Beat of a Different Zither
By Max Millard, Special To The Examiner
SF Examiner, Friday, July 12, 2002
World or ethnic music has grown more popular with the success of foreign films and soundtracks, and dance productions like "Riverdance".
That's good news for the Bay Area, with its large concentration of ethnic musicians.
"It's very difficult to make a living as a musician," said Michael Santoro, 32, producer and director of the San Francisco World Music Festival. "If you want to dedicate yourself to your art, you have to find some ways to make money."
One option is teaching.
A specialist in Chinese music, Santoro spent several years working as a children's music theory teacher. Now, he runs Door Dog Music Productions, producing concerts and helping ethnic music teachers find work.
Last fall, Door Dog secured an education grant from the California Arts Council to start two Chinese youth orchestras at Alice Fong Yu and Alamo elementary schools in San Francisco.
"I imported instruments from China, and we built a Chinese band room. Two Chinese teachers had a monthly salary to go in and teach these classes."
The teachers earned $25 to $50 an hour, putting in 10 to 25 hours a week.
Though musicians cannot get educational grants as individuals, they can qualify by forming organizations. Grants are available through the San Francisco Arts Council, the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, and the Zellerbach Family Fund.
Santoro arranges workshops and master classes at San Francisco State University. Participating musicians can earn upwards of $100 an hour.
Philip Gelb, 37, of Oakland teaches the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute. With many recordings to his credit, he earns the bulk of his living as a music teacher.
Gelb has about 15 regular students in the Bay Area, some of whom he got by word of mouth and others through his Web site. But his main marketing tool is shoe leather.
"About once every two months or so, I go around and put up flyers," said Gelb. "Cafes, bookstores, record stores, music stores, community centers; wherever there are bulletin boards."
"It's not something I do just to make money," he said. "I really love teaching. I also see it as an obligation though, because whenever you get to a certain level you have to pass that knowledge on."
This attitude is shared by Cait Reed, 52, an expert in Irish music who has been teaching for 30 years. She charges $60 an hour for private lessons on the ftddle, bodhran, mandolin and tenor banjo.
One way Reed attracts students is through contacts she makes at an annual summer music camp in Mendocino, the Lark in the Morning Music Celebration. The nine-day event draws hundreds of participants, and more than 80 teachers. The teachers get paid a nominal amount but benefit from the networking.
Mickie Zekley, the camp director, said no music degrees are required to teach. "I've never asked anybody if they had a degree. That's immaterial, and possibly a hindrance," he said. "We know them by reputation, and not only how they play, but how they can impart their knowledge."
David Wong, 25, teaches gu zheng, a Chinese zither, at the Clarion Music Center in Chinatown and at the Marina Middle School.
Because he says he enjoys teaching, Wong's prices vary. He generally charges $20 per person for group lessons and $25 for one hour of individual instruction. Private lessons at Clarion are $36 per hour.
Clarion's owner, Clara Hsu, 46, runs a program called the World Music Tour, a series of lectures and demonstrations about different ethnic instruments. She charges $150 for the hourlong presentations that are given by two or three musicians throughout the year.
Hsu sometimes struggles to survive, but is motivated by passion, not profit. "People come in here and go out with a big smile and say, 'It's the most amazing place I've ever been to,"' said Hsu. "And people who said they are not talented and can't play music are able to pick up something and make a sound and be happy about it. It gives me a lot of satisfaction, these little simple things, and I think I thrive on those things."
