My name is Adi Patil, and I did my apprenticeship at CMC in the Mission on Capp and 20th. I wanted to apprentice at CMC because I have been taking guitar lessons here for almost three years. My teacher is Larry Dunn, who is easily the best guitar teacher I have ever had. Everyone at CMC is so kind to me and inclusive; it almost feels like a family of musicians. When we were told about this school task, I immediately thought about CMC. I reached out to them, and Sylvia Sherman was very inviting. I have known her for a while as she is also the camp director, and I have participated in many camps. She immediately wrote back to me and suggested several different things that I could do. One of them was taking photos at several different events. Taking photographs seemed really interesting to me.
Throughout my apprenticeship, I got the amazing opportunity to spend more time at CMC and learn more about four different events. I enjoyed going from event to event and taking photos. Every musical piece was well thought out, like CMC always is, and everything was played beautifully.
I also learned how to use a proper camera (a Sony mirrorless NEX 5N) and several new things about photography. I enjoyed taking pictures of people and the audience and will definitely try photography more in the future.
The first event was a Cuban Ensemble at Bissap Baobab. It was a Wednesday evening in the Mission, at one of the local restaurants. One challenge I had was that when I got to CMC, I realized the event was happening somewhere else! But I emailed Sylvia, and she was quick to respond, which was very helpful. I wasn’t too late and made it just in time for the music to start. Even though there weren’t many people, it was definitely an amazing experience. Everyone there was super invested in the music. There was a couple dancing who seemed so happy, completely ignoring what was happening in the rest of the country at the moment. That shows how well CMC can provide comfort and joy through music. The ensemble played music from all over Cuba, and they were all in sync. I liked the flutes in particular, as they were synchronized to perfection.
The rest of the events were on the weekend. The first was on a brisk Saturday afternoon. It was the I Believe performance with the pianist Lara Downes. A group of young student musicians came from all over the Bay Area to perform music that they themselves composed. They had composed and performed pieces representing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These were short musical stanzas that represented those feelings and concepts, and a few of them wrote about the 2024 presidential election. It was very thoughtful, and everyone played so well.
Later that day was the Scott O’Day Fretboard Workshop for Intermediate Guitarists. I then realized that a while ago, I myself had signed up for it! Luckily, the people at CMC were kind enough to help me out and take pictures, so I could participate. It was interesting, and he talked a lot about music theory and the roots of Western music.
Later in the evening, there was the Scott O’Day Tango Concert. It was a quartet with no drums, but they all played beautifully. I particularly enjoyed the violin player. I took many pictures of the musicians as they played, including some from the mezzanine level, where I could get a view of the whole theater!
Finally, there was the Los Peludos Album Release on Sunday. This band plays original compositions inspired by their Chicano/Mexican-American/Latino heritage. Not only did they play fantastic music, but everyone seemed to be having a great time. Sylvia Sherman was also part of this group, playing the bass! It seemed like everybody knew each other and was gathered around almost like a family gathering. That just shows how amazing CMC is and how much they bring the people of San Francisco together.
I learned a lot during this apprenticeship. I got an opportunity to attend four different types of events, and I hope that the photos I took will help everyone remember these events a little while longer.
Photos taken by Adi at various events