Blue Bear School of Music

Blue Bear School of Music is a non-profit organization founded in San Francisco, California in 1971. Blue Bear has trained over 20,000 students in voice, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, bass, drums, horns, songwriting, bands and ensembles. The School currently has more than 1,700 members annually enrolled in small group classes and private or semi-private lessons. Blue Bear offers numerous music programs for disadvantaged youth throughout the year.

Past celebrity sponsors have included Blackalicious, Charles Brown, Cake, Tracy Chapman, Les Claypool, The Doobie Brothers, Green Day, John Lee Hooker, Metallica, Rancid, Carlos Santana and The Donnas. [http://www.bluebearmusic.org/programs/scholarships.html#celeb]

History

The Blue Bear School of American Music was founded as "Blue Bear Waltzes School of Genuine Music" in the summer of 1971 by a rock band called "Wolfgang & Strauss" Before moving to San Francisco they lived in Northern California on the Bear River. For a period in the mid-70s, when the founding members moved on, Blue Bear was run by a co-operative of teachers and students.

In 1978 operations moved from the original storefront on Ocean Avenue to Fort Mason Center. Blue Bear's current Board of Directors include co-founder and Board President Steve Savage, well known singer/songwriter/keyboard player Bonnie Hayes, President of The SF Grammy Chapter Merl Saunders, Jr., and noted author and journalist Peter Laufer. The current board chair is Mitch Stevko. Day-to-day operations of Blue Bear are under the direction of Executive Director, Kevin Marlatt. Carol Snow, Chief Financial Officer and Dennis Criteser, Program Director, are both former Blue Bear students who have been associated with the school for more than 35 and 25 years respectively. [http://www.bluebearmusic.org/about/overview.html#history]

Charity Work

Blue Bear offers a number of programs for disadvantaged youth which provide music education in the schools, as well as underwritten summer programs at Blue Bear and youth centers, as well as sliding scale tuition programs for youth and adult students.

In April,2007 five Blue Bear affiliated artists and groups provided artistic services to the Project Homeless Connect event held at Bill Graham Auditorium.

For younger musicians between the ages of 12 and 25, Blue Bear has a Scholarship Program, supported by music businesses and individuals with an interest in making popular music instruction available to motivated youth who might not otherwise be able to afford lessons.

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Benefit Show

In February 2006 Blue Bear held its first annual Music for Youth Benefit, BLUE BEAR LIVE I at The Independent in San Francisco. Blues guitar virtuoso, Robben Ford headlined the sold out event. Joining Robben on stage was Blue Bear alum, faculty member and Grammy nominated singer - songwriter, Bonnie Hayes and her band. Special guests included Vicki Randle from the Tonight Show band and guitarist, Blue Bear alum guest faculty member, Tal Morris of Creedance Clearwater Revisited.

BLUE BEAR LIVE II took place on May 12, 2007 at The Great American Music Hall. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Booker T. Jones was the featured headline artist. Returning from BLUE BEAR LIVE II, Bonnie Hayes and Vicki Randle were joined on stage with guest vocalists, Sista Monica Parker, Amber Morris and Larry Batiste.

Mission Statement

Blue Bear School of Music's mission statement is "to provide superior quality and affordable popular music education to aspiring musicians of all ages and skill levels within a supportive and encouraging community." [http://www.bluebearmusic.org/about/overview.html]

External links

* [http://www.bluebearmusic.org/index.php "Blue Bear School of Music" homepage]
* [http://www.fortmason.org/features/2005/03/feature01.shtml "Fort Mason Center" homepage]