If you’ve ever talked yourself out of performing somewhere because the room just didn’t feel right, Sophia Welte gets it.The singer-songwriter and pianist has played at both of CMC’s Open Mic Nights — and she’ll tell you straight up what makes this one different from every other open mic she’s been to.
“At other open mic nights that I’ve been at, everyone is talking, and it feels like everyone views the performers there as total background,” she says. “In that kind of environment, I don’t want to open up and share my own songs that are so deeply personal to me, especially when it’s my first time sharing that song for an audience.”
At CMC, Sophia had a different experience. She dound the audience actually listens, and that matters, especially when the song you’re about to play is one you’ve never performed for anyone before. “People are there to listen and support each other. Most of the people in the audience have at least some experience performing, and because of that, they have a better understanding of the impact that audience members have on a performance space.”
That experience is what keeps pulling her back, and the people. “Every person that I’ve met at CMC has an amazing attitude and is really passionate about music as well as the CMC community,” she says. “Even though I will always be slightly nervous when I’m about to perform, the nerves feel more like excitement at CMC because the community is so loving.”
Her songs start, almost always, with something going wrong. “Honestly, the first step is a bad experience,” she says. “Oftentimes, after something bad happens, I’ll get home and go straight to my piano. It feels like I have a relationship with my piano, and like my hands just go to the chords that match my feelings without my having to consciously choose them. I’ll vamp on the chords until I start crying, and then the words kind of flow out.”
She grew up surrounded by music — her mom built a career in it, so chasing that path never felt out of reach. But the moment everything clicked was quieter than you’d expect. She played an original song for a friend. First time she’d ever shared one. She figured he’d be polite about it and that would be that.
“But he started crying, which was really surprising to me, because it hadn’t occurred to me that the songs that I’d written about my own personal experiences could translate and reach people who were not me.”
She still thinks about that moment. “Once you hear my music, you know me.”
Right now, she’s finishing up a ten-track debut album and getting ready to head to UC Santa Cruz to study Psychology. She’s not majoring in music — a decision that’s confused a few people — but she’s thought it through. “For me, songwriting has been so freeing that I realized I didn’t want to have to do it for a grade.” Sophia also wants to be clear about what that does and doesn’t mean: “I just want to scream from the hilltops, ‘Music is still my life!!'”
If you’re thinking about signing up for Open Mic Night on April 22, she’s not going to give you a long speech about it. Just: “DO IT! Once you get involved in the community, you’re a part of the family. CMC is home to anyone who wants it to be theirs, and you won’t regret it.”
CMC’s free, all-ages, all-genres Open Mic Night is back. Original songs, covers, something you’re still figuring out — it doesn’t matter. Come as you are. All styles and levels welcome, from solo vocalists to full bands, chamber groups to rock & roll.
Wednesday, April 22 | 6:30–9pm Doors and sign-ups open at 6pm | CMC Concert Hall | FREE
Sign-ups are at the door, first-come, first-served. Showing up a little early is your best bet. Let the team know what you need, then hang out and enjoy the show until it’s your turn. Stay for the whole night — that’s the whole point.
Each performer gets 1–2 songs or up to 10 minutes on stage.
Equipment provided: Bose S1 Speaker, 2 microphones, grand piano, drumset, bass amp, two guitar amps, two congas. Bring anything else you need. No accompanist provided, so sort that out ahead of time if you need one.
Questions? Shannon Koehler at skoehler@sfcmc.org.