Our Mission
The mission of Passing The Torch is to bridge community and family gaps between our youth and our seasoned citizens (senior community) using music as the connective force create and to build stronger bonds, a deeper sense of neighborhood that will ensure accountability, responsibility, and commitment to our communities, Passing The Torch will create community partnerships, organize free community events such as, The Family That Plays Together Stays Together; teaching families instrumentation, sing alongs, and how to play together through short music workshops on reading music, basic theory and composition, music history and appreciation.
Passing The Torch's commitment is motivated by the overwhelming evidence of how the power of music brings people together. The healing power of music as a therapeutic tool is a way to truly activate the brain. In a Harvard Health Publishing article, "Can Music Improve our Health and Quality of Life" , by Lorrie Kubicek, a certified music therapist, writes, "Active music making truly engages your entire brain. This creates the most potential for distraction, pain reduction, cognition, fine and gross motor development, and expression."
Maestro Curtis aka Papa C is an educator and a seasoned musician over 55 years of experience. he has developed Music Therapy Programs for United Way at the Bayview Hunter's Point Adult Day Health Center, which garnered him national attention through a story in USA Today. This program was developed for seniors and patients who suffer from dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease and is based on the theory that music is a means of communication for individuals who have lost verbal capacity. The life changing experience has now proven to provide and sustain a healthy quality of life.
Maestro and Nola Curtis utilize music therapy techniques in their work with Older Adult Choirs they direct in San Francisco, of which, all 5 of their children assist the choirs for performances and creating a wonderful inter-generational community partnership activity. This is the impetus by which Maestro and Nola and the entire Curtis Family created their nonprofit organization, Passing The Torch, using their skills, education and experience to expand the community at large. Sparking new connections and breaking down the walls of ignorance and fear.
