Oakland Public Conservatory of Music’s Music Courses (2025-26)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Embrace your musical dreams with OPC’s 2025-26 Adult Programs! Now enrolling!

Learn an instrument and live your wildest dreams! The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, dedicated to affordable, top-level music education, announces our Adult Programs starting October 2025. Enroll now at opcmusic.org and join a vibrant community of music enthusiasts!

Discover your inner musician and unleash your passion for music in our welcoming environment. Let’s create a symphony of new connections as we learn and grow together. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Explore your passion for music with OPC’s Adult Programs! Now enrolling!

Join a vibrant, diverse community of fellow music enthusiasts!

Immerse yourself in our range of classes and ensembles tailored for adult learners:

1. Beginning and Beyond Beginner Piano : Master the basics and progress to more advanced techniques in a supportive environment.

Experience communal music-making, learn traditional banjo techniques, and sing with soulful voice in “Black to the Roots: Banjo & Community Singing!” with Patrice Strahan.

Dive into jazz vocal improvisation, express your unique voice through captivating scatting, and learn vocal techniques in “Jazz Vocal Improv & Scatting with Azure McCall.”

Explore the vibrant rhythms of the marimba, expand your percussive skills, and develop a deeper appreciation for this enchanting instrument in “Marimba with Ronnie Daliyo.”

Connect with fellow musicians, grow together through collaboration, performance, and skill-building in various genres in “Adult Ensembles.”

Channel your inner jazz and blues musician, enhance your performance skills, and improvise in “Jazz and Blues Ensemble with Howard Wiley.”

Pay homage to Stevie Wonder, explore his iconic repertoire, and learn from KJ Jackson, who played on his album “Hotter than July,” in “Stevie Wonder Ensemble with KJ Jackson.”

Dive into the funk-filled world of Bay Area legend Sly Stone, learn from KJ Jackson, and discover how his music unifies people through its irresistible grooves and powerful messages in “Sly Stone Ensemble with KJ Jackson.”

Experience the rich cultural blend of Afro-Latin music, refine your rhythmic sensibility, and develop versatility as a musician in “Afro Latin Ensemble with Obrayan Calderon.”

Join OPC’s supportive learning environment and embark on a life-changing musical journey. Enroll now at opcmusic.org.

Registration Fee
A $25 registration fee is required for all students enrolling in OPC classes. Each student pays this fee only once per year, regardless of the number of classes taken. Please be sure to add the registration fee to your cart in addition to the class(es) you are enrolling in. The registration fee is non-refundable.

Chose Your Rate

• $325 – Community Rate
  For those managing on a limited income.

• $390 – Standard Rate
  For those with a steady income who can help sustain the program.

• $450 – Supporter Rate
  For those with financial flexibility who wish to help expand access for others.

Each participant may select the rate that best fits their circumstances. All students receive the same instruction and experience. This approach allows OPC to balance affordability with sustainability, while preserving the diversity that is core to our mission.

Please note: If you are enrolling in more than one class, be sure to adjust the quantity in your cart to match the number of classes.

Payment Plans
A payment plan is available: pay a $200 deposit up front, with the remaining balance due midway through the course.

OPC is committed to access for all. We hope to make scholarships available as resources allow, and we will share details when opportunities open up.

Please reach out at info@opcmusic.org if you’d like to request a payment plan or be added to the scholarship wait list.

ADULT PROGRAMS

Fall class dates: Oct 20 – Dec 12, 2025

Group Classes

• Beginning Piano w/ Jelani Noble

• Beginning Banjo/Black to the Roots (Online & In-person) w/ Patrice Strahan

• Beginning Banjo & Beyond Beginning Banjo (Online) w/ Joe Z. Johnson

• Vocal Improvisation & Scatting w/ Azure McCall

• Zimbabwean Marimbas w/ Ronnie Daliyo

Ensembles

• Jazz & Blues w/ Howard Wiley

• Music of Stevie Wonder w/ KJ Jackson

• Music of Sly Stone w/ KJ Jackson

• Afro Latin w/ Obrayan Calderon

SCHEDULE (all times PST and in-person unless otherwise noted)

Tuesdays

• 4:00 – 5:00 pm – ONLINE
  Beginning Banjo w/ Joe Johnson
  Delve into the history of the banjo while learning fundamentals and playing your first old time song.

• 6:30 – 7:45 pm ONLINE & IN-PERSON (HYBRID CLASS)
  Black to the Roots: Banjo & Community Singing! w/ Patrice Strahan
  Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Black folk music through the banjo in this engaging class. Experience the joy of communal music-making as you learn the history and techniques of the banjo and uplift your spirit with soulful singing.

• 6:30 – 7:45 pm
  Zimbabwean Marimbas w/ Ronnie Daliyo
  Delve into the vibrant rhythms of the Zimbabwean marimba, expanding your percussive skills and developing a deeper appreciation for this enchanting instrument.

• 8:00 pm – 9:15 pm
  Afro-Latin Ensemble w/ Obrayan Calderon
  Experience the rich cultural blend of Afro-Latin music, refining your rhythmic sensibility and developing versatility as a musician.

Wednesdays

• 4:00 – 5:00 pm – ONLINE
  Beyond Beginning Banjo w/ Joe Johnson
  Expand your banjo skills, explore its history, and enrich your repertoire through advanced techniques and mentorship.

• 6:30 pm – 7:45 PM
  Stevie Wonder Ensemble w/ KJ Jackson
  Pay homage to one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Stevie Wonder. Explore his iconic repertoire with KJ Jackson, who actually played on Stevie’s album “Hotter than July.”

• 7:00 pm – 8:15 PM
  Beginning Piano (no experience required) w/ Jelani Noble
  Unleash your creativity on the piano, mastering the basics and progressing to more advanced techniques in a supportive environment.

• 8 pm – 9:15 pm
  Sly Stone Ensemble w/ KJ Jackson
  Dive into the funk-filled world of Bay Area legend Sly Stone. Learn from KJ Jackson as you discover how Sly’s music unifies people through its irresistible grooves and powerful messages.

Thursdays

• 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
  Vocal Improv & Scatting w/ Azure McCall
  Dive into the world of jazz vocal improvisation, expressing your unique voice through captivating scatting and vocal techniques.

• 8 pm – 9:15 pm
  Jazz and Blues Ensemble w/ Howard Wiley
  Channel your inner jazz and blues musician, enhancing your performance skills and improvisational techniques.

TO ENROLL

1. Select your pricing tier from the drop-down menu and add to cart

2. Complete the Enrollment & Contact Info form that pops up

   • Select the courses you’re enrolling in

3. Select the correct quantity of classes in your cart

4. Place registration fee in cart (required once per year and covers all classes)

5. Checkout

   • Important: if using a mobile device, rotate your phone to landscape mode to see the Cart

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.