Overview
Northern California Music & Art Culture Center (NCMACC) has been a cornerstone of San Francisco's arts education community for over three decades. Founded in 1992, we provide high-quality, individualized music instruction to students of all ages and backgrounds. Our dedicated teachers work closely with each student, whether they dream of someday becoming professional musicians or simply want to bring music into their family or educational lives.
While our primary focus remains nurturing young talent, we've expanded our vision to include adult programs - offering chorus, chamber music, and other enriching activities that bring joy and fulfillment to the entire community.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we're committed to making exceptional arts education accessible to everyone, creating a vibrant space where creativity flourishes and diverse voices are celebrated.
Our History
1992: The Beginning
NCMACC was founded in a small rented studio on Fillmore Street in the Western Addition. Even in those early days, our impact extended beyond our walls - our children's choir's performances were broadcast on local television, sharing young voices with the broader San Francisco community.
1998: Finding Our Home
We moved to 3120 Geary Boulevard, where everything changed. This space allowed our after-school program to blossom, and we could finally customize rehearsal rooms to truly serve our students' needs to a tee. Through hands-on remodeling and countless hours of dedication, we transformed the space into a true home for music education.
2008: Expanding Our Reach
Our move to Glad Tidings Church on Webster Street marked a period of growth and innovation, including the launch of our popular WREACH OUT program, which served the community for many years.
2012: Back in the Neighborhood
We relocated to 3936 Geary Boulevard, thrilled to return to our beloved neighborhood. This move reinforced our deep roots in the community we serve.
2014: Finally Back at Home
We returned to our home at 3120 Geary Boulevard, where we continue to thrive today. Recent years have brought new milestones: the development of our adult musical programs, resilience through the COVID-19 pandemic with online instruction, and a successful return to in-person learning afterward. More than thirty years after our founding, NCMACC remains dedicated to our mission of transforming lives through music and arts education.
An Open Letter From Executive Director Young Sook Kim
For over thirty years, NCMACC has never stopped working, dreaming, and growing. We've built programs that endure, launched initiatives that inspire, and created a community that supports one another through every challenge and triumph.
Our journey has taught us resilience. In 2012, we launched a capital campaign to purchase our own building - a dream that would have allowed us to expand and diversify our programs even further. Though we didn't reach our goal, that effort revealed something more valuable: the extraordinary sense of togetherness among our students, families, staff, and board of directors. We discovered that our true foundation isn't a building - it's the community we've built together.
Today, we stand at an exciting threshold. While music education for children remains at our heart, we're expanding our vision to serve the entire community. We're creating opportunities for adults to experience the fulfillment and joy that music brings through chorus, chamber music, and other art-related activities. This is what it means to be a nonprofit organization: to truly belong to and serve the community.
These past three decades have shaped us, taught us, and helped us grow with purpose and style. As we look to the future, one thing remains constant: we - grownups and children alike - will continue learning and dreaming together.
Thank you for being part of our story.
Fondly,
Young Sook Kim
Founder & Executive Director