News Posts List

Summer Play Time
Now enrolling for activities in June, July & August

Join us for some serious fun this summer!

• Early Childhood Music Classes
• Beginning Piano for Youth: Kids on Keys (age 6-7) & Piano Laboratory (age 8- 14)
• Audition Success (NEW!) for Youth
• Ensembles & group classes for High School & Adult

See our online catalog for the full list of offerings and give us a call today at 503-823-3177.

Note to current CMC private lesson students: the deadline for applications to continue lessons in summer is May 1 (to be considered for priority scheduling).

Photo by MaryFoxPhotography.com

Faculty Showcase May 4
Hear our amazing performing arts instructors play for the cause

The annual CMC Faculty Showcase Concert is Saturday evening, May 4th at 7:30 pm. Purchase tickets by April 30th and save! This year the concert is offered in memory of former CMC director Charles Farmer.

As always, the musicians are generously donating their artistry to raise money for CMC. All proceeds go to fund scholarships for students in need, and other programs at the Center.

Chamber Music Masterclass
School-year groups get pro tips

On Monday, April 22 at 6:30 pm, Portland State University Assistant Professor of Violin Tomas Cotik will be a guest clinician for the CMC youth chamber music program participants. The event is in the CMC auditorium and is free and open to the public to observe.

Bravo!
Violinist Ian Song, former CMC student of Luise Grube, performed a concerto with live orchestra in early April as a winner of the 25th Young Artists Debut! Van Buren Concerto competition. Cellist Adam Pua, CMC student of Katherine Schultz, was a $1500 prize winner at the Monday Musical Club's Scholarship Audition this month.

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Community Music Center Inc (non-profit partner at CMC) will be Friday, May 31, 7:00 - 7:15 pm, immediately followed by the CMC youth string orchestra end-of-year concert. Agenda will include elections of board members. Voting members are anyone who has donated $35 or more in the current fiscal year ending June 30, currently registered students at the Center who are age 18 or more, and parents of current students who are younger than age 18. Read more about the non-profit, and be a part of this important institution.

Shirley Englund 1931-2019

Many CMC Alumni remember Mrs. Englund with fondness as a patient, supportive teacher. She was a member of the Junior Symphony (now Portland Youth Philharmonic), graduated from Grant High School in 1949, and earned a degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1953. CMC director Isadore Tinkleman hired her to teach for CMC in 1967 its Woodstock location. She followed the program's move to Francis Street, and retired in 1989. Many of her students play professionally now, including in the Oregon Symphony.

Arrangements for a celebration of Shirley's life are pending. The family has asked that donations in Shirley's name may be made to the Community Music Center, adding to an endowed scholarship fund in her name for deserving young music students.

Columbia Symphony
Free ticket offer for CMC students

The Portland Columbia Symphony has provided CMC with several tickets to distribute to current students for their "Slavic Spectacular" concerts on May 3 & 5. As an added bonus, you'll see several CMC instructors performing as regular members of the orchestra.

See the CMC office for a ticket while supplies last. No phone calls, please - first come, first served. Limit: 2 per family. We as that if you take tickets that you absolutely be sure to use them. More information at: http://www.columbiasymphony.org/Orchestral%20Showpieces.php

PP&R Budget Update

Under the proposed Portland Parks & Recreation budget for fiscal year 2019-20, CMC will maintain its great programs much as usual, however we will lose one full-time staff position, the non-profit partner CMC Inc. will have to contribute more, and we will have a mandate for finding an improved operating model in the future.

CMC is lucky to have a strong non-profit partner organization to help us weather fiscal challenges like this. Contributions from generous donors to the non-profit over many decades have made this possible. The all-volunteer CMC Inc. raises money year-round to help subsidize the CMC program, for scholarships, instruments, and much more. Note that donations to CMC Inc. do not automatically diminish City funding – they are two separate organizations. If you’d like to help CMC Inc., get involved with the non-profit, or want to learn more, email cmc@portlandoregon.gov.

For full information on the PP&R budget and budgeting process browse portlandoregon.gov/parks/budget. If you would like to share thoughts with the City Budget Office about the importance of CMC and PP&R, use this link: portlandoregon.gov/cbo/61969.