Helping musicians become greater artists

By Erica Wong |Staff Writer|

Coyote Music Society (CMS) is a club on campus designed to help musicians improve as artists.

Students in an ensemble, who are majoring or minoring in music, are automatically part of CMS.

However, the club is open to anyone interested in music, even if you don’t play an instrument. If you have the desire to experience performances or interact directly with the performers, the club is open to you, according to club president Cory Peters.

The club aims to provide services and resources for its members, keeping them informed of future opportunities for musicians.

CMS provides music tutoring for members who have the desire to read music or learn more about music history or theory.

Peters said, “CMS provides a haven for musicians,” and that his favorite part of the club is the community aspect.

“One of the nice things about the community aspect is someone that practices as an amateur on their own may not have the same motivation to get better as when they practice with a group,” said Peters.

CMS provides students with the opportunity to network and perform with people in the music scene in a professional setting.

Artists from Los Angeles frequently come to perform with the ensembles, and some students have had the opportunity to perform on stage with BB King.

Ensembles also perform regularly in the community, and frequently go to high schools, reaching out to prospective CSUSB students.

“We’ve also gone to the Reno Jazz festivals, toured with certain professionals, done intercollegiate work with symphonic bands, and done workshops and performances at other schools in the state,” said Peters.

Jazz nights are sponsored every quarter and are hugely successful.

These performances are CMS’s main fundraiser for the year, and each event yields an impressive 300-500 attendees, according to Peters.

“We’re planning to do rock or hip hop with the jazz band in the future to get an even greater turnout,” said Peters.

They also do small ensembles night every quarter, which means any small group can perform anything from pop to classical to something as unique as a barbershop quartet.

CMS hosted an opera on April 25 and 26, featuring Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires and Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s Concert Suite from Frida in the Performing Arts Recital Hall.
CMS also contributed to the Arts and Music Festival this past Friday, May 2.

The festival was held free of charge, and included vendors, food trucks, music, dance and art.

“I want people to know that the Performing Arts building even exists. Between the music, art, and theater department, there’s always something going on here,” said Peters.

For such a big club that’s around 100 members, CMS keeps a pretty low profile.

Peters hopes to incorporate the rest of the student body by tabling in the Santos Manuel Student Union, passing out flyers, and hosting more events .

Musicians, artists, graphic designers, or even bands that want to record are all encouraged to join and utilize the club’s resources.