the ensembles the privilege of commissioning new work but also provides a great opportunity for composition students to write for particular ensembles and development levels. The possibilities for this program are virtually endless – it is really exciting!

CMC: Tell me about the chamber music jam you’ll lead at CMC’s Open House and Jam Session on September 21.

Rachel: In putting this program together, I was inspired by Classical Revolution. Classical Rev is a worldwide phenomenon that started right around the corner at Café Revolution, where professional musicians gather to sight-read music in relaxed public settings. I am preparing several short pieces of various genres with extra parts for instrument substitutions (since I don’t yet know who is coming!). I’ve picked out a sight-readable Baroque piece, a Katy Perry song, then a simple folk tune – all of which may be played with an open instrumentation. My goal is to provide materials that can be read successfully by a diverse group of musicians. I’m looking forward to hearing the results of this musical adventure, and I invite anyone with even basic sight-reading abilities to join me!

CMC: Are there any personal projects you’d like to tell us about?

Rachel: I am involved with a number of exciting ensembles these days, several of which I helped to found. For example, The Luna Ensemble – a group of improvisers, composers, and acoustic and electronic musicians who write and commission new music inspired by or directly derived from environmental sounds. Our music explores the sounds of our local environments that can so easily be disregarded or covered up. For example we played a concert at CMC last August where we premiered six pieces that transcribed either a BART trip, an afternoon at the Port of Oakland or a morning stroll in Redwood Regional park. It was really interesting to hear the different approaches each composer took to the original materials and the new perspectives on our local landmarks that they all brought. We have shows coming up at Duende and the Active Music Fest this fall.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from Rachel about what is really wonderful and enriching about studying and playing chamber music.  Learn more about our chamber music program. And please join us for CMC’s Open House and Jam Session on September 21 from 3:00-5:00pm!

Rachel Condry is an Oakland based clarinetist, improviser, composer and educator who has taught at CMC since 1998. Her musical interests span from pop to classical to free improvisation to acousmatic composition and she often collaborates with other artists, poets and dancers. In 2005, Rachel made her Carnegie Hall debut with The Matt Small Chamber Ensemble, a group that blends jazz and classical approaches with free improvisation. She is also a founding member of the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra and is the principal clarinetist of the Golden Gate Park Band, the oldest civic band in the nation. In addition to teaching at Community Music Center, Rachel maintains a studio in Berkeley, CA where she teaches private and group lessons in clarinet, recorder, improvisation and chamber music. She has recently taught an undergraduate improvisation ensemble at Mills College. Rachel holds an MFA from Mills College and a BA and BM from Oberlin College and Conservatory.

The post Interview with Rachel Condry, New Coordinator of CMC’s Mission District Chamber Music Program appeared first on Community Music Center.

On Sunday, September 7, the concert hall at Community Music Center was filled with music lovers, enjoying a memorable recital presented by CMC faculty member Sin-Tung Chiu.  The recital featured guests artists Peter Cooper, oboe; Meta Weiss, cello; and Dmitriy Cogan, piano; and marked the 50th Anniversary of Sin-Tung Chiu’s debut recital in Hong Kong at age 17. In various combinations, the musicians performed works by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms in an event that raised over $4,000 for the Bella and P.P. Chiu Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports four full scholarships at CMC.

Following the recital, audience members were invited by Executive Director Chris Borg to visit CMC’s new building next door for a celebratory champagne reception.  The newly acquired Victorian at 552 Capp Street is to be renovated and incorporated into a new and expanded Mission District campus, designed by Mark Cavagnero and Associates.  On this day, the new space echoed with the sounds of children and other music lovers celebrating a glorious afternoon of music making.

Photos: Juli Weiss

CMC students and supporters James Stricker and Mary Jean Stempien enjoy the post-concert reception at 552 Capp Street

Pat Lee, CMC Board President and Mary Chiu, CMC Board Member celebrate a wonderful afternoon of music.

The post Sin-Tung Chiu, Guest Artists Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Chiu’s Debut Recital appeared first on Community Music Center.

CMC: What drew you to CMC?

Tamara: I have always been surrounded by music, from childhood on. And the people I am most drawn to tend to be musicians, artists, and creative types of all kinds.

Aligning my professional experience with my love of the arts is very fulfilling for me. My first job in the arts was with San Francisco Performances, where I enjoyed building relationships with donors in their development department. After that, I worked at SFJAZZ where I headed their sponsorship program during their $65 million capital campaign. I also served on the events committee at Blue Bear School of Music and ran their silent auction for four years.

I love the combination of music, education, and kids – well, all ages really – here at CMC. Music is just so important and I love to think that I can spend my days helping this cause.

I have two little kids at home – two girls, five and seven – and I’ve signed them up for piano lessons. It’s hard to get them to practice, but I know that they also enjoy it. For example, the older one has discovered that playing one particular song makes her feel better when she is sad. This makes it clear to me that music can bring self-reliance. I’m reminded every day at home and now here at CMC of how important it is.

CMC: Are you a musician yourself?

Tamara: People ask if I’m a musician, and I really wish I could say “yes!” but really I am an appreciator of music. As a child I was involved in children’s theater. That experience of being part of a team to put together a play taught me important skills that I still use every day. Later I did my junior year abroad in Vienna, and a highlight of my experience there was living right behind the opera house. (I paid $2 to get standing room access or $5 for a student seat – not bad!) My husband is one of the founders of Blue Bear School of Music and is now an active board member. I’ve helped as a volunteer there and have enjoyed being involved over the years. I have lots of creative people very close to me whom I greatly admire.

CMC: How’s it going so far here at CMC?

Tamara: I love to walk through the garden and up to my desk every morning. It’s very welcoming here. I’m excited about what CMC does for the community and the new building project, of course. Everyone is at CMC for the right reasons, and it seems like everyone loves it here. It’s a magical place!

Tamara lives with her family in Albany, CA. She is from the coast of Southern California but is very much at home here in the Bay Area. Next time you see her in the halls at CMC’s Mission District Branch, say hello!

The post Meet CMC’s New Development Associate, Tamara Bock appeared first on Community Music Center.

50% Discount Available on all of this weekend’s performances for CMC Supporters!

New Century Chamber Orchestra
Music Director, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Carmen Returns

Thursday, September 11th, 8pm, First Congregational Church, Berkeley
Friday, September 12th, 8pm, First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto
Saturday, September 13th, 8pm, SF Conservatory of Music, San Francisco
Sunday, September 14th, 5pm, Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, San Rafael

Bizet/ Shchedrin: Carmen Suite
Pärt: Fratres
Bermel: A Short History of the Universe (as related by Nima Arkani-Hamed)
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Candace Guirao, violin
Anna Kruger, viola
Michelle Djokic, cello
Derek Bermel, clarinet
Bermel: Oct Up
Bermel: Silvioudades
Derek Bermel, clarinet
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin

The season opens with “a marvelous blend of wit and dramatic immediacy” (SF Chronicle), Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite for strings and percussion, written for a balletic version of Bizet’s timeless opera. The concert also highlights Featured Composer and guest soloist, clarinetist Derek Bermel.

http://ncco.org/concert-tickets/2014-2015-season/carmen-returns/

Tickets: 50% off for CMC students, friends, family and other supporters!
$30.50 A Seating, $24.50 B Seating, 14.50 C Seating
(Regularly $59 A Seating, $49 B Seating, $29 C Seating)

Purchase online: visit http://bit.ly/carmenreturns, click the “Price Options” button in the Shopping Cart, enter the code OCTUP in the pop-up window, press “Unlock”, and then select the new ticket price  “Half Off”.

Purchase by phone: call City Box Office at 415-392-4400 (Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm; Sat 12pm-4pm) and mention the code OCTUP before providing payment information.

Purchase at the door: mention Community Music Center to redeem the 50% off ticket offer.

The post New Century Chamber Orchestra Offers Discounted Tickets to CMC Community appeared first on Community Music Center.

Lucille Cuttler, who at 90 years old is a full four years younger than CMC, has made regular gifts of $18 to CMC through the years. She know that $18 covers only about half of a 30-minute private lesson for a child from a low income family, but she gives regularly at that level, magnifying the impact of her giving.

Lucille grew up on Long Island Sound in New York and worked in non-profits to train teachers better to educate students with dyslexia. When asked why she supports Community Music Center, she replied, “What CMC is doing is so important. Music is near and dear to my heart. It is the one thing that I care so much about.”

Asked why she gives monthly increments of $18, Lucille pointed to her Jewish heritage. She said that the number 18 has a spiritual significance in Judaism because the letters of the word Chai, or “life” in Hebrew, have a numerological value of 18. “I give to Community Music Center because I believe that our lives are immeasurably enriched by music. I am so happy to support CMC’s work to keep music in the lives of our children. I know my gifts are relatively small, but if we all pitch in, we can make a big difference.” Here’s to life and here’s to music. Thanks, Lucille.

The post L’Chaim – To life enriched by music appeared first on Community Music Center.

Each year, The Shenson Foundation sponsors four free community concerts at CMC. The following faculty members and their ensembles were selected by a committee of musicians from CMC’s Board of Directors. Stay tuned for more information and concert dates!

1. Rachel Condry and the Gestaltish chamber ensemble

Gestaltish

Gestaltish is interested in promoting and expanding the definition, perception and expectations of improvised music, chamber music and chamber music ensembles. The ensemble will take their CMC audience on a sonic journey in which they explore a broad sonic territory. They will use improvised games and Deep Listening techniques to actively create new spaces through sound in time.

Gestaltish is comprised of:

Gretchen Jude, vocals and electronics
Rachel Condry, clarinets
Jacob Peck, guitar and percussion
Jennifer Wilsey, percussion and piano

2. Alex Conde’s flamenco-jazz trio performing from “Barrio del Carmen”

Alex Conde

Alex Conde‘s recording “Barrio del Carmen” features original compositions remembering the emblematic ancient Roman neighborhood in Valencia, Spain. His unique style blends Jazz and Flamenco with high energy improvisations. View videos on Youtube.

Alex Conde’s trio is comprised of:

Alex Conde, piano and compositions
Sascha Jacobsen, bass
Colin Douglas, drums

3. Janis Mercer playing original electro-acoustic music with piano

Janis Mercer

Pianist and composer Janis Mercer will perform work she has composed over the past decade. One piece features voices of current and former CMC faculty speaking in their native languages and another work is a collaboration with a former CMC student.

4. Jennifer Peringer and Martha Rodriguez-Salazar playing “Musical Chairs” concert with The Bernal Hill Players

The Bernal Hill Players’ Musical Chairs

“Musical Chairs” features international chamber music from the 1800′s to now for flute, clarinet, cello and piano in various combinations. The program is typical of The Bernal Hill Players, representing broad historical and cultural diversity, presented in a friendly “concert with conversation” style.

The Bernal Hill Players is comprised of:

Martha Rodríguez-Salazar, flute
Sarah Bonomo, clarinet
Jennifer Peringer, piano
Laura Gaynon, guest cellist

The post Congratulations to CMC’s 2014-2015 Shenson Faculty Grant Recipients! appeared first on Community Music Center.

By:  Shirley Wong-Frentzel

In August of 2014, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in joint presentation with the Chinese Music Research Institute (CHIME) hosted the 18th annual conference at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Before I go on, I wish to thank private donors and I wish to thank the CMC Faculty Grants Committee for awarding me a grant for the registration and purchase of materials related to Chinese music research.

The title of the conference was SOUNDSCAPES IN CHINA:  SOUND, NOISE AND THE EVERYDAY SOUNDSCAPES.  It was surprising to discover that in 2014 Chinese sounds through instruments was ignored and that kind of beauty and nobility was excluded.  Instead it featured the usually avoided sounds of everyday farming and urban life styles.

Here are a few examples: The keynote speaker from Duke University opened with a topic on the most Chinese of sounds: FIRECRACKERS, GONGS AND DRUMS.  These are the staple sounds of San Francisco Chinatown’s festival soundscape also.

In the 1940-1950′s in red China, one was always reminded of its commanding force.  By creating a street soundscape of “dong fog hung..East is Red” the national anthem was played on church bells!  Insistent..somewhat sinister? because of its ever presence but ‘charged’ sonic space which couldn’t be ignored.  I found myself humming it upon listening to the anthem.

The topic POLITICS OF SOUND explored the Western sounds used in Chinese opera which adopted a western symphony orchestra in its Beijing performance.  Why?  The Communist government was promoting a “new socialist aesthetics to assist political campaigning,” says Dr. Meng Ren of the University of Pittsburgh.  Another expression of western adoption is captured by the sounds of digitalized film images of the Chinese notion of jazz shown in its hotels and restaurants.  The saxophone and drum sets were fixtures in the public bandstands.

A fellow ethnomusicologist in London has researched Kam Opera (in Chinese, “Dong”): singing traditions from southwestern China.  In the early 1940′s Kam choral songs are heard in UNESCO cultural affairs.  For the first time, Westerners recognized music was was not exclusively monophonic.  The new song genre became known as ‘dagga’ (big song).

THE SOUNDS OF ISLAM IN CHINA struck a personal chord for me because I am a practicing Sufi who has spent many years studying Turkish scales.  This lecturer observed the religious expression of the Chinese muslims.  Areas of investigation include the call to prayer, Qur’anic recitation, prayers, devotional songs (zikrs) in ‘live’ practices.  Ethnomusicologist Rachel Harris explored the spaces for the production of Islamic sounds.

TAOIST CEREMONY was presented on a poster panel for all to view.  Undoubtedly this part of history is mostly forgotten by everyday Chinese.  To avoid is decline and to prevent a vacuum of this soundscape, the mountainous community was selected near Shanghai by this Shanghai professor who remembers his college days in those hills walking past the morning chanting of taoist sutras which served for the believers and the masses a needed consolation and comfort, by ‘giving food’ to starving ghosts.

Of all the themes the most poignant for me is THE MEMORY OF THE HOUSE WITH 72 TENANTS presented by one who lived near the tenement. This professor recalls this slum area of which few of us are aware, hidden behind the opulent hotels, sky scraper towers and other reminders of industrialized Shanghai. It is in this crude poverty and sub-standard environment that is the subject of audio-visual ethnography of human sound culture in tenement conditions.  What are the ‘sounds at home’ which one cannot escape?  the morning toilet, the marriage squabbles, the crying babes, the kicking and biting of children, the blaring horns, the hawking of wares in stalls, and carts outside the tenement..Privacy?  Unknown.

My favorite example of Chinese music was not heard, but discussed: JIANGNAN SIJU, music performed by non-professionals on silk strings and bamboo winds who celebrated the end of a work day on the farm or village stores by entertaining themselves.  This music expresses joy, sorrow and comfort of the locals.  Scores were not provided.  But Betty and I were fortunate to be given some hand-written parts by bay area musicians who gathered them from here and there. Like jazz, or early baroque music, the self-expression of improvisation and ornamentation was plentiful in their live performances.

Shirley Wong-Frentzel

Finally, it was expressed by all that there is no specific Chinese sound.  All the topics discussed had as their aim a category of sound related to Chinese history, culture, society and politics

The post Shirley Wong-Frentzel Reflects on Danish Conference, “Soundscapes in China” appeared first on Community Music Center.

The post Protected: Did you know that CMC depends on donations? appeared first on Community Music Center.