SFCM in the Community

Learn it. Teach it. Change lives.

SFCM in the Community

From our first performances in founder Ada Clement's house to today’s 500-plus annual performances, 90% of which are free and open to the public, SFCM has been one of the most actively engaged institutions in the Bay Area. A consistent flow of public workshops and seminars add to the offerings of SFCM’s growing community engagement initiatives.

Conservatory Connect

The Conservatory Connect Program benefits both the performance needs of the students and the people of the Bay Area. For more than two decades, the Conservatory Connect Program has taken live music into schools, hospitals, retirement homes, children’s facilities, and other places where people of limited means and mobility are seldom reached. Approximately 150 performances are presented each year.

Conservatory in the Schools Program

The Conservatory in the Schools Program provides Conservatory students with invaluable classroom training while supporting music education in the San Francisco public schools. Conservatory student mentors teach instrumental lessons, lead sectionals, coach chamber groups, and assist classroom teachers serving over 700 students in local elementary, middle, and high schools.

Hire SFCM Musicians

Student musicians are always in demand to perform at private functions throughout the year. Performances run the gamut from special events such as weddings and graduations to corporate celebrations. Students placed through the Conservatory’s Hire SFCM Musicians office are paid for their services.

Bridge to Arts and Music

The Bridge to Arts and Music (BAM) program is a collaboration between SFCM and Third Baptist Church, Temple Emanu-El, and the San Francisco Interfaith Council which provides after-school music instruction to students in grades K-12. SFCM student mentors work alongside partner teachers to offer instruction in voice, piano, music theory, and music history.

Prospective BAM Students and Parents

Each BAM group meets twice per week, on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. No previous musical experience is required to participate in the program.

Prospective students can apply through the Tindley Academy of Music website. Interested applicants should email James Smith at jpsmith@sfcm.edu.

SFCM Student Mentors

SFCM students interested in teaching at BAM should apply through the Conservatory in the Schools program.