Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen McCurry.
Hi Stephen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thanks so much for having me and for your interest in the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. I’ve been the Executive Director of PCM for the past 31 years.
How long has the Pasadena Conservatory been around? Can you tell us a little about its history?
Absolutely. The Conservatory was founded in 1984 with eight teachers and 40 students. In 2001, following a period of remarkable growth, PCM purchased property in Central Pasadena—its current campus and the musical home to nearly 1200 students and 70 exceptional faculty members, 80% of which hold at least a master’s degree in music and 25% of which hold a doctorate.
In 2008, PCM became one of only two schools on the West Coast to receive accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools. Then, in 2014, PCM successfully completed an $8 million campaign, purchased an adjacent property and made significant renovations to our growing campus.
In 2012, PCM launched its Jazz Studies Department. In 2018, PCM introduced an Adult Studies Department. And in 2022, PCM launched a World Music Department focused on music traditions from around the globe.
What types of programs does PCM offer?
PCM’s programs include one-on-one instruction that develops technique and musicianship, group and ensemble classes that promote collaboration, music history classes, master classes and workshops that broaden musical understanding, as well as opportunities to develop performance experience for every student.
PCM’s comprehensive approach to music study refers not only to the content of programs – classical, jazz, and multicultural – but also to the breadth of those served: infant to adult, amateur to pre-professional, novice to aficionado, and under-resourced to affluent. It also refers to PCM’s broad geographic reach, which includes the greater San Gabriel Valley, surrounding areas of Los Angeles County, and beyond.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like nearly all performing arts institutions, the pandemic had a significant impact on our school. In early 2019, PCM was thriving. Our Adult Studies Department had grown exponentially. We were about to launch Mariachi Pasadena! — an exciting program led by three-time Grammy Award-winning local Mariachi band leader Jimmy Cuellar. And there were so many inter-department collaborations and concerts happening with community partners including Vroman’s Bookstore, Laemmle Theaters, and Kidspace Children’s Museum.
We were also in the fourth year of presenting our own national chamber music competition and the 2020 competition had inspired a record number of applicants from a record number of music schools from around the country. So before the pandemic closed our campus, our story was really one of growth, ambitious programs, exciting concerts, and uncompromising, high-level music education.
Additionally, pre-pandemic, PCM was presenting over 150 concerts, recitals, workshops, and master classes a year featuring students, faculty, and guest artists.
We pivoted to distance learning and worked really hard to keep our community connected and engaged throughout the time we were apart.
So that part of the road was not smooth, but thankfully, through the hard work of the Conservatory’s many stakeholders, faculty, staff, families, and students, we are finally getting back to (and in some cases growing beyond) our pre-pandemic numbers. In fact, we recently launched our Common Ground capital campaign which will raise $11 million to create new classrooms and performance spaces that will:
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Expand multicultural programming to include music traditions from around the world
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Expand programming in Adult Studies, Young Musicians, and Music Technology
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Develop intergenerational programming for the youngest and oldest in our community
This campaign is fundamental to our strategic plan, our diversity, equity and inclusion plan, and our long-range campus development plan. It advances PCM’s mission and is emblematic of our institutional response to the evolving issues of our times.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
The age range of our student body might be surprising: PCM provides music education to everyone from infants to adults. Roughly 25% of our students are Young Musicians (6 years old and under), 50% of our students are school-age, and 25% are adults. Currently, our youngest students are one year old in YM1 and our oldest student is 89 years old.
Also, some might be surprised to learn that when we were unable to present live concerts during the pandemic, we produced four films. Each film was a concert inspired by a book. To pull off these projects, we leveraged new and existing partnerships, including one filmed at the Holocaust Museum LA that includes narration by Jane Kaczmarek, commentary by museum staff, and a recitation of the Kaddish by Joseph Alexander, a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor. All of these relied on a wide range of skills, talent, and commitment from faculty members, board members, and staff. Additionally, each premiere was accompanied by virtual events including book discussions and post-viewing conversations.
Each film can be viewed on PCM’s YouTube channel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pasadenaconservatory.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pasadenaconservatoryofmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PasadenaConservatoryMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOQOI_rNy9NjTrjuqEYMqQ
