Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Candace Hansen, Emcee
Candace Hansen is a Ph.D. candidate, drummer, educator, journalist, scholar, artist, and event producer currently studying and teaching at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and UCLA Department of Gender Studies, writing for the Los Angeles Times and Spin, and drumming for Alice Bag, Reckoner, dimber, and the Josie Wreck Noise Ensemble. Hansen believes in the power and potential of writing about culture, especially queer culture, as a tool of healing, recognition, and care that can push conversations from the critical lens of a fan writing for a more just world. Their forthcoming dissertation is rooted in their life as a queer punk drummer and explores how DIY trans and queer punk music and approaches to music making are life-giving endeavors that exist in opposition to the oppressive conditions of capitalism.
Joseph Vranas, Artistic Director/Conductor
Joseph Vranas conducts orchestra, band, and chamber music and has performed with ensembles around the world, such as the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pride Bands Alliance, and the Newfound Chamber Winds. Since 2022, Joseph Vranas has served as the artistic director for the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles, one of the world’s oldest LGBTQ+ community bands. With over 45 years of history, the band brings together musicians to perform in concert, marching, pep, and jazz ensembles.
As an educator, Vranas has been active in education programs—such as Youth Orchestra Los Angeles in partnership with the LA Phil, the Saturday Conservatory of Music, Harmony Project, and EduCare—as well as youth orchestras and wind ensembles, and he teaches classes in trumpet, music theory, philosophy, and history. He has been recognized for his excellence in teaching by the city of Bell, California, and the Texas Music Educators Association.
