As CMC continues to reflect on these times, the need for music is more important than ever. The simple joy of musical expression, connecting with a teacher, or being in a class with others lifts the spirits and breaks the isolation so many people are experiencing. CMC is raising the bar in accessibility by creating the Free Sampler Series for new, returning, and current students to stay connected to music.
Mix and match classes, workshops, and a lesson free of charge. On January 30, try out free classes in piano, ukulele, Music for Children, and cello at Plug & Play Music Day. The free sampler series includes free private lessons as part of Free Trial February. Take free one hour workshops with CMC faculty from the Cultural Traditions Department at CMC Sessions starting February 9 and continuing through May. All the programming in this series takes place online.
Free Trial February
January 25–February 28
New, returning, and current students are invited to take one free trial lesson in the month of February. To redeem the offer, fill out the form to speak with our registration team before February 19, 2021.
Plug & Play Music Day
Saturday, January 30 from 1:00–3:15pm
Free
The afternoon’s featured classes are perfect for beginners, families, and the adventurous. Try Beginning Piano with Christopher Basso, Music for Children with Daniel Fabricant, Uke’n Sing with Beth Wilmurt, and Beginning Cello with Erik Andersen. Visit our website to see more schedule details.
CMC Sessions
Explore a rich selection of music topics with CMC faculty!
February 9–May 25
Free
Take a deep dive into jazz, Chinese-American, Latin, old-time, gypsy jazz, and genre-crossing styles with CMC faculty from the Cultural Traditions Department. The sessions offer engaging discussions, inspiring demonstrations, and musical tips in a creative format.
Starting on February 9, Maestro and Nola Curtis are launching the series by leading a workshop on the impact of Black culture on ensemble singing. On February 23, Jon Jang shares his musical language and reflects on his trajectory as a Chinese-American jazz artist and composer. March features sessions by Charlie Gurke and Miguel Govea. In April, Omar Ledezma Jr. and Erik Pearson each give workshops. Scott Feichter and Allison Lovejoy both teach sessions in May.
Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon
Bold Spirits: Celebrating Women Composers
The CMC Piano Department invites you to the Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon, Bold Spirits: Celebrating Women Composers streaming online for a weekend of masterful piano performances!
Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 5pm
FREE, donations greatly appreciated
The Keyboard Marathon will be dedicated to the memory of Juliet McComas, our dear colleague and friend, an outstanding musician, exceptional teacher, and the founder of the annual Keyboard Marathon. The first Marathon took place in 2004 and started a beloved CMC tradition. Each year, our talented faculty presents a program of beautiful music, exploring a different theme or composer. This year’s concerts will draw from the vast and largely unknown range of music by female composers. The music of women composers often comprises only a small percentage of programmed piano repertoire, yet many outstanding female composers have made significant contributions to classical music.
The program will present music from the Baroque to the 21st century — from Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre to Nina Simone — as well as showcasing works composed by our faculty members Paula Dreyer, Allison Lovejoy, Janis Mercer, Betty Wong, and Shirley Wong-Frentzel. The program also includes selections by Amy Beach, Nathalie Bera-Tagrine, Valerie Capers, Cécile Chaminade, Wanda Landowska, Veronika Krausas, Elise Kwon, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Meredith Monk, Zenobia Powell Perry, Clara Schumann, Maria Szymanowska, Germaine Tailleferre, Karen Tanaka, and Errollyn Wallen.
Featured CMC piano faculty performers include Christian Bonvin, Jacqueline Chew, Paula Dreyer, Grace Huenemann, Allison Lovejoy, Janis Mercer, Michaela Overall, Jennifer Peringer, Matylda Rotkiewicz, Shirley Wong-Frentzel, Betty Wong, and Lilia Zheltova, with special guests Esther Chan, and Annie Nalezny.
Full program notes will be shared online in April. Stay tuned for more!
RSVP HERE to receive email reminders and a link to the concert sent to your inbox, and enjoy the music from the best seats in the house—your own! (be sure to select both dates to get reminders for both fantastic concert programs!)
How to watch:
The Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon is free to view, but your donations remain essential for us to cover our costs and pay artists in full.
Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon
Bold Spirits: Celebrating Women Composers
The CMC Piano Department invites you to the Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon, Bold Spirits: Celebrating Women Composers streaming online for a weekend of masterful piano performances!
Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 5pm
FREE, donations greatly appreciated
The Keyboard Marathon will be dedicated to the memory of Juliet McComas, our dear colleague and friend, an outstanding musician, exceptional teacher, and the founder of the annual Keyboard Marathon. The first Marathon took place in 2004 and started a beloved CMC tradition. Each year, our talented faculty presents a program of beautiful music, exploring a different theme or composer. This year’s concerts will draw from the vast and largely unknown range of music by female composers. The music of women composers often comprises only a small percentage of programmed piano repertoire, yet many outstanding female composers have made significant contributions to classical music.
The program will present music from the Baroque to the 21st century — from Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre to Nina Simone — as well as showcasing works composed by our faculty members Paula Dreyer, Allison Lovejoy, Janis Mercer, Betty Wong, and Shirley Wong-Frentzel. The program also includes selections by Amy Beach, Nathalie Bera-Tagrine, Valerie Capers, Cécile Chaminade, Wanda Landowska, Veronika Krausas, Elise Kwon, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Meredith Monk, Zenobia Powell Perry, Clara Schumann, Maria Szymanowska, Germaine Tailleferre, Karen Tanaka, and Errollyn Wallen.
Featured CMC piano faculty performers include Christian Bonvin, Jacqueline Chew, Paula Dreyer, Grace Huenemann, Allison Lovejoy, Janis Mercer, Michaela Overall, Jennifer Peringer, Matylda Rotkiewicz, Shirley Wong-Frentzel, Betty Wong, and Lilia Zheltova, with special guests Esther Chan, and Annie Nalezny.
Full program notes will be shared online in April. Stay tuned for more!
RSVP HERE to receive email reminders and a link to the concert sent to your inbox, and enjoy the music from the best seats in the house—your own! (be sure to select both dates to get reminders for both fantastic concert programs!)
How to watch:
The Juliet McComas Keyboard Marathon is free to view, but your donations remain essential for us to cover our costs and pay artists in full.
CMC Sessions
Take a deep dive into jazz, Chinese-American, Latin, old-time, gypsy jazz, and genre-crossing styles with CMC faculty from the Cultural Traditions Department. The sessions offer engaging discussions, inspiring demonstrations, and musical tips in a creative format. Participants are invited to interact with the faculty through a Q & A. CMC Sessions are free and open to all levels of music students.
Meet these talented and inspiring faculty at the CMC Sessions:
April 27, 2021, 6:00pm (PST)
Free
Join Erik Pearson for a lecture-demonstration on the history of the banjo— from its African and Caribbean roots to the present. Erik Pearson will talk about the history of the banjo and demonstrate some different instruments and styles/methods of playing.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
People who are interested in this workshop can dive deeper by exploring private lessons and instrumental ensembles.
Guitar and songwriting faculty member Larry Dunn is putting together a concert celebrating four of CMC’s own singer/songwriters performing their original compositions in folk, country, blues, R&B, and bluegrass styles. They will be performing songs solo (individually) in a round-robin fashion, much like a Nashville singer/songwriter circle. Each artist will play three songs (both live and pre-recorded). Expect backstories, anecdotes, and even a bit about the songwriting process as relates to the song an artist performs. In addition to music by Dunn, Erik Pearson, Maestro Curtis, and Anne Carol Mitchell will be performing original music.
This free event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP HERE to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the concert.
CMC Sessions
Take a deep dive into jazz, Chinese-American, Latin, old-time, gypsy jazz, and genre-crossing styles with CMC faculty from the Cultural Traditions Department. The sessions offer engaging discussions, inspiring demonstrations, and musical tips in a creative format. Participants are invited to interact with the faculty through a Q & A. CMC Sessions are free and open to all levels of music students.
Meet these talented and inspiring faculty at the CMC Sessions:
May 11, 2021, 6:00pm (PST)
Free
Join Scott Feichter in this musical lecture examining the lineage of Gypsy Jazz. Musical examples will be heard as Scott traces the predecessors of this music and take a glimpse at the latest generation of players. Topics will include the origins of Jazz in the United States and its tributaries, the evolution of French Musettle music, and an examination of the Gitano culture in Europe. A further emphasis will be placed on specific devices that distinguish this style and a note about other genres influenced by Roma people.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
People who are interested in this workshop can dive deeper by exploring private lessons and the jazz program.
CMC Sessions
Take a deep dive into jazz, Chinese-American, Latin, old-time, gypsy jazz, and genre-crossing styles with CMC faculty from the Cultural Traditions Department. The sessions offer engaging discussions, inspiring demonstrations, and musical tips in a creative format. Participants are invited to interact with the faculty through a Q & A. CMC Sessions are free and open to all levels of music students.
Meet these talented and inspiring faculty at the CMC Sessions:
May 25, 2021, 6:00pm (PST)
Free
Join Allison Lovejoy in a lecture demonstration about the exciting journey of genre-crossing in music. Allison will share how she has developed as a musician, learning multiple musical styles and how this relates to her teaching approach, which focuses on constant learning and flexibility. She will share examples as a pianist and composer of her performances in classical, rock, world music, musical theater, and cabaret. Music students and musicians interested in expanding their focus to include new genres will find this session inspiring. Composers will find support and methods for exploring and drawing from diverse styles.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
People who are interested in this workshop can dive deeper by exploring private lessons and group classes and ensembles.
