Are you a ukulele enthusiast? Join our monthly group to share songs and have fun! Bring your own instrument. Contact group leader Jerri Miller with any questions, Meets in the OCA auditorium on the third Thursday of each month from 4-6 PM.

GRASSOMOXOA 420 SHOW AT OCA!

Don’t miss this awesome 420 show at OCA! Grassomoxoa performs bluegrass music of the Grateful Dead and more. Featuring Scotty Brown, Riley Hill, Isaac Cantor and Bud Dillard - this will be one dance party you don’t want to miss!

The fine art of bluegrass and the music of the Grateful Dead have been linked before the Dead even existed. Any fan knows that bluegrass was the foundation of Jerry Garcia’s lifelong commitment to his craft. He would later revisit it in 1973 with the short-lived, yet very influential project, Old and in the Way. It finally came back around in the early 90’s when Garcia/Grisman was formed. Even when bluegrass wasn’t at the forefront for Jerry, it was always a factor just beneath the surface.

Grassomoxoa (a clever nod to the 1969 GD album, Aoxomoxoa) is comprised of four men who are extremely passionate about bluegrass and the Grateful Dead. The idea of merging these two entities is nothing new. However, the way in which they approach it instills the songs with a fresh and vibrant energy. Riley Hill (guitar), Bud Dillard (mandolin), Isaac Cantor (banjo) and Scotty Brown (bass) are old friends who embody the sort of freewheeling spirit that Jerry himself held dear.

You’ve seen them in their other bands, including: Grateful Bluegrass Boys, Dusty Green Bones, One Grass Two Grass and Electric Tumbleweed. Here we’ll see them delve deeper than ever before into the far corners of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia songbook. You can count on a magical combination of both traditional string music and progressive jam explorations. It will be just like a late-night picking session around the fire.

Portrait Classes

Local artist Phil Salyer leads this class featuring a different live model each week.. Bring your own materials. All experience levels welcome! Classes will be held on four Tuesdays : April, 2, 9, 23 and 30, 2024 from 2-5 PM. $40 per week, $150 for all four sessions. OCA members receive a discount. Questions? Email gallery@occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Children of Lucy is an Afro/Asian/Latin dance-rock-jazz band, performing original danceable music and arrangements from around the world - plus some western standards. Led by Andy Lewis aka "DrClock" this ensemble features talented musicians from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Check out their bios below!

Tickets to this show are $20 GA, $15 for OCA members. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. OCA is wheelchair accessible.

From a review in “LA Jazz Scene”:

"It was both tightly composed and left room for improvisations. The harmonies and blend were quite colorful, covering a variety of moods, and always held one’s interest….so memorable that I wish I could view the performance again. Be sure to catch this very original ensemble whenever you have the chance."

A C Lewis, AKA DrClock, has been a musician, composer, freelancer, teacher, and student of music for 56 years now. Starting as a Trombonist, he switched to Congas in High School, started drumset in College, and classical percussion at the S F Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Bachelors degree, He also has a Masters from the Juilliard school, a Post Grad diploma from the Mannes College of Music, a teaching certificate from the Lewis-Clark State University in Idaho, 2 Masters in Conducting from the Universidad Juan Corpas in Bogota Colombia and SF State U. He has performed worldwide with ensembles including the Mexico City Phil, the Orquesta Nacional de Colombia, the New Zealand Symphony, and 20 years with the San Francisco Symphony. He has performed with countless luminaries including Ritchie Havens, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Zappa, Michael Tilson Thomas, Steve Reich, YoYo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, Joan Jett, Isaac Stern, Aaron Copland, Pierre Boulez, Jeffery Kahane, and Kent Nagano, among other. He’s shared the stage with Moby Grape and members of the Grateful Dead, and studied Composition with John Adams at the SF Conservatory. He “made it there” in N Y, as freelancer on Broadway and countless ensembles, but is happily settled now in our fair Bay Area. As bandleader he toured Colombia with the A C Lewis Trio, in 2005 created and is still occasionally performing with the poymetric octet Deep Hip Pocket, and is now steering Children of Lucy, and maintains his position as Timpanist with the Santa Rosa Symphony.

Alex Holloway is a bassist living in the East Bay area. He studied bass with Doctor Aaron Miller at Brigham Young University - Idaho and has many years of touring nationally on both electric and upright bass under his belt. He has also recorded with a wide variety of artists and is featured on award winning international releases. He is passionate about making music and considers his job well done if your toes are tapping along with the groove.

David El covers a lot of ground. As a vocalist he is an adept rapper and a sensitive enough singer to croon a ballad, as a guitarist rip a rocking guitar solo and articulate jazzy harmonic sophistication all the while playing smart rhythmic accompaniments. A familiar yet renewed sound that blends elements of jazz and blues tonality into a latin rock, hip hop vibe. David Has been making waves in the Bay Area Music scene both as a side man and his trio : David El 3-oh!

Eric Scheide is a saxophonist, band leader and composer. He studied saxophone performance at San Francisco State University. He has performed with Einsteinium Quartet, SF Civic Symphony, City Swing Big Band, Gina Maadrid, Detour, SF L/G Freedom Band, Ray of Light Theater, Jazz Beaus, What's Cookin' Quintet, David Mcfarland Project, The Soul Miners, Left Coast Project and many others, including performing with and recording DrClock’s previous band Deep Hip Pocket.

Miles Lassi, an interdisciplinary artist based in Oakland, CA, has performed in over 150 cities, with ensembles like  the Vietnam National Symphony, and the national tour of Dirty Dancing. He has performed with remarkable artists including Bely Fleck, Tangerine dream, John Rutter, Monophonics, Morton Subotnik, and the Santa Rosa Symphony. He has created music with Tony award producer Peter Schneider, and Grammy award winning producers Om’Mas Keith and Jack Vad, who won a Grammy with DrClock for their roles in the San Francisco Symphony’s Grammy award winning “Carmina Burana” under the direction of Herbert Bloomstedt. He currently works musically for KQED in their terrific series “Snap Judgement”.

Jonah Cabral is a sought-after Bay Area saxophone soloist from San Francisco. He has shared the stage with Carl Allen, Smith Dobson Jr, Nicholas Beard, Akira Tana, John Daversa, Andreas van Zoelen, Paul Cohen and many more, and has played throughout the world, in South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and throughout the United States. He  earned a Bachelor of Music from San Jose State University and a Masters from Fontys Conservatory in the Netherlands. His awards include being one of winners in La Jolla Symphony's 2019 Young Artist Competition, a finalist in Fremont Symphony's 2019  Young Artist Competition, Delta Symphony's 2019 Young Artist Competition and in the Northern American Saxophone Alliance 2018 National Competition. Jonah released his first album as a leader in 2022 recorded live at the Paradox jazz club in the Netherlands. He’s currently a freelance musician, is the soprano saxophonist of the Zēlos Saxophone Quartetand, and Director of Music at Westborough Middle School.

Portrait Classes

Local artist Phil Salyer leads this class featuring a different live model each week.. Bring your own materials. All experience levels welcome! Classes will be held on four Tuesdays : April, 2, 9, 23 and 30, 2024 from 2-5 PM. $40 per week, $150 for all four sessions. OCA members receive a discount. Questions? Email gallery@occidentalcenterforthearts.org

The Occidental Community Choir returns with Spring Concerts “All Creatures Great and Small”

The Occidental Community Choir (OCC) is thrilled to announce its latest concert season titled "All Creatures Great & Small". This concert series, featuring several local composers, marks the culmination of this remarkable choir's 45th year together spreading harmony throughout our community. Under the joyous direction of Gage Purdy, the OCC promises an enchanting musical journey celebrating the diverse tapestry of creatures that inhabit our world. From the majestic to the minuscule, this season's repertoire is certain to captivate audiences with its melodic humor and lyrical beauty. 

Performances on May 3,4,5 and 11 at OCA.

Get tickets at Occidentalchoir.org

The Occidental Community Choir returns with Spring Concerts “All Creatures Great and Small”

The Occidental Community Choir (OCC) is thrilled to announce its latest concert season titled "All Creatures Great & Small". This concert series, featuring several local composers, marks the culmination of this remarkable choir's 45th year together spreading harmony throughout our community. Under the joyous direction of Gage Purdy, the OCC promises an enchanting musical journey celebrating the diverse tapestry of creatures that inhabit our world. From the majestic to the minuscule, this season's repertoire is certain to captivate audiences with its melodic humor and lyrical beauty. 

Performances on May 3,4,5 and 11 at OCA.

Get tickets at Occidentalchoir.org

The Occidental Community Choir returns with Spring Concerts “All Creatures Great and Small”

The Occidental Community Choir (OCC) is thrilled to announce its latest concert season titled "All Creatures Great & Small". This concert series, featuring several local composers, marks the culmination of this remarkable choir's 45th year together spreading harmony throughout our community. Under the joyous direction of Gage Purdy, the OCC promises an enchanting musical journey celebrating the diverse tapestry of creatures that inhabit our world. From the majestic to the minuscule, this season's repertoire is certain to captivate audiences with its melodic humor and lyrical beauty. 

Performances on May 3,4,5 and 11 at OCA.

Get tickets at Occidentalchoir.org

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

The Occidental Community Choir returns with Spring Concerts “All Creatures Great and Small”

The Occidental Community Choir (OCC) is thrilled to announce its latest concert season titled "All Creatures Great & Small". This concert series, featuring several local composers, marks the culmination of this remarkable choir's 45th year together spreading harmony throughout our community. Under the joyous direction of Gage Purdy, the OCC promises an enchanting musical journey celebrating the diverse tapestry of creatures that inhabit our world. From the majestic to the minuscule, this season's repertoire is certain to captivate audiences with its melodic humor and lyrical beauty. 

Performances on May 3,4,5 and 11 at OCA.

Get tickets at Occidentalchoir.org

Are you a ukulele enthusiast? Join our monthly group to share songs and have fun! Bring your own instrument. Contact group leader Jerri Miller with any questions, Meets in the OCA auditorium on the third Thursday of each month from 4-6 PM.

A Special Exhibit of Theatrical Puppets - Reception with Artists

For over fifty years, Elizabeth Fuller and Conrad Bishop have presented stage performances of Shakespeare and other plays performed by their unique, nearly life-sized puppets. They have generously donated part of their puppet collection to OCA. The puppets will be displayed and offered for sale in the gallery and lobby throughout the month of May, with a gala reception on May 18th, 1-3pm, at which Conrad and Elizabeth will talk about making the puppets and demonstrate performing with them.

Join us for this free event celebrating a lifetime of puppetmaking and theatre with Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller.

About the artists:
Conrad and Elizabeth met and mated as undergraduates in 1960 and have spent their lives as co-creators—professionally since 1971. “We write jointly and both perform. He’s the director, designer and puppet sculptor; she’s the composer, techie, accountant and cook” says Conrad.

“We’ve lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Columbia SC, and Lancaster PA, and we’ve performed on tour in 35 states plus Canada and Jerusalem. We’ve created more than 60 plays for our own ensemble as well as about three dozen other theatres, plus public radio series, puppetry, and videos. We have two grown kids, one in San Francisco, one in Italy—our closest friends.  Most of our creative lives have been devoted to exploring how people working collaboratively can make fine things.

The whole story, or a goodly portion of it, is in our memoir, Co-Creation: Fifty Years in the Making.”

Browse their YouTube Library of short videos and trailers or visit their website.

Free event!

Join us to celebrate the release of Andrea Granahan’s latest book “Spitting on Great Aunt Missouri’s Grave”. Andrea will share selected readings, answer audience questions and sign books, available for purchase at the event.

A true story from the Deep South, Vella, mostly Native American. She had a Creek mother  and Cherokee father with a dash of European. She was orphaned because her mother died at her birth and her father left the newborn with relatives. The relative who got her at age three was a sadistic aunt. To escape, Vella married at fifteen, and was a widow with a child at seventeen. During her second marriage, she herself became a child abuser. “Spitting on Great Aunt Missouri’s Grave” is a story about the enduring power of love to heal and transform, even in the face of unimaginable adversity. Through the characters’ struggles and growth, it delivers profound messages about forgiveness, redemption, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Andrea Granahan is the author of five previous books. She was an award-winning investigative journalist and is a travel writer. Her previous book The Wandering Widow won the gold medal for best travel book of 2022 from North American Travel Journalists Association. She lives in northern California near the coast. For years she published a weekly newspaper, The Bodega Bay Navigator. She raised her family in west Sonoma County.

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

This show is rescheduled from Feb. 10, 2024

Stella Heath Band presents “Unsung Standards”

Experience an unforgettable evening of timeless melodies with the Stella Heath Band!

Immerse yourself in an enchanting journey through the golden age of jazz and soul as the Stella Heath Band brings to life the unsung gems of the American Songbook. Renowned for her captivating voice and charismatic stage presence, Stella Heath effortlessly weaves together a tapestry of classic tunes that have been unjustly overlooked.

A versatile young vocalist and bandleader whose taste for classic jazz spans the 20s through the 40s, Stella Heath brings an evening of music featuring songs by Billie Holiday and Nat “King” Cole, among others.

The stellar musicians accompanying Stella Heath are masters of their craft, creating a musical synergy that is nothing short of magical. Stella Heath's velvety vocals breathe new life into forgotten classics, ensuring an evening of soul-stirring performances.

Occidental Center for the Arts provides an intimate and acoustically rich environment, allowing you to savor every note in the heart of the performance. Enjoy our art gallery during intermission along with fine refreshments and community socializing.

Tickets are $30 GA, $25 for OCA members

Don't miss this chance to rediscover the brilliance of Unsung Standards with the Stella Heath Band. Secure your tickets now for an evening that promises to be a symphony of nostalgia and musical brilliance!

OCA is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us to reserve seating if you require special accommodations.

Singing since the age of eight, Stella feels wholly blessed to be able to express herself through music and song, and to carry forth the torch of Jazz Music that she loves so dearly. She grew up in the North San Francisco Bay Area, steeped in her mother’s eclectic music collection; some of her early musical influences were Louis Armstrong, Edith Piaf, Buena Vista Social Club, Billie Holiday, Tom Waits, Bod Dylan and Ella Fitzgerald. Her education was primarily in Acting at Interlochen Arts Academy and Syracuse University, where she received a degree in classical acting and cultural geography. She spent many years as a Shakespearian actress based out of New York City, where she began to sing Jazz again with the incredible Marjorie Eliot in Harlem. 

She moved to her home state of California in 2014, and began playing music full time, starting the Bay Area based band Bandjango Collectif, a wild around the edges band that mixes French Jazz Manouche, New Orleans Hot Swing, and Eclectic Global Folk, allowing Stella to explore and play in vocal improvisation, different languages, and song interpretation. In 2019 she debuted The Billie Holiday Project, a historically centered musical tribute to the great Lady Day. The show was met with great success and quickly moved into some of the Bay Area's most reputable listening venues. The pandemic brought fruitful new musical connections and collaborations with musicians such as Marcus Shelby, Gunhild Carling, and Ben Levin in Cincinnati. Stella has a passion for uncovering old gems from the library and music archives. She has a deep love for Jazz and its history, and believes it should be an integral part of American childhood curriculum. Stella took on the role of Education Coordinator for Healdsburg Jazz in 2023. She is also a new mother of twins!

Second Annual
OCCIDENTAL WORLD MUSIC AND DANCE DAY

Inspired by LARK Music Camp, this incredible event debuted at OCA last year featuring more than 20 instructional workshops, jam sessions, instructor performances and more. Click here to read details from last year’s event!

Workshops and demonstrations will be offered from a diverse variety of cultures, traditions and genres. Expect to see offerings like workshops on Balkan Singing and Dancing, Scottish Fiddle, Salsa dancing, Bluegrass & Old Time mandolin, Belly Dancing, Django Jazz Guitar, Irish Songs, Cajun Music, Hunter’s Harp, Spanish language songs, and Celtic harp; watch demonstrations of rare and exotic instruments such as Hurdy-Gurdy, Appalachian, Dulcimer, Autoharp, Alpenhorn, join in a variety of jams and open dance sessions, enjoy Instructor Concerts and more at this incredible event. We’re so thrilled to bring you this global extravaganza of folk music and dance again in 2024!

Early pricing!

Adults/General Admission:
$75 through April 30
$85 through May 31
$95 at the gate

Special pricing for children 12 and under:
$25 through April 30
$30 through May 31
$35 at the gate

Additional Discount for OCA members

A limited number of scholarships are available. Click here to apply for a scholarship.

Scroll down to see a list of confirmed workshops.

You can also view the preliminary schedule here (google sheets).

This year’s festival encore is a performance by
The Fula Brothers from 7-9 PM. Evening only tickets are available for $25 with entry at 5:30 PM. Click here for evening only tickets.

2024 World Music & Dance Day Confirmed Workshops & Presenters

WORKSHOPS

Traditional Hawaiian Songs & Ukulele Techniques
Gary Sugiyama

Belly Dancing
Janessa Lynna

Balkan Singing
Darina Drapkin & Elin Powers

Arabic Rhythms and Drumming
Faisal Zedan

Intro to Irish Tunes
Michael Hubbert

Expand Your Irish Song Repertoire
Shay Black

Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar
Michael Greenberg

Cuban and Puerto Rican Songs
Leslie Hubbert

Celtic Harp
Shawna Selline

Cajun Music
Suzy Thompson

Cape Breton Dance
Ron Wallace

Song Circle
Holly Tannen

West African Drumming
Tyehimba Kokayi

Scottish Fiddle
Lisa Doyle

Balkan Drumming
Sean Tergis

Mandolin
Eric Thompson

Salsa Dancing
Carrie Souza

Balkan Dancing
Sue Williard

Django Jazz Guitar
Rick Fulkerson

Turkish Fiddle
Lars Tergis

Demonstrations and Presentations

Autoharp
Carey Dubbert

Sea Chanteys
Jim Partridge

Malian Instruments
Mamadou Sidibe

Recording Basics
Nathaniel Sellin

Photos from our June 3, 2023 event by @FredAube

Fula Brothers are a burst of unbridled creative musicianship and happy-making. This is a high spirited cross-cultural meeting of veteran performers from West Africa and America. Together, they weave West African hunters harp, fingerstyle guitar, drums, vocals, and a bounty of improvisation into an ecstatic groove-based dialogue which the heart - and the feet - cannot resist.

Tickets to the Fula Brothers concert are $25 GA, $20 for OCA members. Please note: this concert closes our Second Annual World Music and Dance Day. Tickets purchased for the Fula Brothers concert allow entry to the festival at 5:30 PM. Join us for dinner and the Instructor Performances! To lean more about the festival or purchase all-day tickets click here.

Master kamale ngoni player Mamadou Sidibe is a storied and award-winning West African musician, and a contagious joy. Thirty years ago in Mali, he was the first to break with tradition and take the ancient hunters harp outside the hunters' ceremonies, creating the now widely popular kamale ngoni. He frequently collaborates with West African superstar Oumou Sangare, with whom he recently wrote and recorded the internationally acclaimed CD “Timbuktu”. Mamadou has performed throughout Europe and the US with Malian stars like Coumba Sidibe and Toumani Diabate, and has recently recorded with American producer Rick Rubin. 

Guitarist Walter Strauss' playing is held in high regard in varied corners of the musical world. The great Malian kora player Toumani Diabate calls Walter’s guitar renditions of kora music “inspirational”. British guitar icon Martin Simpson says his playing is “beautiful, fluid, and sophisticated”. His guitar is a rich blend of texture and syncopation, influenced by diverse global stringed instruments, both contemporary and ancient. Walter has collaborated in the US with Grammy-winning Malian kora player Mamadou Diabate, in Havana with violinist Tanmy Lopez Moreno and in Scotland with Old Blind Dogs fiddler Jonny Hardie.

Fula Brothers are elevated by the nimble grooves of ace drummer / percussionist Brian Rice - a veteran of multiple styles, known especially for his work in Brazilian and Cuban music. He has been percussionist for numerous touring Brazilian artists, soloist for Felipe Senna’s concerto for pandeiro and orchestra, and percussionist for the Bay Area’s own Wake the Dead. Brian has performed internationally, and at US venues like Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V12Xr8sldjc

Website: https://www.fulabrothers.com/

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

Windows Through Time Album Release Concert

As a composer, Mariah's work explores the intersection between contemporary jazz and the musical cultures of Brazil, Cuba, India and Spain. Drawing inspiration from indigenous traditions as well as newly evolving forms, her compositions shine a light on the diverse practices that enrich our world; creating a fully integrated and uplifting contribution to our shared cultures.

With a stellar ensemble including Kash Killion, Matthew Montfort, Paul McCandless, Kendrick Freeman and Michaelle Goerlitz, this performance will dazzle you with an overflowing abundance of talent and symbiosis. Join us to celebrate the release of Mariah's latest album "Windows Through Time".

Tickets are $35 GA, $30 for OCA members. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. OCA is wheelchair accessible.

Don’t miss our season spectacular showcase of local talent!

Join us to enjoy an evening of entertainment and appreciation for our local talent. Doors open at 6:30 PM. A list of confirmed acts will be published soon!

This event is a fundraiser for OCA. Tickets to attend are $25 GA, $20 for OCA members. Free for kids 12 and under.

Celebrate Teresa’s 70th Birthday, 42 years of collaboration and Pride Month with Barbara and Teresa!

The reunion of singer-songwriter Teresa Trull and pianist/singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie, is a long awaited musical event. Their new duo CD Playtime captures the excitement and versatility that has endeared them to audiences since their 1983 release Unexpected. Critically acclaimed in publications such as People, Cashbox, Billboard, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe their vibrant fusion of energy and talent has earned them an enthusiastic and persistent following. Their collaborative joy is at once irresistible, irrefutable and engagingly quirky. Musically they range over a terrain that varies from blues and gospel to folk, rock , jazz and championship fiddle playing. They have shared stages with Tracy Chapman, k.d. Lang, Whoopie Goldberg, Nancy Griffith and Ferron among others. Combining gut emotion, technical brilliance and pure joie de vivre Trull and Higbie are a musical force to be reckoned with and thoroughly enjoyed.

Tickets are $35 GA, $30 for OCA Members. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Beer, wine and refreshments for sale. OCA is wheelchair accessible.

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Are you a ukulele enthusiast? Join our monthly group to share songs and have fun! Bring your own instrument. Contact group leader Jerri Miller with any questions, Meets in the OCA auditorium on the third Thursday of each month from 4-6 PM.

Musical Stories for Children!
A week-long program for children ages 5-8

 Each day students will enter the world of imagination through fantastical stories that spark the curiosity and develop musical and dance skills. Stories include Joe’s Fantastic Pie House, The Magic Shape Museum, Blue Bear’s Adventure, The Balloon Garden and Caps for Sale. These stories weave together songs, rhymes, drama and creative movement. Students will play in an orchestra of xylophones, drums and other percussion instruments. Led by Janet Greene, MA. 

Please note:

5-6 year olds participate from 9-11am, Monday - Friday

7-8 year olds participate 1-3pm, Monday - Friday

Registration is $100 for first child, $80 each for additional. OCA members receive $10 discount. 

To register your child, email info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Janet Greene, MA, leads this magical experience for children. Janet is the TK-3rd grade Orff Music and Movement Specialist at Oak Grove and Apple Blossom Schools. Her classes for children and teachers have taken her to Bali, Bhutan, Thailand and South Africa.

The Orff Schulwerk, or simply the Orff Approach, is a developmental approach used in music education. It combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to a child's world of play. It was developed by the German composer Carl Orff (1895–1982) and colleague Gunild Keetman during the 1920s.

‘Shelter in Poetry’ or ‘SIP’ was conceived and formed at the start of the Covid Pandemic mandate to shelter in place. This small group of poetry-minded folks has met virtually via Zoom twice a month since then, long after the pandemic passed, to share their poetry with each other. The salon will showcase some of the best poems from each poet that have emerged over this four year period. A small chapbook of these poems will accompany the readings and be available for sale.

Free event!

Poets include:

Patrick Fanning

Marylu Downing

Bob Burnett

Diane Masura

Sarah Dupre

Elizabeth Lawson

Sara Peyton

Suze Pringle Cohan

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Bring your instrument down to OCA for our Bluegrass Jam Session!

Led by multi-instrumentalist David Pascoe, our monthly jam session is held on the first Tuesday of each month. We’ll meet in the OCA classroom and take turns leading/choosing songs. Guaranteed to be a great time for all! $5 donation requested of participants. BYOB.

See you at the jam!

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.