“Bottom line, a person wants to be able to pay the rent,” states Mr. Henderson. This is a story he knows all to well. Growing up in the midst of the racism that overwhelmed the early 1950’s, award winning producer Wayne “Trombone” Henderson knows first hand that the path of a musician isn’t always an easy one. “In my days we had North Texas State which had a good music program, but there was a lot of ‘foolishness’ going on at that time so many places weren’t servicing us people of color.”

As Head of Music at the newly re-established California College of Music (CCM), now located in the city of Pasadena, Henderson hopes to cater to students of all ethnic backgrounds and musical interests. “It’s one thing to learn your craft,” he says “and it’s another to be able to make a living out of it. At CCM we’re teaching students how to sell themselves so that they can make money and be marketable, in hopes that they will one day do the same for someone else.”

The school’s Production and Engineering Instructor is none other than Reggie Dozier, who won a Grammy award for his engineering work on Outkast’s “Speakerboxx/The Love Below” album and has worked alongside musical icons like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake and Joss Stone, among others. “Our all-star faculty wants to give back to the community,” says Mr. Henderson “they realize that various ethnic groups can be united by music and at CCM we create just that, a brotherhood of sounds.” Composer, producer and vocalist Dee Dee McNeil serves as the schools vocal instructor and contributes years of musical experience to the institution. McNeil has worked with legends such as Gladys Knight and Diana Ross and the Supremes.

A CCM trademark, according to Mr. Henderson, is the 10 to1 student-teacher ratio and the “personal touch” that their small classes offer. “Although we just opened in April and are still building our enrollment numbers,” he adds, “we’re urging students to enroll as soon as possible because we won’t allow our classrooms to get overcrowded.” The school offers no financial aid at this moment and is currently offering a discount to students who enroll in its spring and summer courses.

One of the institution’s accommodations is the mixing and recording facilities that include synthesizers, sequencers, samplers and DJ equipment. “We have excellent services like classes for wind instruments, guitar, violin, drums, percussion, vocals and so much more,” said Mr. Henderson, “though we’re the new kids on the block, we’re gonna stop at none to have a powerful program that will mold well-rounded artists. That’s an excellent thing that CCM offers that most other schools can not.”

California College of Music
www.ccmcollege.com
Location: 42 S. Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA.
Tuition: Varies
Degree Given: Certificate Program
Accreditation: In progress
Housing: Home-stay locations and student apartments