Fun facts and more about The Curtis Family and their music. Click on the picture to view the caption
SF's annual Mission in the MIx
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the Mix
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ SF's annual Mission in the MIx
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ SF's annual Mission in the MIx
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the MIx 2019
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the Mix 2019
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the Mix
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the Mix 2019
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ Mission in the Mix
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
@ MIssion in the Mix 2019
Micaya, world renowned choreographer holds an annual showcase of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area's talent in dance and music. The Curtis Family Cnotes were honored to be invited to perform for an incredible audience with a fabulous group of artists!
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
photo: Kyle Adler Photography
Maestro & Nola Curtis lead Golden Gate Park's annual Sing-A-long Event
Mama and Papa Cnote, Nola and Maestro Curtis are proud to be music professors and performers. They are also proud to work in their community of San Francisco, working closely with the I.T. Bookman Community Center, Western Addition Senior Center, the Dr. George Davis Senior Center, the Village Project and the SF Community Music Center, they are both able to reach communities that otherwise wouldn't have access to instruments and music lessons. They both take their stewardship as teachers very seriously and live everyday grateful for the honor that music is in every part of their lives, professionally, personally and ofcourse rehearsing and performing music as a family.
SF Chronicle captures the Cnotes
The San Francisco Chronicle captures the Cnotes performance at Mayor Breed's historical inauguration ceremony, July 11, 2018.
The Cnotes in San Francisco Magazine!
The Children are mentioned in the January issue of San Francisco Magazine!
Mayor Willie Brown with the Cnotes
Mayor Willie Brown stopped by the Cnotes green room at City Hall before their performance at Mayor London Breed's inaugural ceremony.
Former Mayor Brown even mentioned the children in his July 14th SF Chronicle column, Willie's World, where he describes London Breed's inaugural ceremony - "Then came the C-Notes, five kids who segued from the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” into “The Star-Spangled Banner.” If the NFL wanted to fix its kneeling issue, they’d do that before every game."
Former Mayor Brown even mentioned the children in his July 14th SF Chronicle column, Willie's World, where he describes London Breed's inaugural ceremony - "Then came the C-Notes, five kids who segued from the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” into “The Star-Spangled Banner.” If the NFL wanted to fix its kneeling issue, they’d do that before every game."
Willie's World, Former Mayor Willie Brown's Column
The children were so excited to see their group's name in the Newspaper!
Renel Brooks-Moon with the Cnotes.mp4
The broadcasting legend and Voice of the San Francisco Giants, Renel Brooks-Moon, was gracious enough to join the Cnotes singing a bit of "Lights", by yet another San Francisco Legendary group, Journey. Steve Perry holds a special place in the heart of the Curtis Family and the Curtises pray that one day they'll be able to perform this song with him and Journey one day. Thanks Renel! She is as beautiful and so very lovely as she sounds on the radio, at Giants games and appears on TV.
From left to right: Nile Curtis, Renel Brooks-Moon, Zahara Curtis, Kiki Curtis, Phoenix Curtis, Isis Curtis.
From left to right: Nile Curtis, Renel Brooks-Moon, Zahara Curtis, Kiki Curtis, Phoenix Curtis, Isis Curtis.
Mayor Breed with The Curtis Family C-notes
At Mayor Breed's reception after her historical inauguration ceremony. She enjoyed their performance of Maestro Curtis's (Papa C-note's) arrangement of "Lift Every Voice/Star Spangled Banner" during her inaugural ceremony
Maestro & Nola Speakeasy ensemble
The Annual New Year's Eve gala with the Speakeasy SF Immersive Theatre experience. Maestro & Nola utilize several of their ensembles for different events, ranging in sizes as small as a trio to a big band with as many as 22 pieces. This particular ensemble is known as their Spekeasy band. From left to right: Larry Douglas (flugel horn, trumpet), Winfred Williams (upright bass), Tyrone Davis (drums), Papa and Mama C-note (piano and vocals), Time Merritt (alto and soprano sax)
Nile on bass at CMC Field Day
This picture was taken shortly before the Cnotes played at CMC's Field Day. His costume is paying homage to the late, great, ever influential and revolutionary, Jimi Hendrix... Nile loves 70s fashion and we love it too!
Backstage
Isis holding her drumstick bag, while Nile and Kiki warm their fingers up backstage. Getting a few laughs in before they hit.
Performing at the Fillmore Center Plaza
At this point, the crowd was shoutin' for more but we told them they had to come to next evening's show to hear more from the Curtis Family Cnotes!
Maestro, Papa C-note on piano at Flower Piano 2018
Maestro warming up his fingers on the piano prior to the Sing-a-long event. Just FYI, Maestro lost all feeling in the pinky and ring finger of his right hand due to an injury 30 years ago, the Doctor told him he would never play the piano again and Maestro's response, "you don't have the last word" and well... the rest is history. Needless to say, warming up his fingers is of the utmost priority when he gets ready to perform. #determination
The Curtis Family Cnotes at Flower Piano
From Left to Right: Winfred Williams (upright bass), Maestro Curtis (Papa C-note, piano and vocals), Nola Curtis (Mama C-note, vocals)
The Cnotes at Flower Piano 2018
Maestro wanted the children to perform the Star Spangled Banner before we started the Sing-a-long event.
Maestro being a veteran himself, having served 7 years in the armed forces and 2 years in the Houston Police Department, Maestro wanted to pay homage to the veterans in the audience and the country we live in. Despite the deep divisions in our country today, wanting the best for our families and the best for our country is a unifying sentiment.
Maestro being a veteran himself, having served 7 years in the armed forces and 2 years in the Houston Police Department, Maestro wanted to pay homage to the veterans in the audience and the country we live in. Despite the deep divisions in our country today, wanting the best for our families and the best for our country is a unifying sentiment.
Isis at flower piano 2018
Isis Curtis (our "Michael Jackson" of the family) singing "White Rabbit" at Flower Piano 2018. Mama C-note a.k.a. Miss Nola C., used to love performing that song until one evening, during a concert, Mama C-note asked Isis to sing it instead and Isis brought the HOUSE DOWN! Not just because she was cute, but because this little lady can SANGGG! "White Rabbit" is now one of Isis's signature songs.
Phoenix at Flower PIano 2018
We call Phoenix, "The Choir Director", because if anyone messes up on stage, she will shoot that person a fierce look that screams, "You FOOL! Why did you play that bad note?!" She may be small, but she is mighty in spirit!
Miss Nola C. (Mama Cnote) at Flower Piano 2018
"The power of music undeniable. It is the most powerful portal through which we can travel through time, in the past, remembering the "firsts" in our lives, heart aches, loves, etc. It can even blast us forward, thinking of the possibilities, tap into our hopes, fears, anger, longing etc. The abilitiy to tap into music's power everyday, on my own, while teaching, rehearsing and performing is a blessing and something I will never take for granted. My voice is a direct connection to my heart and what I sing is what I mean, when I choose a message or story to sing about, it is from deep in my heart and I can only hope my genuine affection and hope for love to permiate everyone's heart comes through our performance. The ability and opportunity to share music's power with my family is amazing and again, something I will never take for granted." - Nola Curtis (a.k.a. Mama Cnote a.k.a. Miss Nola C.)
The Curtis Family Cnotes at Flower Piano 2018
A loving and fun crowd at the Flower Piano Sing-a-long, estimated 400 people in attendance.
The Curtis Family Cnotes at Flower Piano 2018
Maestro waves to the crowd as they show the family some love after the performance.
The Cnotes at home rehearsing
"Our house looks like a rehearsal space, you can't take 2 steps without walking into an instrument." - Maestro Curtis
"Who needs furniture when you can be musical? If a piano bench is available, if you need a seat, might as well play the piano. If there's a throne, might as well play the drums. If you're bored, grab a guitar, a ukulele, a violin or viola. You name it, we got it, and Maestro can teach it!" - Nola Curtis
"Who needs furniture when you can be musical? If a piano bench is available, if you need a seat, might as well play the piano. If there's a throne, might as well play the drums. If you're bored, grab a guitar, a ukulele, a violin or viola. You name it, we got it, and Maestro can teach it!" - Nola Curtis
An impromptu photo shoot
The children booked, "Grillin' in the 'Mo" The Annual Community event in the historical Jazz District, the Fillmore. The Village Project (sponsor) needed a picture of the band, so we gathered everyone in the hallway and here was the winning photo!
The Cnotes make an impromptu performance
In remembrance of a classy lady... Miss Jean Marie Green. Maestro played the music for a memorial service of one of their Older Adult Choir members, Miss Jean Marie Green. The beautiful thing about the children is that they are very sensitive to energy and when they were asked to sing for this memorial by one of the attendees, there was no hesitation, they got up and sang whatever their dad started to play, in this instance they sang, 'What a Friend we have in Jesus" and Kirk Franklin's, "My Life is in Your Hands".
Zahara rehearsing
Mama and Papa C-note never have to remind Zahara to practice, she is dedicated and has admitted that practicing helps calm her nerves, she finds it relaxing.
Zahara Curtis
Music is as natural as breathing to all of the Cnotes, especially this young lady (vocals, guitar, ukulele, violin)
The oldest of the Cnote brood. A responsible, kind and well-mannered young lady, yet fierce when it comes to protecting her younger siblings.
The oldest of the Cnote brood. A responsible, kind and well-mannered young lady, yet fierce when it comes to protecting her younger siblings.
Nile Curtis
Afro enthusiast, soul man, brotha number 1 in training, with a resilient spirit who despite his leg being broken in May, kept rehearsing and performing. Even within the week of having surgery and wearing a cast, he was on stage, with his leg propped up on his bass amp, performing again.
Nile Curtis
The second oldest, Nile, with long fingers that were made to play the bass (vocals, bass, piano)
Isis Curtis
She loves to perform, she loves the attention, she loves the stage and she loves the camera. The stage and the camera love her too! Speaking of attention, within hours of being born, her father was holding her & every time he would take a call on his cell phone, she would start crying. As soon as Papa Cnote's call would end, she would stop. He tested this about 3 or 4 more times and true to form, Isis would cry each time. She just got here and she wanted Papa Cnote's FULL attention!
Isis Curtis
Isis's Godfather is Juan Escovedo of the famous E family. Isis is holding a pair of his big sister's, Sheila E.'s drumsticks.
Kiki Curtis
4th in the line, but never left behind, born in the storage room of Labor & Delivery in UCSF because Mama and Papa Cnote were stuck in traffic on the Bay Bridge when Mama Cnote started having intense contractions, by the time they got to the hospital, all of the delivery rooms were taken - they were kind of like Mary and Joseph, unable to find a room at the Inns. Anyways, within the hour of being set up in the storage room, Xahir Khaira Sphere Curtis was born.
Kiki2 for website.jpeg
All of the Curtis Family Cnote children were born with music playing in the delivery room, Kiki came out while Theolonious Monk was playing, hence we gave her his middle name, Sphere. (Kiki, vocals, guitar, piano)
Phoenix Curtis
The youngest Cnote, she likes to be in charge, and true to her astrological sign, family is everything to her and she's like a 2nd mother to her siblings. (vocals, piano, ukulele)
Phoenix Curtis
The youngest of Maestro's 9 children (he has 4 older children from previous marriages [Francisca, Brian, Apollo and Brandon)
Phoenix likes to be taken seriously. At home you can call her "Fifi" but in public, she is Phoenix, and don't you forget it!
Phoenix likes to be taken seriously. At home you can call her "Fifi" but in public, she is Phoenix, and don't you forget it!
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