CMC’s 10th Annual Field Day brought together 413 registered performers: students, faculty, alumni, board members, donors, and community members. A long way from 142 who registered 10 years ago!
One of the headline acts was the Field Day Choir, 100 singers performing together with an arrangement by faculty member Beth Wilmurt. “The faculty prepared their respective groups really well, so that putting it together the day of the event was more fun than work,” said voice instructor Michael Mohammed. “It was a wonderful kickoff for a fabulous day of music making!”
Recording star La Doña, a CMC alumna of the Mission District Young Musicians Program and current teaching artist in the SFUSD Mariachi Program, performed with Mariachi CMC. Her set was a full-circle moment – the type that Field Day tends to produce: a former student, now a professional artist, returned back on the CMC stage.
More alumni who have gone on to professional careers came back to play where they started: Loren Gigi, Aerodynamic, Los Jefes, Kai Lyons Cuban Group ft. Jose Andres “El Sinsonte,” and Agua Pura, among others. 14 Neighborhood Choirs, students, teachers, and staff all took the stage at some point during the day.
“Seeing CMC alumni who are now accomplished professional musicians come back to play where their musical journeys began brought everyone together even more closely,” said Development Director Elenka Refsell. Program Director Sylvia Sherman called it simply “a beautiful day.”
The afterparty featured both the Kai Lyons Cuban Group and Agua Pura, San Francisco’s all-female all-star salsa band with current and former CMC faculty and alumni. And the dance floor was packed all night!
This year’s Field Day raised $118,700 for CMC’s scholarships and tuition assistance programs, an amazing increase over the $23,000 raised in its first year, way back in November 2016. CMC extends a heartfelt thank you to all the students, alumni, families, community members, faculty, and friends who helped make this event possible!