“El Son de la Misión” will stream to raise money for food relief for Mission District families
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.
Bridging the technological divide for older adult choir members
Even as the Older Adult Choir Program has moved online with practice videos and Zoom sessions, there are limitations for some of the members. Those who don’t have devices to access Zoom and online videos or access to the internet are not able to participate in the choirs. Especially during the pandemic, when isolation is more prevalent, making the choirs accessible to everyone is of primary concern for María Cora, Older Adult Choir Program Coordinator. She has been working with the Community Tech Network (CTN) and its Home Connect program to address some of the technology challenges CMC’s choir program is facing. She surveyed the Older Adult Choir conductors to nominate members who need devices and training. In working with Home Connect an additional impediment was soon discovered. Many of the nominated older adults speak Spanish or Tagalog primarily and the Home Connect program, which is currently in a pilot phase, is still developing capacity to provide support to clients for whom English is not their primary language. In working with CTN, Cora is hopeful. This past week she learned from Stephen Minor, CTN Senior Program Manager, that the Home Connect Program has more capacity for working with Spanish-speakers through volunteer recruitment. Cora is also helping to connect CTN with someone from the Tagalog community to translate their learning materials.
Online jazz ensembles build valuable performance skills
As sheltering-in-place continues through the summer, the ensemble experience of playing music in real-time with others musicians remains a restricted activity. CMC faculty who teach ensembles have been innovating their classes to adapt to these restrictions. In Charlie Gurke’s jazz ensembles, they have gone from in-person weekly classes to Zoom sessions. According to Gurke, the main change in the ensemble has been a shift from focusing on rehearsing and performing to musicianship skills.
“A lot of what we’re doing is working on theory, ear-training, and analysis,” says Gurke.
He’s identified these components as important skills to bring into the performance environment. The weekly Zoom sessions are rich. Each week, the ensemble works through repertoire, with a guided practice of Gurke playing and the ensemble playing along on mute. He individually works with students, listening to their progress. The group works on transcribing, both recorded jazz solos and solos that ensemble members are composing. Melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically analyzing repertoire is also built into the weekly sessions. Gurke has received positive feedback that the students are enjoying addressing aspects of their musicality and honing these skills. In the future, when ensembles can meet in-person again, Gurke plans to carry over some of the valuable musicianship exercises that his remote ensembles have been exploring.
Virtual Field Day: A week of music and reflection
Jazz vocalist Faye Carol was one of the celebrity performers at Virtual Field Day. Listen HERE. The CMC community united around the power of music during Virtual Field Day, which took place June 1 through 7 with a week-long broadcast of inspiring musical performances by CMC students, faculty, and friends. The week also coincided with the […]
CMC faculty imagine a bright future with creative stimulus funding
CMC faculty members are getting a little boost of inspiration and support courtesy of an anonymous donor. The donor, who is also a CMC student, and CMC have created a grant called “Imagine the Future: A Creative Stimulus and Artist Support Grant for CMC Faculty.” The grant’s intention is to stimulate and support meaningful creative work for CMC faculty. The donor recognized the need for faculty to have not only financial support, but also to nurture creativity and the arts at a time when performing artists are facing devastating losses of income due to cancellations. The intention of the grant was to get musical artists thinking and feeling the spark of creativity during an otherwise dark time for the arts. The awards were announced to faculty earlier this week.
Saying “Thank You” with a little music
One of CMC’s board members and students, Cathi Kwon, hatched a beautiful idea. In appreciation of all the many people who continue to go to jobs and provide services for the many who are staying at home, she wants to say, “Thank you” with music. In the spirit of Italians singing from balconies during their quarantine, her idea is that on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM people can show their appreciation by playing “With a Little Help from my Friends” by the Beatles. People can play music out their windows and/or video themselves playing. CMC will take these videos and share them with the world through our social media.
Celebrating the power of music and community at CMC’s online Gala
On Thursday, April 23, CMC’s Gala will go online with a program featuring sensational faculty performances and community voices. Gala guests can expect to be uplifted with great music and candid moments into the lives of CMC students and faculty during an unparalleled moment in CMC’s history.
Music is a lifeline for older adults
For CMC, the COVID-19 crisis hit early. Senior centers around San Francisco were the first to close their doors in early March and older adults were the first population recommended to socially distance themselves. With these closures the CMC Older Adult Choir Program, which serves nearly 400 older adults in senior centers throughout San Francisco, immediately transitioned to an online format, where choir faculty started making videos.
Taking Lessons Online
With the City of San Francisco’s direction to shelter-in-place, Community Music Center is not holding on-site lessons and classes at its Mission District and Richmond District Branches from March 14–April 7. All CMC concerts and events during this period have also been cancelled. We will miss our cherished community during this time, but the music […]
Violins of Hope at Community Music Center
The moment the musician put her bow on the string, the power of the Violins of Hope was clear. These stringed instruments, which belonged to prisoner-musicians from the camps of the Holocaust, represent what is both the worst and best of humanity: the cruelty of war and the beauty of art, the power of faith. Now, through the devotion of Amnon Weinstein, a renowned violin maker, these instruments have been beautifully restored and are being shared in schools and concert halls around the world.