Celebrating & Preserving

Cadence for Change is dedicated to honoring and preserving San Francisco's rich musical legacy. From the historic Fillmore to North Beach and the Haight, the city has long been a vibrant source of artistic innovation and sound. We celebrate this heritage while inspiring and educating the next generation of musicians.

A new home for music

123 years ago, an electrical substation was built by the United Railroads on Turk/Fillmore. 4 years later, in 1906, the building sustained significant damage but held strong, becoming the sole source of power to help the relief effort after the earthquake. A remarkable cathedral in the city that was there for the city when needed.

Empty since 1978, in 1979 it was designated a landmark by the SF Historical Commission when the board of supervisors declared the building “has a special character and special historic, architectural, and aesthetic interest and value.”

Imagine that a building as remarkable and symbolic as this could be preserved, restored, and become a beacon for music education in the community. A 320-seater concert hall above with practice rooms and rehearsal spaces below. Cadence for Change is committed to exploring the viability of 1150/1190 Fillmore St. and is in discussions with the City. The SF Bureau of Architecture is currently undergoing investigative work.

Interior of the Fillmore Substation building with large arched windows, graffiti-covered storage units, and a damaged ceiling with metal beams.
Street art mural of a woman's portrait painted in black, white, and blue on a brick wall, with the word "BOOM" in bold white letters and swirling blue patterns in the background.
Aerial view of a city block with modern high-rise apartments, a historic red brick building the Fillmore Substation, streets with cars, crosswalks, and a small park with trees and benches.
Black and white photo of four men working on a large mechanical device, possibly an engine or machinery in an industrial setting.
Close-up of an old red brick building, the Fillmore Substation, corner with windows, seen from below against a clear blue sky.

Restoring the Exposition Organ

The Exposition Organ (or the People’s Organ, or Opus 500) was built for the opening of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition on February 21, 1915. Seated at the console was the fair’s official organist, Wallace Sabin, and with a large chorus, orchestra, and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

Famous British organist Edwin H. Lemare played nearly every day at noon and again at 8:30 pm, each performance with a different repertoire. At every concert, Lemare improvised on themes sent up by the audience, and his concerts became so popular that fair officials approved the expansion of seating in Festival Hall. By closing day, 18.5 million people had come to the fair, and Lemare had played 121 concerts to almost 150,000 people. That year, Camille Saint-Saëns premiered and conducted his specially composed work, Hail! California, for orchestra, band, and organ.

Unlike most world fairs, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition closed with profits. The Exposition Company decided to donate these unexpected funds to the City of San Francisco. A large building called Exposition Auditorium had already been erected in the city’s Civic Center. It, along with the Exposition Organ, was deeded to the city. Felix F. Schoenstein & Sons was contracted to dismantle and reinstall the instrument in the new Civic Auditorium. The dismantling process began two days after the close of the fair. Lemare was contracted to supervise the revoicing and reinstallation.

In 1989, the Loma-Prieta earthquake damaged the organ, rendering it inoperable. This remarkable 40-ton instrument has 7,500 pipes with an 800+ square foot footprint. Its sonic field needs a room with several million cubic feet of space as its soundboard. The instrument was painstakingly disassembled and moved across the country to Austin Organs in Hartford, CT, where it was carefully restored in the 90’s. Even with funding shortfalls, the instrument was lovingly restored and transferred back to San Francisco, where, for 30 years, it has lain in Brooks Hall, the basement of Civic Center.

Cadence for Change is committed to continuing the advocacy and efforts for over 25 years by Vic Ferrer, Michael Evje & Justin Kielty to find a suitable home for the instrument. Imagine that the City of San Francisco reclaimed all that storage space, save off-site City storage, and returned this remarkable refurbished instrument to the people of San Francisco. In doing so, we could restore an organ department to the SF Conservatory of Music and set about a large nationwide restoration project of organists to return this instrument home.

Cadence for Change is in discussions with the City to explore viability.

For more information about the Exhibition Organ: https://www.expositionorgan.org/

An Effort to Reawaken the Fillmore Heritage Center

The Fillmore Heritage Center has such a rich history and significance in the Fillmore, and has sat empty for many years. The City is working hard with the Fillmore community to explore ways to reawaken the Fillmore Heritage Center.

Imagine if Cadence for Change were able to reawaken some of the available space as a recording studio, rehearsal spaces, and 1-1 practice rooms? Cadence for Change would like to celebrate and preserve the rich history of the Fillmore by having the opportunity to build a 1-1 program of lessons, ensembles, and musical mentors to local students and adults. A new home for music and music education for a deserving community.

Street view of a modern building, the Fillmore Heritage Center, with large windows, including framed black-and-white photographs of people; a sidewalk and street are visible in the foreground, with a lamppost and trees on the corner.
Street view of a modern building, the Fillmore Heritage Center, with large windows, including framed black-and-white photographs of people; a sidewalk and street are visible in the foreground, with a lamppost and trees on the corner. 
Filmore Heritage Center