With support from the California Arts Council, Synchromy will collaborate with LA-based drummer Guillermo E. Brown, artist and curator Talia Greene, and local activist Elva Yañez of Save Elephant Hill to create a performance series and interactive experience for our 6th annual Urban Birds program in Spring 2024. This free, family-friendly project centers Elephant Hill, a greenspace plagued by illegal dumping and off-roading, that residents have been fighting to protect for over a decade.
We will also produce an app with geotagged sounds recorded by community members, enabling visitors to encounter the site’s history; learn about local wildlife; and experience the performance virtually. Our goal is to use artistic activities to amplify issues, support the community of El Sereno in forming solutions, and highlight the role of urban greenspaces in creating equitable and vibrant communities.
LIVE MUSIC PROGRAMMING
Synchromy produces 6-8 live music programs annually, motivated by our mission to support underrepresented composers and produce projects with a purpose. Our 2023-24 season features 6 programs, comprising 14 live performances and 9 world premieres by LA composers; programming for the 2024-25 season is in progress. Tickets are free or low-cost. For paid events, we distribute free tickets through partner organizations. A number of our events take place outdoors, and we produce new and ongoing works online.
SUPPORT FOR COMPOSERS
Synchromy supports composers’ artistic, professional, and community development. In 2022, we increased our commissioning fee to $1500 at minimum, and pay composers, musicians, and crew equitably. We support the creative process from inception through production and beyond. We provide composers with high-quality documentation and press kits, which are crucial in obtaining further funding and performance opportunities. At a community level, we hold Composer Welcoming Committees each month, inviting composers who are new to Los Angeles to meet with our artistic directors and pitch ideas. We are currently developing Calculator for Creativity in conjunction with universities across LA to help student composers transition to professional life.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Synchromy believes that an effective way to diversify our audiences, serve the underserved, and continue to grow is through collaboration. We began our collaboration initiative in 2018 and have continued this initiative through our current fiscal year. We partner with the Audubon Society, the LA Conservancy, as well as Monk Space, Chapman University, SpacePants, AutoDuplicity, and Basic Flowers. Our goal over the next two years is to create five new partnerships per year in our new Pasadena home, including collaborations with outreach facilities (homeless shelters, low income housing, and the like), educational bodies, and to offer childcare for audience members through collaborations with church nursery facilitators.

