Oakland Public Conservatory of Music

10/15/2026

Our online Bidder’s Showcase is live!

Supporters nationwide can bid on items from OPC’s 20th Anniversary Gala silent auction.

Every bid helps support culturally grounded music teaching and learning, instruments, mentorship, and opportunities for young musicians.

Whether you’re joining us in Oakland on October 24 or supporting from across the country, you can help carry this work forward.

Browse & bid here:
https://givebutter.com/c/opc-silent-bidders-showcase-ihawh6

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10/14/2026

Great music education extends beyond the classroom.

Through OPC’s partnership with SFJAZZ, young musicians learn from and engage with world-class artists through workshops and musical experiences that bring them closer to the living traditions they study.

These encounters give students more than a chance to meet accomplished musicians. They create opportunities to listen, ask questions, experience different approaches to the music and imagine where their own study might lead.

Partnerships like this help expand what access to music education can mean.

Thank you to SFJAZZ for helping create these opportunities for OPC students.

Learn more about our Youth Programs:
https://opcclasses.squarespace.com/youthprograms-overview

Be sure to grab your OPC 20th Gala Tickets:
https://givebutter.com/opc20th
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10/14/2026

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13994336/oakland-public-conservatory-music-20-year-anniversary

The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music trains new generations of musicians in downtown Oakland.

10/13/2026

You don’t have to be in Oakland to support OPC’s next chapter.

Coming this Wednesday, October 15th is our online Bidder’s Showcase, featuring items from OPC’s 20th Anniversary Gala silent auction—and a chance for supporters nationwide to join in!

EVERY BID will help sustain culturally grounded music teaching and learning, instruments, mentorship, and opportunities for young musicians.

Whether you’re joining us in Oakland on October 24 or cheering us on from across the country, you can help carry this work forward.

Get a preview, and share with a friend!

Explore the Bidder’s Showcase: https://givebutter.com/c/opc-silent-bidders-showcase-ihawh6
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10/12/2026

An ensemble teaches you to listen with your whole self.

At OPC, drummer Ayinde Webb grew through the Frederick Douglass Youth Ensemble and mentorship from Dr. Angela Wellman, Jaz Sawyer, and other Oakland musicians.

He also attended Oakland School for the Arts. In 2012, he received the prestigious Jimmy Lyons Scholarship—a full-tuition award to Berklee College of Music given to just one student living on the West Coast.

His path later included serving as percussionist for Classic Stage Company’s 2023 Off-Broadway production of *black odyssey*. Today, Ayinde is based in Chicago, Illinois, staying active on the city’s music scene while continuing to record and tour.

On October 24, Ayinde joins Steve Turre, Amina Scott, and Jasim Perales for OPC’s 20th Anniversary Gala, bringing this community of musicians together again.

Tickets: https://givebutter.com/opc20th

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10/10/2026

10/09/2026

At OPC’s 20th Anniversary Gala, you’re invited to come dressed as a musician who inspired you!

Maybe it’s MC Hammer’s pants, Billie Holiday’s gardenia, Tina Turner’s unmistakable stage presence, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet or Celia Cruz’s brilliant colors.

These are just a FEW possibilities. Your inspiration might be a hometown hero, a jazz icon or someone whose music helped you find your own voice.

Honor them with a full look, a signature detail or a favorite era. Participation is encouraged, not required—we want you there however you come.

Who will you come as? Tell us below!!

Saturday, October 24 • 2–6 p.m.
Downtown Oakland Science Academy
1515 Webster Street, Oakland

Tickets: https://givebutter.com/opc20th
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10/07/2026

Oakland remains part of the music, wherever the music takes you.

OPC alumna Amina Scott began playing electric bass at twelve and soon began performing with local bands around Oakland.

Her journey eventually took her to New Orleans, where she earned her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University New Orleans before completing her master’s degree in Jazz Studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

During undergraduate studies, she shifted her focus to upright bass and continued developing her voice as a bassist, composer, and arranger.

Today, Amina performs nationally and internationally, has shared the stage with artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jazzmeia Horn, Nicholas Payton and Herlin Riley, and serves on the faculty at Loyola University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

Her debut album, Where the Wild Seed Grows, reflects her own journey while remaining connected to the musical lineage that shaped her. Her story connects the young musician finding her footing with the artist now creating, performing, and helping others find their own voices.

On October 24, Amina returns home to the OPC community, joining Steve Turre Official and fellow OPC alumni Jasim Perales and Ayinde Webb at our 20th Anniversary Gala.

Come celebrate the musicians carrying this community’s sound forward

🎟️ Tickets: https://givebutter.com/opc20th
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10/07/2026

10/05/2026

It started with a simple statement:

“We just want to PLAY, Ms. Wellman!”

While teaching an after school jazz class at Edna Brewer Middle School, Dr. Wellman noticed that most of the students who showed up were Black girls. When she asked why they chose to spend their early release day in jazz class, their answer stayed with her.

That moment became the inspiration for Black Girls Play.

Today, BGP creates a safe, affirming space for Black girls and gender expansive youth to explore music and find their voice.

Through musicianship, intergenerational mentorship and leadership development, young people build their skills, confidence and sense of possibility alongside a community invested in who they are becoming.

Sometimes creating the space young people need begins by listening to what they have to say.

Explore OPC’s Youth Classes to find a space for the young musician in your life at opcmusic.org

And as we celebrate 20 years, grab your ticket to the OPC Gala. Your support helps programs like Black Girls Play continue creating opportunities for the next generation.

Gala Tickets: http://givebutter.com/opc20th

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