CMC Presents! features outstanding music and educational events such as “Concerts with Conversation” with internationally acclaimed artists (in partnership with SF Performances), concerts by our award-winning faculty, master classes, clinics, and special CMC productions such as our annual Performathon, “Field Day at CMC.”
Field Day is CMC’s annual extravaganza of music and community with a school-wide Performathon, raising money for scholarships and tuition assistance, and celebrating our beloved institution and the visionary founder behind it, Gertrude Field.
Sponsor a performer or donate online here: https://give.classy.org/FieldDay2023
Field Day 2023’s Performathon will be hosted by our friends and neighborhood partners Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.
Saturday, June 3 from 11am–5pm
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
2868 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
FREE
Want another way to get involved? Be a Field Day Volunteer! Email us if you’re interested at mlee@sfcmc.org.
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
Max and Jini Yoshimoto
Sand Hill Global Advisors, LLC
Cara Glass & Sash Inc.
Novogradac & Company LLP®
Masks are encouraged but not required. Please be aware that events are subject to change to comply with these protocol. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe!
CMC’s annual All–School Recital is an all-level student showcase featuring exceptional students from both our Mission and Richmond District Branches. Students are selected by audition based on their progress in relation to the amount of time they’ve been studying on their instrument. This is a CMC community favorite—come cheer on our hardworking students!
Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 4:00pm
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav
290 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Free
Masks are strongly encouraged but not required for all attendees. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe and healthy!
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
Sha’ar Zahav is a fragrance-free environment. Please do your best to follow these guidelines when you visit our synagogue building:
For more information on this subject, including why it’s important and a list of Fragrance-Free products, visit eastbaymeditation.org
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
Spark your musical imagination with CMC faculty as they delve into stories about the inspiration and influences that have guided them as professional musicians and teachers at CMC. CMC Sessions: Inspiration & Influences is an eight-part on-line series hosted by CMC Cultural Traditions and Winds/Brass Departments, providing up-close and personal stories about the potent influences and galvanizing experiences that make up the “musical life.” Told through compelling demonstrations, musical examples, and creative tips, the sessions will provide participants with inspiration on their musical journeys.
Meet these talented faculty members:
Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 7pm (PT)
Online via Zoom
FREE
The jazz tradition and its pioneers have greatly influenced Erick Peralta’s musical persona, improvisations, and expressions over the years—and continue to enrich and shape his musical journey. Erick will present a succinct exploration of various, iconic jazz pianists from the 20th century, observing different components of each pianist’s personal improvisational language. Erick will dive into specific artists’ improvisations, breaking down and demonstrating excerpts of their improvisational languages. He’ll share the elements you can draw from these musical pioneers, and how to implement the elements into your own musical language.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. REGISTER HERE to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
Erick Peralta is a versatile musician with a special appreciation for all styles of music, permitting him to keep open ears for the development of music, while still keeping in mind tradition and history. From an early age, Erick was exposed to various styles of music thanks to his father, such as Latin-Pop, Afro-Peruvian, and Afro Cuban music. Classically trained from 6 years old, he began playing professionally in the year 2005, at the age of 15, then branching out in the San Francisco Bay Area with various Jazz, Rock, Latin Jazz, and Salsa groups. Following his studies at Community Music Center and the Jazzschool in Berkeley, he’s had jazz studies with late pianist Ray Santisi, Laszlo Gardony, Danilo Perez, Tia Fuller, Ed Tomassi, David Santoro, as well as with Papo Lucca from Sonora Ponceña, and Oscar Hernandez of SHO. Now a graduate from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Erick currently resides in the city of San Francisco. Past notable performances include having worked with multi-Grammy winners Alejandro Sanz, Luis Enrique, and Susana Baca; as well as working with artists such as Pedrito Martinez, John Santos, Juan Medrano “Cotito”, La India, Tito Nieves, Bayonics, and Grupo 5, and more.
Erick has taken part performing in various festivals and venues, such as San Jose Jazz Festival, Latin Grammy Awards, Fillmore Jazz Festival, the Independent, The Regency Ballroom, The Fillmore, the Blue Note Napa, San Francisco International Salsa Festival, Berklee Performance Center, Boston Convention Center, the Beantown Jazz Festival, and many more.
Along with performing, Erick works in composing and arranging in Jazz, Pop, and Latin music. Currently he is working on several projects, including his own project featuring original jazz compositions for various ensembles.
Always a strong advocate for music education, Erick forms part of the faculty at Community Music Center, as well as serves as a private music teacher in his home studio, teaching piano in styles such as Jazz, Latin, R&B, and Pop, as well as music theory, composition, and arranging.
People who are interested in this workshop can dive deeper by exploring private lessons and group classes and ensembles.
A Song of Triumph II: The Diaspora of Black Music
Community Music Center (CMC), is proud to partner with the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) to present A Song of Triumph II: The Diaspora of Black Music. This work is developed and co-produced by Maestro Curtis PhD, Department Head of CMC’s Black Music Studies Program. A Song of Triumph II is a celebration of American Black culture (descendants of Alkebulan/African slaves) that has impacted the world and crossed all ethnic and color lines. The musical suite will feature music written and composed by Maestro and The Curtis Family Cnotes and feature talented CMC faculty Michael Mohammed, Clif Payne, Rita Lackey, Ken Little, Jon Jang, Tregar Otton and others to be announced. A Song of Triumph II will share a musical collage of genres – drawing from The Black Church, an historical place of safe haven, where skills, ideals, and faith abounded despite the treachery of slavery. A Song of Triumph II will musically trace the path from Black spirituals developed in the church which gave birth to the blues, barbershop, gospel, jazz, country, early bluegrass, folk, rock and roll, R&B, and funk.
The concert will last approximately 50 minutes and be performed twice, once at 3pm and again at 4pm.
The concert is part of a free community day and Juneteenth celebration at the Museum of the African Diaspora.
We encourage reserving free museum tickets to attend this event. RESERVE HERE
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concerts spotlighting CMC’s talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for musical projects to support CMC faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community. This year’s accomplished presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations—from jazz to classical to folk traditions, original compositions, and music as a tool for social justice and historical and cultural reflection:
Thursday, July 13 at 7pm
Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St, San Francisco)
FREE
Join Rita Lackey for a spirited program of original music that speaks to the heart and fresh instrumental arrangements in a range of musical styles including jazz, soul, R&B, and Motown classics. Rita Lackey, who leads numerous CMC vocal ensembles and Older Adult Choirs, will be the featured vocalist and pianist, joined by several other talented Bay Area musicians. Additional program details to be announced.
Rita Lackey & Friends features guest musicians: Tim Romain, bass; Mark Lee, drums; Rita Lackey, piano & vocals, and others TBA.
This event will be hosted by our Mission District neighbors Sha’ar Zahav. RSVP is recommended, but there will be space for walk-up patrons at the door.
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
About the Performers:
Rita Lackey is a Bay Area musician and teacher. She began her musical career at an early age singing and playing the piano in a gospel choir. Since that time, Ms. Lackey has taught piano, voice and general music education to adults and children, with all levels of experience. Her background includes, conducting vocal workshops, acting as choir director and teaching private music lessons.
As a songwriter, Rita has written music for the Album “A Shot In The Dark,” and is published on B.M.I. She is currently writing new music for a live recording and C.D. to be released next year. It’s important to mention that Rita studied music at U.C.S.C, and received a BA Degree in Music with emphasis in Songwriting.
Rita has taught at the Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, Musically Minded Academy and with the Oakland Youth Chorus. As a professional musician, she has performed at Yoshi’s, The Art and Soul Festival, and numerous special events.
About the Venue:
Masks are encouraged but not required. Please be aware that events are subject to change to comply with health and safety. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe!
Sha’ar Zahav is a fragrance-free environment. Please do your best to follow these guidelines when you visit our synagogue building:
• Refrain from wearing perfume/cologne
• Check your various products to see if there is a fragrance-free version available and/or try to use them at least a couple of hours before coming to Sha’ar Zahav to give time for the fragrance to wear off.
• Switch to fragrance-free laundry detergent and softener
• For more information on this subject, including why it’s important and a list of Fragrance-Free products, please visit: eastbaymeditation.org
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concerts spotlighting CMC’s talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for musical projects to support CMC faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community. This year’s accomplished presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations—from jazz to classical to folk traditions, original compositions, and music as a tool for social justice and historical and cultural reflection:
Thursday, July 20 at 7pm
Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St, San Francisco)
FREE
Enjoy a musical journey through time from Baroque to contemporary styles with Eastern European flavor and an emphasis on women composers. Showcasing the timeless artistry of the violin, this exciting program will also feature a solo commission based on a famous Bulgarian folk tune composed by Jillian Honorof. Accompaniment by CMC faculty pianist Paul Dab. Additional program details to be announced.
This event will be hosted by our Mission District neighbors Sha’ar Zahav. RSVP is recommended, but there will be space for walk-up patrons at the door.
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
About the Performers:
A native of Bulgaria, violinist Dorisiya Yosifova enjoys an active career in music as a teacher and performer. As an orchestra musician, Dorisiya has performed with the Apollo ensemble of Boston as Principal Second Violinist, the Cape Ann Symphony as Section Player and the Lowell House Opera as Concertmaster. In recent years, she has appeared in performances as a solo and chamber musician in the Greater Boston Area, where Dorisiya was located before her recent move to the Bay Area. Enthusiastic about teaching, Dorisiya is currently on the String Faculty of the Maud Powell String Institute, Myriad Music School, and MidPeninsula Music Academy. Previously, she has also taught at the Boston School of Music Arts and the El Sistema-inspired Youth and Family Enrichment Services. Additionally, Dorisiya is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Maud Powell String Institute – a string program specifically designed for immigrant children in MA. Dorisiya holds a M.M. degree from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and a B.M. degree from Oberlin Conservatory.
About the Venue:
Masks are encouraged but not required. Please be aware that events are subject to change to comply with health and safety. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe!
Sha’ar Zahav is a fragrance-free environment. Please do your best to follow these guidelines when you visit our synagogue building:
• Refrain from wearing perfume/cologne
• Check your various products to see if there is a fragrance-free version available and/or try to use them at least a couple of hours before coming to Sha’ar Zahav to give time for the fragrance to wear off.
• Switch to fragrance-free laundry detergent and softener
• For more information on this subject, including why it’s important and a list of Fragrance-Free products, please visit: eastbaymeditation.org
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concerts spotlighting CMC’s talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for musical projects to support CMC faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community. This year’s accomplished presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations—from jazz to classical to folk traditions, original compositions, and music as a tool for social justice and historical and cultural reflection:
Thursday, August 3 at 7pm
Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St, San Francisco)
FREE
This will be a musical journey of original arrangements for jazz quintet, highlighting compositions from the música criolla songbook of Peru, as well as the standard American Jazz repertoire. The works will blend traditional and folkloric sounds, with contemporary and jazz elements, with the intent of proposing a “nuevo criollo:” a Neo-Creolism of Peruvian song.
This event will be hosted by our Mission District neighbors Sha’ar Zahav. RSVP is recommended, but there will be space for walk-up patrons at the door.
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
About the Performers:
Erick Peralta is a versatile musician with a special appreciation for all styles of music, permitting him to keep open ears for the development of music, while still keeping in mind tradition and history. From an early age, Erick was exposed to various styles of music thanks to his father, such as Latin-Pop, Afro-Peruvian, and Afro Cuban music. Classically trained from 6 years old, he began playing professionally in the year 2005, at the age of 15, then branching out in the San Francisco Bay Area with various Jazz, Rock, Latin Jazz, and Salsa groups.
Following his studies at SF Community Music Center and then the Jazzschool in Berkeley. Erick has had jazz studies with late pianist Ray Santisi, Laszlo Gardony, Danilo Perez, Tia Fuller, Ed Tomassi, David Santoro, as well as with Papo Lucca from Sonora Ponceña, and Oscar Hernandez of Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Now a graduate from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Erick currently resides in the city of San Francisco. Past notable performances include having worked with multi-Grammy winners Alejandro Sanz, Luis Enrique, and Susana Baca; as well has worked with artists such as Pedrito Martinez, John Santos, Juan Medrano “Cotito”, La India, Tito Nieves, Bayonics, and Grupo 5, and more.
Erick has taken part performing in various festivals and venues, such as: San Jose Jazz Festival, the Latin Grammy Awards, Fillmore Jazz Festival, the Independent, The Regency Ball Room, The Fillmore, the Blue Note Napa, San Francisco International Salsa Festival, Berklee Performance Center, Boston Convention Center, the Beantown Jazz Festival, and many more.
Along with performing, Erick works in composing and arranging in Jazz, Pop, and Latin music. Currently he is working on several projects, including his own project featuring original jazz compositions for various ensembles. Always a strong advocate for music education, Erick is a proud member of the faculty at SF Community Music Center teaching piano in styles such as Jazz, Latin, R&B, and Pop, as well as music theory, composition, and arranging.
About the Venue:
Masks are encouraged but not required. Please be aware that events are subject to change to comply with health and safety. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe!
Sha’ar Zahav is a fragrance-free environment. Please do your best to follow these guidelines when you visit our synagogue building:
• Refrain from wearing perfume/cologne
• Check your various products to see if there is a fragrance-free version available and/or try to use them at least a couple of hours before coming to Sha’ar Zahav to give time for the fragrance to wear off.
• Switch to fragrance-free laundry detergent and softener
• For more information on this subject, including why it’s important and a list of Fragrance-Free products, please visit: eastbaymeditation.org
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concerts spotlighting CMC’s talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for musical projects to support CMC faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community. This year’s accomplished presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations—from jazz to classical to folk traditions, original compositions, and music as a tool for social justice and historical and cultural reflection:
Thursday, August 10 at 7pm
Sha’ar Zahav (290 Dolores St, San Francisco)
FREE
Civil Wrongs will commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Liberties Act on August 10, 1988, the United States federal law granting reparations to Japanese Americans who had been wrongly incarcerated by the United States government during World War II.
The program will feature Mediations on Integration, written by Charles Mingus in 1964 in response to a Life Magazine article about prisons being built in the South to incarcerate Black Civil Rights activists, and Jang’s original 1987 composition Reparations Now!, paying tribute to the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations for Japanese Americans, as well as a support statement for reparations for Black Americans.
Featuring Musicians:
Erika Oba, flute
Gary Brown, double bass
Jon Jang, piano
Deszon Claiborne, percussion (CMC Faculty)
This event will be hosted by our Mission District neighbors Sha’ar Zahav. RSVP is recommended, but there will be space for walk-up patrons at the door.
When you attend a CMC event, we encourage you to support local businesses. We’ve compiled a list of 80 recommendations with everything from fancy coffee drinks, to West African Cuisine, to bánh mì, to gelato, to book shops, and many others! GET RECOMMENDATIONS→
About the Performers:
For four decades, the trajectory of composer-pianist Jon Jang’s work mirrors the development of a multiracial democratic New American Majority from his unique perspective. Inspired by the music from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, Jang has collaborated with Max Roach in their work SenseUs (1990). “Eleanor Bumpurs” (1993) and “Can’t Stop Cryin’ for America: Black Lives Matter!” (2017) represent Jang’s works in response to the legal lynching of Black Americans. Jang’s Reparations Now! Concerto for Large Ensemble and Taiko (1987) pays tribute to the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations and shouts out a clarion call for reparations for Black Americans.
Jang also explores Chinese American transnational history in works such as The Chinese American Symphony (2007), a work that pays tribute to the Chinese immigrant laborers who built the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. Jang, a grandson of a paper son, composed “Island: The Immigrant Suite No. 2” for the Kronos Quartet about the Chinese immigrants who were incarcerated on Angel Island in San Francisco during the Chinese Exclusion Act era.
Jang has toured with Max Roach, James Newton, David Murray, Jiebing Chen and Min Xiao-Fen in Europe, China, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
About the Venue:
Masks are encouraged but not required. Please be aware that events are subject to change to comply with health and safety. Thank you for helping us keep our communities safe!
Sha’ar Zahav is a fragrance-free environment. Please do your best to follow these guidelines when you visit our synagogue building:
• Refrain from wearing perfume/cologne
• Check your various products to see if there is a fragrance-free version available and/or try to use them at least a couple of hours before coming to Sha’ar Zahav to give time for the fragrance to wear off.
• Switch to fragrance-free laundry detergent and softener
• For more information on this subject, including why it’s important and a list of Fragrance-Free products, please visit: eastbaymeditation.org
