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Community through Music

Designed for both new and experienced musicians, Cadence for Change (C4C) offers a place to belong, grow, and create something meaningful together. Music at C4C is more than practice—it’s a shared experience. Members connect, learn, and evolve in a space that is both nurturing and challenging, guided by an artistic team deeply invested in each individual’s journey.

JOIN US

Join an Ensemble

We believe music education should be accessible to everyone. Through one-on-one mentorship, weekly ensemble work, and opportunities to perform both onstage and in the community, we help musicians rediscover their voice, deepen their skills, and push beyond what they thought possible.

Choir

Cadence for Change members singing in choir on stage, holding sheet music, dressed in black, some with flowers and glasses, in a formal setting.

A non-audition choir where everyone is welcome, supported, and encouraged to learn skills, techniques, and benefit from community and artistic collaborations.

Rehearsals
Mondays 6:00-8:00 PM
Kanbar Performing Arts Center

Chamber Choir

Cadence for Change members standing in a choir, singing, with music sheets on a music stand in front of them.

For singers who have more experience, join an ensemble where you can work in more artistic detail, learn more music, and be attentive to each individual voice.

Rehearsals
Thursdays 7:00-9:00 PM
Kanbar Performing Arts Center

Chamber Music

Cadence for Change musicians performing, one playing a violin and the other playing a double bass, with an audience in the background.

For instrumentalists who haven’t played for a while, now is the perfect opportunity to dust off that violin under the bed.

Rehearsals
Every 2nd Sunday 2:00-4:00 PM
Kanbar Performing Arts Center

Group Voice Class

Cadence for Change members gathered in a room for Voice Class, listening to a man showing a diagram on a tablet. The room has a window with blinds, a whiteboard on the wall, and chairs with papers on them.

An opportunity to help you find your individual voice, to share your voice in a smaller setting, and to be given individual guidance on vocal health and technique.

Group Lessons
Mondays 5:00-6:00 PM
Kanbar Performing Arts Center

Vocals

Musicians performing on a stage with red lighting at the Question Mark Bar. Three of them are playing guitars and vocals, one is playing keyboard, and three others are standing or sitting, with a 'Restrooms' sign visible to the left.

Sing with a live band and audience, songs to choose, and a whole lot of memories to be made in a friendly, supportive environment.

Question Mark Bar
Check here for news on past and current band events.

Learn More & Register for Ensembles

Learn & Sing in the Fillmore District

Do you need help understanding scales? Would you like to write songs but need advice choosing chords? Maybe you need a little refresher on music theory? Or maybe you would like a friendly sing-along to boost your spirits? The Fillmore has long been a hub for music. Join us at Turk Mini Park in San Francisco (Fillmore & Turk Streets). Free and all are welcome!

Music Theory Mondays

Join Alistair at Turk Mini Park to deepen your understanding of music and music theory.

Mondays Weekly, 1-3pm

Singalong Saturdays

Come and join the choir in a friendly singalong. Free and all welcome, each month will have a different musical theme and we will provide a booklet of song lyrics. Check the calendar for the next one and come join us!

First Saturday Monthly, 10-11am

Photo Credit: L_R. John Handy, Pony Poindexter, John Coltrane and Frank Fisher jamming at Jimbo’s Bop City Circa 1950s Photo by Steve Jackson Jr.

Preserving San Francisco’s Rich Music Legacy

CFC is committed to exploring opportunities to preserve and restore the city’s rich musical history. The current projects we are working on, in collaboration with the City of San Francisco, are the following: Restoration and development of the Fillmore Substation, unpacking and showcasing the Exposition Organ, and Reawaken the Fillmore Heritage Center.

Fillmore Substation

Black and white photo of the Fillmore Substation with arched windows, surrounded by utility poles and numerous overhead electrical wires, with a person riding a bicycle in the foreground.

C4C is committed to exploring, with the City of San Francisco, the preservation and restoration of the historic Fillmore Substation at 1150/1190 Fillmore Street. Our goal is for it to become a beacon for music education in the community.

Exposition Organ

Large concert hall stage with a massive pipe organ, the San Francisco Exposition Organ, and a person standing next to a smaller organ or console.

The Exposition Organ (or the People’s Organ, or Opus 500) was built for the opening of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition on February 21, 1915. The 1989 earthquake damaged the organ, and it now sits in the basement of City Hall. C4C is in discussions with the City to explore the viability of finding a new permanent home for the organ.

Fillmore Heritage Center

The Additions building with a vertical sign reading "THE ADDITION" in red and white letters, a large black electronic billboard, and a glass storefront, located on a city street with cars parked along the curb.

The Fillmore Heritage Center has a rich history and significance in Fillmore and has sat empty for a long time. C4C and The City are working with the Fillmore community to explore ways to reawaken the Fillmore Heritage Center.

Cadence for Change is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering musical aspirations in people of all ages and backgrounds by providing opportunities to deepen their enjoyment, engagement, and appreciation of music. We believe in education and actively work with public and charter schools that could benefit from more musical support because musical education is so underfunded.

We can make a difference, and it’s time for change. Join the community, Cadence for Change!

  • Cadence for Change members sitting around a wooden table in a restaurant, smiling and enjoying drinks.
  • Cadence for Change members smiling in a kitchen, with the man taking a selfie. The kitchen has a countertop with bowls and utensils, and a pink kettle in the background.
  • Cadence for Change members sitting together in a restaurant, smiling and forming a heart shape with their hands.
  • Cadence for Change members sitting together at a restaurant table, smiling and hugging, with a glass of rosé wine in front of them and city lights outside the window behind them.
  • Cadence for Change members outdoors by a pond with trees and houses in the background. Two men are standing with arms crossed, and a woman is sitting on a bench looking up at one of the men. Fall leaves are on the ground.
  • in a room, with some standing around and others sitting at a keyboard. They are engaged in a musical practice or rehearsal. There is a large screen displaying a schedule, framed artwork on the walls, and various electronic equipment and documents around.
  • Cadence for Change members walking outdoors in a garden or park with trees, bushes, and a small building in the background.
  • Cadence for Change members, three adults sitting closely together at a table in a restaurant, smiling at the camera with a night city view through the window behind them.
  • Group of smiling people, Cadence for Change members, gathered outdoors at sunset, with trees and sky in the background.
  • Group of nine people, Cadence for Change members, standing outside in front of a wooden house, smiling, some wearing hats and sunglasses.
  • Two people, Cadence for Change members, playing wooden flutes on a porch or balcony with a table holding a plant arrangement in the foreground.