Hello and welcome to our fourth and final installment of previews for Spring in San Francisco! We are going to mix things up a bit this week and allow our composer in residence José Daniel Vargas to give you a look in his studio before you hear his piece, Spring in San Francisco starting next week.

March 9, 2025, 2:30 – 4:30 PM|St. Francis Wood Salon

My name is José Daniel Vargas and I am the composer of one of the pieces on our upcoming concert cycle, and today I would like to invite you to my favorite corner of my apartment—where all the magic happens!

These are the most-frequently-used tools in my workshop. This corner is where I fulfill commissions as well as brainstorm and test out ideas for new music. My favorite creative partner is Insight, because at the heart of everything they do is the desire to share music with others.

This spirit of generosity deeply resonates with me as a music educator. My instruments themselves are a daily reminder of the generosity I have received because they were all gifts.

On the left is a guitar that belonged to my father. As the music director at the church my family attended, he fostered my love for music from my earliest years. Every Sunday I got to hear the musicians from just a few feet away. Some of my fondest childhood memories are running errands with my dad, classic rock blasting, both of us singing at the top of our lungs.

When I was very young both of my parents worked full time, though at church they met a very nice lady who would babysit me often. Her three sons were much older than me and introduced me to video games. One of my favorites was Guitar Hero, the game really made you feel like a rock star as you “played” along to some very famous classic rock songs (like those my dad and I loved).

One of the brothers bought me my very own Epiphone Les Paul (pictured above) which was very prominently featured in the game. The three of them have been some of the biggest supporters of my music career, attending all of my concerts when I still lived in Arizona. Thanks to the internet they still follow everything I’m up to.

The last guitar on the right was given to me by my high school band teacher who was the most dedicated and generous teacher I ever had. He had helped an older woman clean out a storage unit and they found this guitar. She told my teacher to give it to someone who would really appreciate it and he thought of me.

Last but not least is this electric piano which belonged to my wife before we moved up to San Francisco together. Without her, I would not have been able to go to my dream school or pursue a career in music.

Every step of the way I have been given the gift of music by so many wonderful, generous people—including many others I didn’t name here. I love working with Insight because I get to keep sharing the gift of music with all of you!

Sincerely,

José Daniel Vargas

Spring in San Francisco

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