This May 31, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Field Day performathon. A full day of live music, community, and fundraising that has become one of the most beloved events on CMC’s calendar. To mark the occasion, we sat down with Program Director Sylvia Sherman to look back at how it all started — and how far it’s come.
The origin story of Field Day is simpler than you might expect. CMC participates in the National Guild of Community Arts Education, and at one of their conferences, a sister school from New York shared that they did a performathon to bring their community together and raise money. “I thought this was a fantastic idea for CMC,” says Sylvia, “to bring our students, faculty, board, and community together, to do what we love to do — play music — while uniting to support CMC’s mission to make music education accessible.”
Field Day launched during CMC’s 95th anniversary and has been a fixture ever since. “After its launch, it’s been great to see how it has become an annual tradition, evolving as the school evolves,” Sylvia adds. “But what remains consistent is that it’s a full day of musical fun, with welcoming music in our courtyards and performances throughout the day, with a lively spirit of support for performers and for the mission of making music accessible.”
A growing roster of performers
One of the most visible ways Field Day has changed is in who takes the stage. In the early years, the event experimented with large collective performances. “In the early days we experimented with having ‘mass orchestra’ and ‘mass vocal performances,'” Sylvia recalls. “Now we have string department recitals and ‘Vocalpalooza’ which fulfill those roles to bring together our strings faculty and students in performance and vocal faculty and students in performance.”
The growth of CMC’s ensembles program is especially visible at Field Day. “We see new classes such as Rock and Pop Ensemble, CMC’s A Capella Ensemble and Winds Ensembles perform in addition to robust participation from our Neighborhood Choirs Program, Children’s Chorus, Jazz Ensembles and others,” says Sylvia. Individual students also have a special place in the lineup. “Field Day has always been a wonderful place for individual students to perform. We offer accompaniment which is a great experience for vocalists, strings and winds players.” And a recent addition has been particularly meaningful: “The past couple of years we have been able to provide a small CMC Jazz combo to accompany winds students who play jazz pieces — this has made me (and the performers) very happy!”
Perhaps one of the most touching developments is the return of former students. “As some students have ‘grown up’ playing at Field Day, we see some alumni coming back to perform, which we love!”
Moments that stay with you
Ten years of Field Day means ten years of memorable performances. Sylvia has more than a few. “Honestly, there are so many performances that are memorable,” she says. Among her favorites: faculty member Nena Aldaz performing with her professional group Pitch Please, and former student Sai Ray, who “amazed us with his student-led jazz ensemble — and we’d love to think that this was a small piece of his path toward developing and playing with an amazing group, ‘Mamboleo,’ today.”
But it’s the very first Field Day that holds a special place. “Our very first Field Day, in celebration of CMC’s 95th anniversary, faculty member Larry Dunn created a song, ‘It’s a Wonderful Day,’ which he performed with other faculty, Tregar Otton, Richard Saunders, John Kyrk, and our Children’s Chorus. The song really embodied in its process and content what happens at CMC every day.” That same year, the Curtis Family — now known as the Curtis Family C-Notes, led by two CMC faculty and later featured on America’s Got Talent — performed what may have been their very first show together.
Field Day has also proven resilient. During the pandemic, CMC hosted the event online. When the Mission District building was under construction during the school’s facility expansion, the event moved to the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. “I loved hearing our Mission District Young Musicians Program winds students perform on the sidewalk in front of the Center,” Sylvia remembers, “as well as the amazing ‘Agua Pura.'”
A decade of impact
Field Day’s growth as a fundraiser reflects something deeper about the CMC community. Over ten years, the event has raised vital funds for scholarships and tuition assistance — making it possible for students across San Francisco to access music education regardless of their financial situation.
This year’s 10th anniversary promises to be the biggest Field Day yet, with special surprises in store. Chasta Michaelis from 107.7 The Bone returns as emcee, La Copa Loca is back with gelato, and there will be face painting throughout the day.
Field Day 2026 takes place on Sunday, May 31 from 11 AM to 5 PM at CMC’s Mission District Branch, 544 Capp St, San Francisco. The event is free and open to the public. Performers can still register through April 1.