Group Classes and Ensembles

Group Class and Ensemble tuition is reduced by 50% for those students currently taking private lessons at CMC.

Classical
Chamber Music Ensembles
Collegium Musicum
String Orchestra Workshop
Woodwind Ensemble

Jazz
Beginning Jazz Improvisation
Jazz Ensemble
Jazz Improvisation Workshop

Latin
Beginning Latin Jazz Workshop
Latin-Flamenco Ensemble (Potingue)
Latin-Flamenco Rhythm Workshop
Latin Vocal Workshop

Other Instrumental Ensembles
Blues Guitar Workshop
Middle Eastern, Turkish and Eastern European Music

Vocal
Anything Goes Chorus I
Anything Goes Chorus II
Opera and Musical Scenes Workshop
Singing Rounds and Canons
Solera Singers
Hungarian Folk Singing New

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Anything Goes Chorus I
Beginning singers, this is a fun and supportive environment for learning basic vocal technique, fundamentals of breathing and supporting your tone, note reading, and simple two and three part harmony. This class is designed for singers with little to no experience. It is focused on group singing, but also allows for attention to individual needs.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instrument: Voices of all ranges

Musical Styles: Folk, popular, jazz

Prerequisites: None

Class size: 5-15 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Thursdays, 5:15-6:15pm

Instructor: Ellen Robinson

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
Class does not meet during the summer
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Anything Goes Chorus II
Experienced singers, harmonize in a variety of musical styles and continue developing your vocal technique and sight reading skills. This is a chorus for vocalists who love to sing and enjoy interacting with others. There is a concert at the end of each quarter.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instrument: Voices of all ranges, especially tenor and bass

Musical Styles: Jazz, Broadway, a cappella, 50’s & 60’s, pop

Prerequisites: Previous choral experience. Ability to sing in tune, read music and hold your own while singing three and four part harmony. Audition with the instructor is required.

Class size: 15-30 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Thursdays, 6:15-8pm

Instructor: Ellen Robinson

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
Class does not meet during the summer
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Beginning Jazz Improvisation
Learn basic concepts, terminology and strategies for jazz improvisation and develop a repertoire along the way. You will be introduced to the blues and diminished scales and the seven modes of a major scale, focusing on the mixolydian and dorian modes. We will dedicate time to ear training exercises and work on jazz standards as a group.

Ages: Adults

Instrument: All instruments, no singers

Prerequisites: Ability to play all major scales and arpeggios by memory

Class size: 2-8 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Thursdays, 12:30pm-1:30pm

Instructor: Dave Scott

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Beginning Latin Jazz Workshop
Learn how to play in the context of an ensemble while developing improvisational skills and learning basic grooves. Repertoire includes standard Latin-jazz tunes and pieces developed in the workshop. There will be performances each winter and spring quarter.

Ages: Teens and adults

Instrument: All

Prerequisites: Basic music reading (except percussionists). Admission with instructor’s consent.

Class size: 4-8 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch (off-site), Thursdays, 6-7pm

Instructor: Jennifer Peringer

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Blues Guitar Workshop
Develop ensemble skills, such as soloing and accompanying, while you build a repertoire of songs to prepare for performances. This workshop will cover chords, progressions, scales, patterns, and “licks” found in a variety of blues styles.

Ages: Adults and older teens

Musical Styles: Music of Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker and other blues masters

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of guitar chords and some playing experience.

Class size: 2-5 students

Location, Days and Times: Mission District Branch, Mondays, 2-3:30pm

Instructor: Erik Pearson

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Chamber Music Ensembles
Whether you are an advanced beginner or an accomplished amateur musician, CMC’s chamber music program offers an opportunity to develop your musicianship and technique as well as the chance to play with others. Groups are composed of two to five students of compatible levels. Advanced beginners and intermediate students will focus on developing basic ensemble skills, intonation, tone quality, and rhythmic accuracy. Advanced students will study important aspects of ensemble playing, including interpretation and performance techniques. Interested students should contact CMC Program Director Chus Alonso at (510) 559-2977 or calonso@sfcmc.org.

Ages: Children ages 8-12, teens, adults

Instruments: All and voice

Musical Styles: All

Prerequisites: Students should have at least two years of experience playing their instrument. Placement auditions for new students take place at the beginning of each quarter in order to create groups  who play at similar levels. Beginning students should be familiar with key signature with up to three sharps and flats, and basic rhythms including eighth notes.

Class size: 2-5 students

Locations, Days and Times: Mission District Branch OR Richmond District Branch

Instructors: Jennifer Peringer, Loretta Taylor, Betty Wong, TBA

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Collegium Musicum
Learn interpretation and performance techniques for playing western early music. This class will cover the evolution of harmonic progressions, musical forms, and styles of ornamentation throughout different periods and countries. The ensemble performs each December in a “Winter Celebration” concert and each June in a concert themed “Baroque and Beyond.”

Ages: Adults, teens

Instruments: Strings, winds, keyboards, voice

Musical Styles: Medieval, Renaissance, early and late Baroque

Prerequisites: For intermediate to advanced students

Class size: 2-5 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch (off-site), TBA

Instructor: Shirley Wong-Frentzel

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Hungarian Folk Singing
Learn beautiful Hungarian folk songs from Transylvanian villages. We will learn Hungarian pronunciation, chest voice singing, ornamentation, text and translation, and the wonderful melodies using recordings of local village singers. Come dive into the world of Eastern European folk music and the joy of singing together!

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instrument: Voices of all ranges

Musical Styles: Traditional Hungarian Folk Song

Prerequisites: Ability to match a pitch, energy, curiosity and open mind
Class size: 5-10 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Wednesdays, 7:30 – 8:45pm

Instructor: Zina Von Bozzay

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Jazz Ensemble
Jazz musicians, this is an informal forum to work on improvisation and to develop your  ensemble skills.  This ensemble emphasizes improvisation, writing and arranging, the role of each instrument, and the development of musical interaction.

Ages: Older teens, adults

Instruments: Trumpet, trombone, saxophones, 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.

Class size: 2-5 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm

Instructor: Ken Rosen

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Jazz Improv Workshop
Learn how to execute arrangements and improvise in a small jazz ensemble setting. Students will share improvisation concepts and learn how to improve and evaluate solos, group dynamics and sound. Players will be strongly encouraged to write original tunes and there will be various performance opportunities throughout the year.

Ages: Older teens, adults

Instruments: Trumpet, trombone, saxophones, clarinet and rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums)

Musical Styles: Jazz standards, blues, Latin jazz, originals

Prerequisites: For intermediate to advanced students

Class size: 2-5 students

Location, Day and Time:Richmond District Branch, Thursdays, 3:30-4:30pm

Instructor: Harvey Robb

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Latin-Flamenco Ensemble (Potingue)
Play Cuban, Latin American and Flamenco music and learn how to use traditional concepts and styles to create contemporary music. Improve your improvisational skills and deepen your understanding of these forms. The focus of the Latin-Flamenco ensemble will be on the development of advanced arrangements and the preparation of a cohesive group for public performances. This ensemble performs under the name Potingue, which means “an unusual mix” in Spanish. There will be winter and spring performances at CMC and other shows around the Bay Area.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instruments: Flute, clarinet, guitar (nylon string), violin, cello, bass, piano, and percussion (cajón, palmas, bongó, congas, güiro, claves, darbuka, botija, etc.)

Musical Styles: Cuban charanga, Flamenco and Latin music

Prerequisites: For advanced students. Proficiency on an instrument, good reading skills (not required for percussionist), ensemble experience, and strong interest in Latin music. Admission with instructor’s consent.

Class size: 10-15 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Wednesdays, 8-10pm

Instructor: Chus Alonso

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
Class does not meet during the summer
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Latin-Flamenco Rhythm Workshop
Improve your rhythmic skills and develop your musicianship through Flamenco, Afro-American and Latin music. Emphasis is given to the study of “compás,” the Flamenco rhythmic flow, and “clave,” the key rhythmic concept in the Cuban polyrhythmic ensemble. In addition to their instrument, students will play “palmas” (hand clapping) and percussion.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instruments: All

Musical Styles: Cuban charanga, Flamenco, Afro-American and Latin music

Prerequisites: For intermediate students. Admission with instructor’s consent.

Class size: 6-15 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Wednesdays, 6-8pm

Instructor: Chus Alonso

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
Class does not meet during the summer
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Latin Vocal Workshop
Develop your vocal performance skills and build a song repertoire from various Spanish-speaking countries. Students will work on soloing and harmonizing in a group. There will be quarterly recitals and other performance opportunities all year.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instruments: Voices of all ranges

Musical Styles: Songs in Spanish, such as Latin American standard boleros and ballads, rancheras, folk songs, Cuban son and trova, and villancicos

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Spanish pronunciation and basic vocal skills

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Mondays, 6:30-8pm

Instructor:Martha Rodriguez-Salazar

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
Class does not meet during the summer
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Middle Eastern, Turkish and Eastern European Music
Learn to play the exciting music of the Middle East, Turkey and Eastern Europe including Klezmer and Balkan styles. Music scale systems and maqams will be studied in the context of selected tunes. Improvisations (taqsims/preludes/doinas) will be attempted according to traditional practices. There will be various performance opportunities throughout the year.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instruments: Traditional or Western strings, winds, keyboard, hand percussion, voice

Musical Styles: Middle Eastern, Turkish, Eastern European

Prerequisites: For intermediate to advanced players. Students new to this style of music are encouraged to take private lessons with the instructor.

Class size: 2-5 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch (off-site), TBA

Instructor: Shirley Wong-Frentzel

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Opera and Musical Theater Scenes Workshop
Learn how to combine your acting and solo singing skills by preparing scenes from operas and musicals! Students will be cast in scenes for one to five characters and develop these scenes for a performance at the end of the session. Classes will address character development, stage technique, musicality and style issues. Students will work on their own scenes and observe the development of other participants’ scenes.

Ages: Adults and older teens

Instruments: Voices of all ranges

Musical Styles: Opera and American Musical Theater

Prerequisites: Students must be prepared to learn and memorize music and spoken lines outside of class, either alone or with a voice teacher, and ideally should have experience performing as soloists and with holding a part alone against other sung parts in an ensemble.  Bring a song to sing for us during the first class.

Class size: 8-15 students

Location, Day and Time: Mission District Branch, Tuesdays, 10:30am-noon

Instructor: Michael Mohammed, Director; Frank Johnson, Accompanist

Tuition: $330 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$220 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Singing Rounds and Canons
Singing rounds and canons is an easy way to get started singing in a group. Think “the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.” Ok, this isn’t a math class, but if you think that 1 + 1 + 1 = 10, you’ve got the idea. Three of us each singing a simple part we first learn all together turns into a complex harmonic wonder. There are very simple rounds (such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat) and incredibly complex ones by great composers. We can learn to sing any of them!

Ages: Adults

Instruments: Voices of all ranges. Instrumentalists interested in participating, please contact Dorothy Barnhouse at dorbarn(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.

Musical Styles: Many styles of rounds and canons of all kinds

Prerequisites: Ability to carry a tune, maybe not always all alone, but with help

Class size: 15-25 students

Location, Day and Time: Richmond District Branch, Mondays, 5:30-7:00pm

Instructor: Dorothy Barnhouse

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Solera Singers
Community Music Center is now offering a free chorus for singers over the age of 60. “Solera Singers” sings in Spanish and meets at the Mission Neighborhood Center each Wednesday afternoon. The chorus is directed by Martha Rodriguez-Salazar and accompanied by Jennifer Peringer. Solera Singers is run by Community Music Center and is part of The MetLife Foundation Creative Aging Program. Funding is provided by MetLife Foundation and administered by the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Photos (Picasa).

For more information:
Call Martha Calderón at (415) 206-7750
Email martha.calderon@mncsf.org
Or visit the Mission Neighborhood Center

Español:
Coro Solera, un programa del Centro Comunitario de Música, acepta personas de 60 años en adelante. No es necesaria ninguna experiencia previa, tan sólo interés en cantar. Participación gratuita. El coro se reune en el Mission Neighborhood Center los miércoles de 12:30 a 2:15pm. El Coro Solera es dirigido por Martha Rodriguez-Salazar y acompañado por Jennifer Peringer. Fotos (Picasa).

Para mayor información:
Llame a Martha Calderón (415) 206-7750
Email martha.calderon@mncsf.org
O visite el Mission Neighborhood Center

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String Orchestra Workshop
String students: if you are interested in developing the skills to play in a full orchestra setting or in intermediate to advanced chamber ensembles, this workshop is designed especially for you. This class is a great introduction to ensemble playing and is particularly helpful for students with little or no ensemble experience.

Ages: Adults, older teens

Instruments: Violin, viola, cello, bass

Musical Styles: Classical string orchestral music

Prerequisites: Minimum two years of private instruction, knowledge of scales, basic rhythms and simple bowing techniques. Placement audition required. Admission with instructor’s consent.

Class size: 15-25 students

Location, Day and Time: St. John’s Presbyterian Church at Arguello and Lake Streets, Tuesdays, 7-9pm
Register at the Richmond District Branch.

Instructor: Loretta Taylor

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)
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Woodwind Ensemble

The Woodwind Ensemble provides the opportunity for advanced beginners and intermediate level woodwind players to participate in the “togetherness” of ensemble playing. Experience, feel and become part of the co-operative balance and blend of tone and rhythm that is essential to collective music making.

Ages: Players aged 16 and up

Instruments: Single and double reeds, flutes

Musical Styles: Canons, baroque pieces, ragtime and world music.

Prerequisites: For advanced beginners and intermediate players

Class size: TBD

Location, Day and Time: Richmond District Branch, Thursdays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Instructor: Bill Fiege

Tuition: $378 per Quarter (12 weeks)
$252 for Summer Quarter (8 weeks)