“Hello Chorus” illuminates human connection during the Pandemic
Creating “Hello Chorus” Beth Wilmurt, who conducts three of the Community Music Center (CMC) Older Adult Choirs, started making instructional videos for her choirs in early March when senior centers throughout San Francisco were shut down. Through this transition to a virtual choir, a series of email exchanges between choir members and Wilmurt were collected […]
Making the musical connection with Gabi Díaz-Hernández
Deciding what instrument to learn, what kind of music to play, and finding the right teacher can be a lot to navigate when signing up for music lessons. This decision-making process at CMC is facilitated with the help of the registration team.
Gabi Díaz-Hernández has been a smiling face in the registration office since 2018. As an adult music student, multi-instrumentalist, and someone very familiar with the CMC faculty she is uniquely equipped to help students.
“What we’re listening to” with Michael Mohammed: Twists & Turns
This month’s Spotify playlist called “Twists and Turns” is curated by Michael Mohammed, voice faculty member. As he says about the playlist, “It’s all vocalists, of all different stripes. It’s a little bit of singers behaving badly…legit singers stepping outside their genres…and pop singers who might be sounding a little more legit. I think there’s a lot surprises on this list.”
50 Years of Iconic Latin Music with Oscar Hernández
Over the course of a nearly fifty year music career, Oscar Hernández has played with some of the most iconic and well-known artists in the New York City Latin music scene. As he said, “New York was in the middle of the Latino cultural revolution and music was a huge part of that— the music of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, on and on, so many artists that were part of that era influenced the rest of the world with regard to Latin music.” And Hernández played with them all.
Musical Exploration with Rachel Condry this Fall
We’ve all tested out something new during shelter-in-place—from sourdough starters, thousand-piece puzzles, home haircuts, or a new workout routine. But how do we stay musically adventurous during these times? Beginning in Fall Quarter Rachel Condry (Clarinet, Chamber Music) will be offering three exciting new classes for both youth and adults to connect to new styles […]
“What we’re listening to” with Heidi Kim
“What we’re listening to” is a series of Spotify playlists curated by CMC faculty. This month’s Spotify playlist is curated by Heidi Kim, violin and viola faculty. As she says about the song selection, “This playlist is getting me through COVID-19.” She also has a few other things to say about the song choices, how […]
CMC launches the MusicLab Workshop Series
CMC is teaming up with the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble and MisterLatinJazz to launch a fall series of monthly music workshops. The MusicLab Workshop series will bring master Latin jazz artists from around the country to share their wealth of knowledge in an interactive setting. These 90 minute workshops give the participants an opportunity to learn, listen, discuss, and practice in real time in an online class experience.
El Son de la Misión” se transmitirá para ayudar a recaudar fondos para alivio alimentario para familias del Distrito de la Misión
CMC is teaming up with Carnaval San Francisco to live-stream CMC’s 2016 production of “El Son de la Misión: A Musical Journey from 1960–Present” in a multi-day fundraising event El Son de la Misión” – Juntos Contra el Hambre (Fighting Hunger Together) to raise funds for the Mission Food Hub, which provides food for 7,000 families weekly. This two-part streaming event will be held on August 3 (part one) and August 10 (part two) at 5:00 pm on the hub’s fundraising page with a virtual telethon. The streaming is happening in conjunction with CMC’s Encore! Summer Concert Series which broadcasts an encore concert from the CMC Concert Hall archives weekly from July 20–September 6.
Exciting and new classes
CMC classes and lessons are looking spectacular for fall with new offerings coming down the pipeline! CMC faculty are using their creativity and know-how to bring online learning to life. Visit the website to learn more about the innovative ways CMC faculty are creating an engaging online music community for youth and adults. The […]
Wishing Linda Hitchcock and María Cora “Bon Voyage!”
At the end of June, CMC saw the retirement of two revered staff members, Linda Hitchcock and María Cora. During Linda Hitchcock’s 24 years at CMC, she worked as the Children’s Chorus Manager, Development Assistant, Grant Writer, and most recently, as the Concert Hall Manager and Associate Registrar. Linda’s tenure at CMC saw three different […]