When The New School needed a venue for their West Coast Regional auditions, they turned to CMC. Dennica, an Admissions Counselor at the College of Performing Arts, shared why the space and staff made the experience so successful.
Dennica discovered CMC while searching for a venue that could meet the school’s unique audition needs. “We were in search of a grassroots community-minded venue where we could have access to great lighting, a stage, piano, and support for sound. It was an amazing experience to find a non-profit that truly aligned in ethos and practice with our creative and progressive curriculum at The New School. CMC does a great job of providing equitable access to music education and cultural programming.”
What stood out most was how well the space supported students. “Working with CMC was a fantastic experience. They were able to provide practice rooms, equipment, reputable and experienced staff, and even extra musical instruments for students to use who could not travel on their own. Additionally, the stage, acoustics, and lighting of the concert hall at CMC are all magnificent and reminiscent of the warmth and creative energy found on our campus at Arnhold Hall in New York. There was a grand piano and sprawling stage on-site which was paramount for us. There were amplifiers, a professional sound mixing booth, music stands, and lots of equipment both small and large necessary to pull off a seamless audition into a University undergraduate program.”
The auditions ran smoothly, thanks in part to the thoughtful layout and staff support. “Students were able to enter from a separate door stage left leading straight from their practice rooms. As mentioned before, students were also able to warm up thirty minutes before their auditions so they arrived focused, calmer, and ready to share their work,” Dennica said.
She also praised CMC staff for their attention to detail. “The staff at CMC are collectively a great treasure. Shannon helped us plan out the event and hired CMC staff members to help with sound and reception work. He helped us make sure that we had all of the instruments, gear, and recording equipment that we needed for that day, as well as access to the office and practice rooms. We worked with Jonah on sound. He was extremely attentive to detail. One of our applicants broke their guitar pick up right before their audition. Jonah sprung into action with a small toolkit and was able to fix the student’s guitar.”
Even unexpected situations were handled with care: “I actually left my laptop there by accident and had to fly to the next city to continue our West Coast auditions. Shannon and the team at CMC oversaw the process of finding my laptop, packing it with care, and mailing it back to me. These memories also show how the mission statement of CMC also resides within the way staff members approach their jobs and the work that they do. Similar to faculty at The New School, they are action-oriented, compassionate, and are dedicated to helping you work through all facets related to your project, both large and small, however tedious or complex.”
Dennica recommends CMC without hesitation. “Yes, we 100% recommend CMC to other organizations and spaces. Since our last regional audition, CMC has become an official vendor of The New School. CMC also offers a discount to non-profit organizations looking to use their spaces which is also quite generous and connected to their equity-centric mission. CMC is more than a rental space. This non-profit organization is composed of musicians, artists, and activists who passionately care about their students and the community they serve and we are quite excited to continue to nurture and grow our bi-coastal musical collaboration.”
CMC offers beautifully equipped spaces for community gatherings, music events, and rehearsals. Our Mission District Branch Concert Hall, brand-new Recital Hall, and practice studios are available for rent for concerts, recordings, and music-related events.
The Recital Hall and practice studios are available for hourly rentals with quality pianos and light sound reinforcement.
For rentals, review CMC’s policies and fill out the Rental Form at rentals@sfcmc.org. Practice studios can also be reserved by the hour.