Tom Gee is an avid supporter and full season subscriber to the Green Music Center. His passion for chamber music takes him all over the Bay Area to enjoy performances. He believes that one does not have to go to the city any more. Every option is available in either Sonoma and Napa. And there is so much good music right here, it is more than one can go to, really!
Tom has joined the Board of Advisors at the Green Music Center this year to champion this extraordinary resource for all kinds of music. He appreciates that many who attend the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma Bach at the Green Music Center have yet to get in on the opportunity: there’s a whole world of music coming to the Green Music Center, and it is here for everyone to enjoy.
A retired Nurse Anesthetist, Tom grew up in the Texas panhandle. His home is brimming with textile and visual art from Santa Fe gathered on frequent trips to New Mexico since his childhood. He moved to San Francisco in 1978 and Sonoma County, Occidental in 2001. He relocated to Santa Rosa’s Fountaingrove Lodge about two years ago. He loves bringing friends to the Green Music Center because it encourages new experiences.
He mentioned DakhaBrakha, a Ukrainian folk rock band, admitting he would have never thought to buy a ticket. Tom found himself enjoying this exploration of a new-to-him music genre on Weill Hall’s stage two seasons back. A blend of traditionally rooted Eastern European flavors and geopolitical influences, DakhaBrakha opened up that rare new experience for Tom, and an enjoyable one.
That’s the real value of being part of the Green Music Center’s subscribership: being introduced to that new sound. And what’s also good is that they just returned this past weekend to share new music at Global Roots Sonoma, so their audience gets to enjoy and know them as they develop.
Tom’s also excited to be introduced to Lila Downs as he is getting into more Latinx music and culture. Tom speaks Spanish, having attended and completed Anesthesia school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For Tom, he knows that if it is coming to the Green, the likelihood that he will enjoy the experience is high. Tom has come to know that the new thing, and something that brings a change for him has always been positive in his life. He says, “It forces you out of your comfort zone to experience something else.”
Join Tom and experience something else and become a Green Music Supporter. Questions? Contact Kristin Berger, bergerk@sonoma.edu. 707-664-3814.
