CMC Sparks: Beginning Youth Music Classes

Private Lesson

Private Lesson

Immerse yourself in chamber music and develop your collaborative ensemble playing this summer! Participants will play in supportive small ensembles, coached by expert CMC faculty specializing in chamber music. The two-weekend workshop includes master classes, listening skills, ensemble skills, and rehearsal time for instrumentalists, culminating in a friendly salon concert where you can share your work with one another and invited guests. Pre-formed groups as well as individuals are encouraged to apply. Individuals will be placed in an ensemble based on skill level and instrumentation available. Groups will be finalized and music sent out one month prior to our start date. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Instruments: Piano, strings, woodwinds, brass Styles of music studied: Classical Prerequisites: Minimum three years of private lessons on the instrument you plan to play. As part of the application, you will need to submit a pre-recorded audition in which you perform two contrasting pieces: one slow and one fast; and a two-octave scale in the key of your choice. Workshop size: A maximum of 20 students working in small ensembles Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch; August 2–4 and August 9–11; Fridays from 6:30–9:00pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00am–2:00pm Faculty: Erik Andersen, Director; additional faculty TBA Tuition: $495 early bird pricing before February 15, 2024; or $525 after February 15, 2024. Tuition includes both weekends and a $150 non-refundable deposit. Tuition Assistance is available. Additional Information:How to enroll: Fill out the Chamber Workshop Questionnaire to submit your registration information and follow the links to pay your deposit and schedule your audition.The Camp Director will contact you to confirm you've scheduled your in-person or zoom audition for acceptance and ensemble placement. Please schedule your audition quickly to ensure availability.Payment: A $150 non-refundable deposit is due with your application to hold your spot and request an audition. In the event that your child is not accepted into camp, a full refund including the deposit will be made. For students who are accepted to camp, this deposit is non-refundable If you do not pay for the entire camp tuition at registration, the remainder of your fee will be due by May 6, 2024. Outstanding balances will be automatically charged on May 6, 2024 to the stored account added during registration. If you wish to pay using a different payment method, please make the payment before the pay-in-full date. If you would like to change your payment method, please contact us. Registrations not paid in full by May 6, 2024 may be canceled and the spot opened to our waitlist. Registrations after May 6, 2024 must be paid in full at the time of registration and are nonrefundable. If you would like to inquire about tuition assistance, please make an appointment with a registrar or email registrars@sfcmc.org. The application deadline is May 6, 2024 for all CMC camps, but we recommend applying early to ensure placement. Because camp is designed around the exact number of campers attending, we are unable to issue refunds after May 6, 2024. Prior to the May 6 deadline, please send refund requests to ssherman@sfcmc.org.

Explore a standard jazz repertoire in a dynamic, participatory setting. The advanced ensemble plays the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, and others; with emphasis on communicating as an ensemble, improvising, phrasing, groove, and dynamics to make the music come alive. There will be a culminating performance at Community Music Center at the end of each quarter. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Instruments: Brass, woodwinds, strings and rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums) Musical Styles: Jazz standards, be-bop, blues, Latin jazz Prerequisites: Proficiency on an instrument, mastery of scales, and prior experience in improvisation. Admission with instructor’s consent. New students will be asked to audition. Instructor: Charlie Gurke Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount on this class tuition. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!

Beginning Vocal Ensemble Join this fun and supportive environment to learn basic vocal and breathing technique, how to support your tone, beginning note reading skills, simple harmonies, and rounds. This beginning singing class is designed for singers with little to no experience. It is focused on group singing, but also incorporates individual singing. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Instrument: Voices of all ranges Musical Styles: Folk, popular, jazz Instructor: Ellen RobinsonStudents enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.

Intermediate/Advanced Vocal Ensemble For vocalists who love to harmonize in a wide variety of musical styles such as jazz, Broadway, pop and R&B. Enjoy interacting with other singers in this lively chorus while continuing to develop your vocal technique, music reading skills, blending with other voices and your stage presence. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Instrument: Voices of all ranges, especially baritone and tenor Musical Styles: Jazz, Broadway, a cappella, pop Prerequisites: The ability to sing in tune, hold your own while singing in three part harmony, and have some music reading skills. Previous choral experience is a plus. Prior approval of instructor is required. Instructor: Ellen Robinson Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount on this class tuition. Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!

Private Lesson

Private Lesson

Private Lesson

Learn chords, simple strums, and tuning in a fun, relaxed group setting. You’ll be introduced to the basic elements of rhythm and harmony that will help you to play music right away! Guitar 1 is for the absolute beginner. Students leave Guitar 1 with the following:Basic open position chords: A, D, E, G, C, Am, Em, A7, B7, D7, E7, G7Basic strums in 4/4 and 3/4 timeI-IV-V tunes in A, D, G, and EKnowledge of how to read a “lead sheet”The desire to keep playing Ages: Adults and older teens (high school students) Instruments: Guitar Musical Styles: Diverse, based on participant interests Prerequisites: none Instructor: Vivian Sharp Size: 4-6 studentsStudents enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount on this class tuition. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.

The Beginning Jazz Ensemble focuses on building standard repertoire, improvisation concepts, and developing ensemble skills. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Instruments: Brass, woodwinds, strings and rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums) Musical Styles: Jazz standards, be-bop, blues, Latin jazz Prerequisites: Proficiency on an instrument, knowledge of scales, and some experience in improvisation. Instructors: Erick Peralta, Charlie Gurke Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount on this class tuition.Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!

Learn beginning vocal technique and interpretive skills in a fun group setting. You’ll gain experience learning to sing in healthy ways by focusing on body alignment, breath management, and vowel formation. This class will support a student’s process in stylistically interpreting a piece of music through additional research and study. Topics and activities for classes include exploring the singing apparatus, vocalizing with exercises using scales and arpeggios, interpreting music and text, developing stage presence, and working with a collaborative pianist. Ages: Adults, older teens (high school students) Musical Styles: All styles are welcome Prerequisites: Students must be prepared to learn and memorize music and text Instructor: Michael Mohammed Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.

Come Sing and Play with a band. This performance oriented class is for singers who want to sing with a band and instrumentalists who want ensemble experience in a wide range of American music. This class covers American Music derived from the blues, starting with a deep understanding of the blues and its many variations. Students learn how to play together in a cohesive way that builds instinct, diplomacy, and a sense of community-sharing–the true foundation of ensemble music. Students will learn the various roles of each instrument in the styles covered and approaches to music arrangement. Repertoire covers music by region, including the sounds of New Orleans (The Meters), Memphis (Stax Records artists), Chicago (Chess Records artists), Detroit (Motown), as well as others, focusing on the unique regional qualities that makes America the “Music Mecca” of the world. Ages: Adults, Older teens (high school students) Instruments: Voice, Piano, Bass, trumpet, guitar, winds and brass Prerequisites: An open mind and teachable spirit. Music readers are welcome, but it is not a requirement. Knowledge of major and minor scales and chords and basic blues scales and being able to read and follow chord charts is a must. Class size: 8 - 15 people Instructors: Co-Directed and accompanied by Maestro Curtis and Nola CurtisStudents enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling. Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!

Explore “Old Time” traditional American music, focusing on tunes from Appalachia: songs that crossed the pond from Ireland and Scotland that mixed with African American influences to become the American traditional music known as Old Time. We will also dive into how to play bluegrass interpretations, solos and backup. Singers, mandolin and bass are also welcome! We’ll be working on tunes from Appalachia, Irish and Scottish folk tunes, and African American traditional music. We will be focusing on Old Time tunes that are also part of the Bluegrass repertory, from standards to rarely played tunes, versions, and regional interpretations. Printed music will be provided. Ages: Adults and older teens (high school students) Instruments: fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, ukulele, voice, bass (upright preferred) Musical Styles: Old Time and Bluegrass Prerequisites: an intermediate level of playing (especially on the fiddle). Basic reading of chord charts and fiddle notation Instructors: Erik Pearson and Tregar Otton. Instructors will alternate weeks and sometimes teach together.Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive a 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling. Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!

This Electric Blues workshop will introduce students to the wide variety of blues grooves that one might encounter at a blues jam. We'll listen and learn from the recordings performed by the original artists that define a particular groove e.g., a Magic Sam boogie, an Albert King blues rhumba/mambo, a Jimmy Reed shuffle, a B.B. King jump blues, a Muddy Waters 'mojo' groove, a Lowell Fulson 'tramp' groove, and much more. Ensemble playing and individual improvisation will be encouraged with a focus on group interaction and the supporting role each individual instrument plays in establishing the groove. Ages: adult, older teens (high school) Instruments: guitar (electric), bass (electric), piano, drums, brass/woodwinds Prerequisites: Intermediate playing proficiency on your instrument, ability to play 7th and 9th chords (barred for guitars), have some major scale and blues scale knowledge, read a simple chord chart Instructor: Larry Dunn Students enrolled in private lessons at CMC receive 50% discount. Please read CMC's registration policies before enrolling.Online signup for this class is unavailable. Submit a Prerequisite Form to get started!