(Re)Imagine celebrates 100 years of music for everyone, reimagining musical community and collaboration. This project is in partnership with artist, composer, and educator Cava Menzies and will result in 100 new works—50 created by Menzies in collaboration with international and local musicians and 50 created by YMP and MDYMP.
These works will be shared through inspiring daily videos from April 4 to May 23. The videos will be two to three minutes long in total. An in-person live event with select works will take place on May 14 at 7pm at Community Music Center’s Mission District Branch.
Sign up now to receive daily videos from the (Re)Imagine project from April 4–May 23, bringing musical inspiration to your day.
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Day 1: Blessings & Unidos Poderosos
Day 2: Lockdown & Eclipse
Day 3: Beautiful & Freedom
Day 4: Untitled & Cinco Gringos Bailando
Day 5: Someday We’ll All Be Free & Visom Letec
Day 6: I Wish You Love & Cumbia de CMC
Day 7: Mr. Aton & Nature’s Utopia
Day 8: Transmutation & Keep on Moving
Day 9: Murmuration & Sai’s Traffic Jam
Day 10: You Are Not Alone & 24th and Mission
Day 11: Ndawo Yam & La Llorona
Day 12: Untitled & Untitled (MDYMP)
Day 13: Beach at Sunset & CMC Medley
Day 14: Run–Tribute to Ahmaud Arbery & Ave Maria
Day 15: Aluf Ha'Olam & Angel’s Journey
Day 16: Untitled & Get the Beat
Day 17: Maybe & Xochitl's "Lost in Thought"
Day 18: Ain’t No Sunshine & Gavilán's Lullaby
Day 19: Untitled & Sakura Sakura
Day 20: All is Full of Love & Es Mio
Day 21: The Journey & Ode to Lowell
Day 22: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood & Koala
Day 23: Heartless & Sai’s Cool Walk
Day 24: What a Wonderful World & Grey
Day 25: Untitled & Paletero
Day 26: Uncertainty & Omicron
Day 27: Yelang & 牧场 (Pasture)
Day 28: The Declaration & Unhoused
Day 29: Music Medicine, Supply Chain, & Apure En Un Viaje
Day 30: The Unknown & O my soul, divljus' na nebo
Day 31: The Takeover & Where's the Housing???
Day 32: Triumph Over Tragedy & Do Not Disregard Me
Day 33: There is a Balm in Gilead & Sunken Stream
Day 34: Blackbird, Man-Bird-Ocean, & Windy Day
Day 35: Timing & Wailing
Day 36: Cuando & Walk in My Rhythm/Walk in Your Rhythm
Day 37: The Through Line & Our Week
Day 38: Go Down Moses & Untitled (Dystopian Sadness)
Day 39: Iya Mi Ile & Global Unity
Day 40: I Say a Little Prayer & I Love You, My Darling
Day 41: Conversations with Cava & Song of the Volga Boatmen
Day 42: Suspended & Fallen Stars
Day 43: Mindful & Melanekolee
Day 44: Vibez & Untitled
Day 45: 1000 Poppies & Factory Farm
Day 46: Monsoon & Mozart Apocalypse
Day 47: Untitled & Coming to California
Day 48: Be Kind to You & Mujer Divina
Day 49: A Place for Everyone & Save the Seagulls
Day 50: Authoritarian Rule & Solidarity Forever
Starting on April 4 and running for 50 days until May 23, videos will be shared daily in the gallery above. Each video contains two musical works composed by Cava Menzies with local and international collaborators and students from the Young Musicians and Mission District Young Musicians Programs. The musical pieces from the young musicians explore three topic areas: cultural identity, critical community issues, and world music/culture with an emphasis on student-centered learning, inquiry, and self-expression.
About Cava Menzies:
Cava Menzies is a multidisciplinary musician, visual artist, and educator who hails from a long line of creators. Her grandmother was a pioneer in the New York Jazz scene as a dancer at the Cotton Club. Her father, Eddie Henderson, is an accomplished jazz trumpeter and early member of the Herbie Hancock sextet, and her mother is a classically trained flutist and music enthusiast. Cava is rooted in community, but endlessly creative, and curious beyond typical artistic and geographic boundaries. Her rigor in artistic excellence, experience in multiple artistic disciplines, and inspirational work as a visionary educator make her a perfect leader for this project.
Cava is a founding music faculty member at the Oakland School for the Arts and served as the Artistic Director of the school from 2015 – 2018. Her musical directing and arranging work have been featured in performances with Chris Martin, Coldplay, Daveed Diggs, Rafa Casal, Dave Grohl, Kehlani, and Adrian Marcel. Through her work at OSA, Cava has led four concert tours to Italy, Puerto Rico, and New Orleans and has taught over 2,000 young musicians from Oakland.
Cava is the founder of the brand COLORQUEEN, a multidisciplinary platform that highlights her integrated visual art, music, and travel work. COLORQUEEN was born out of her love for all things creative, colorful, and vibrant. As a mixed-race black woman living in Oakland, CA, she draws on a city which is bursting with creativity and flavor as a source of inspiration.
This project was made possible in part by a grant from The Creative Work Fund, a program of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund that also is supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
