About us
At Musical Soulmates
Musical Soulmates thrives thanks to the heartfelt efforts and unwavering dedicated parents and community members who share our passion for making our programs accessible to all. To the listeners: You are the most important people in the room! We play for you.
Introducing our Co-Artistic Directors
Candace Y. Johnson
Co-Artistic Director
Candace Johnson is a voice teacher and director of the Gospel Choir at UC Berkeley. She is also a playwright, actress, and musician who performs her original one-woman shows on the subjects of voice, identity, and Blacks in Classical music. Candace is the creator of FitnesSing, a unique method that combines physical fitness and singing in one coaching session. Her latest show Scat-ter Brain: The Music of ADHD ran in the Marsh Theater of both San Francisco and Berkeley.
Kate Saphir
Co-Artistic Director
Kate has found that her love for and affinity for collaboration in music extends to collaboration in Artistic Direction. Together we can do so much!
First introduced by then- Musical Soulmate Artist-in-Residence, Victoria Theodore, in 2024, Candace and Kate have worked together on every aspect of Musical Soulmates programming for the last 18 months, organically becoming Artistic Co-Directors, and intentionally cultivating that partnership since June of 2025. As such, Musical Soulmates has created a two-year term of Artistic Co-Directorship and has also formed an Artistic Advisory (to be introduced in the Spring) to meet with them annually. The team will create space to reflect and to ensure that our programming is relevant, is on point, and is expansive.
Origin Story
The Santa Cruz African American church community embraced and accepted Kate in the 90s, leading to long term community ties and sustaining Kate throughout her a 25 year immersion in Black Gospel music that included membership in the Gospel Music Workshop of America.
After singing with Gospel Music Workshop of America in Detroit, Kate brought the music back to the Santa Cruz Civic, forming a 50-voice youth choir to perform with her and with the late Sista Monica for UCSC’s annual MLK, Jr. Convocation, 2003. Shown here is current Performers Collab contributor, Michelle Nash, as a youth…
After George Floyd, Kate was moved to ask Juneteenth Santa Cruz if she could take the Juneteenth stage and contribute Freedom Songs written by Black artists and to support Black singers in singing them. An earlier version of the Musical Soulmates Performers Collaborative, this array of Santa Cruz’ finest artists was called The Juneteenth Collective…
Our Team
Maya Hoffman
Social Media Intern
A graduate of Santa Cruz High, Class of 2026, Maya is headed to USC. Maya has been a part of the Soulmates organization since 2022, when she began collaborating as Teen Pianist with HYC. She has taken piano since age 6 and has been our Social Media intern since 2025.
Tiphanie
Harmony Youth Choir Program Director
Tiphanie first met HYC as a Bass player for their Showcase in 2025. She also joined the Collaborative onstage at the Kuumbwa during Let The Caged Bird Sing III. We are so grateful to have her on board as program manager for Harmony Youth Choir, She says she wishes she could have been a part of a program like HYC when she was a kid: thank you, Tiphanie, for your capable, organised leadership and your generous, enthusiastic and delightful vibe!
Meet our Founder and Board of Directors
Kate Saphir Alm
Founder, President /Artistic Director
A lifelong musician, I’ve been a devoted and dedicated performer, teacher, and producer in Santa Cruz since 1991. I have been producing expansive Musical Soulmates events since 2019 and in this journey, I’ve not only integrated my training in different modalities of music but I have deepened and broadened my community ties. Musical Soulmates has moved forward with constant support and creative energy from my Soulmates performers and from my community. As Musical Soulmates becomes a nonprofit, I am overjoyed to literally transform from “I” to a “We” and to be a part of ensuring the legacy of our mission and vision.
Victoria Theodore
Moving to Artistic Advisory to be announced soon.
Victoria Theodore is an acclaimed pianist who has performed with luminary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ariana Debose. Victoria is also a composer, arranger and lyricist. She is co-composer for the new musicals “MARIAN” and “Co-Founders”, pianist for the Oscar-winning film “CODA”, an actor in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick…BOOM!”, an on-stage performer in the improvisational hip-hop show "Freestyle Love Supreme." She is a published author, has 2 Bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College / Conservatory, a Masters degree from Stanford University, and is co-founder of her band, EnSPirits. Victoria is also a motivational speaker, yogi, dancer and polyglot.
Victoria is excited to bring her focus on being in service to music to Musical Soulmates.
Sonia Swain
Sonia is a passionate, community-focused supporter of arts, crafts, and music. As a board member of Musical Soulmates, Sonia intends to inspire and collaborate on ways to spread love, connection, and rhythm throughout Santa Cruz County.
Alexandra Montreal
As a lifelong connoisseur of music, food, wine and arts, it is a privilege to support Musical Soulmates’ unique and purposeful endeavor.
I intend to continue bringing ease to Musical Soulmates at their performances and look forward to being a strong and reliable teammate to the project and Board.
Ana Elizabeth
SURETHING Productions
As a lifelong arts advocate, I look forward to bringing the vision and programs of Musical Soulmates to benefit as many in our community as possible.
Selam Woldetensaye
I am a lifelong learner, entrepreneur and practitioner with more than 15 years experience in the corporate and global development working with international and federal partners. I strive to contribute to the betterment of the world in all that I do. I have a deep love for music and the art, and I am honored to serve on the Musical Soulmates Board to help foster joy, healing and connection through music.
Informal In person meetup of several Board members at Mariposa Café
L-R: Selam, Alexandra, Kate, Victoria, Jessica (past Board Member)
Thank you to Santa Cruz Arts Council for a two-year Support Grant. Sponsorship Campaign Launching on July 7…check back here for more information:
Sponsorship Campaign for 2026-2027 programming and operations is now underway.
Thank you to our past corporate sponsors
Thank you to our small business partners
If you’d like to see yourself or your business listed under either Small Business Level or Corporate Level, please contact us!
Our program thrives thanks to the heartfelt efforts and unwavering dedication of our valued volunteers, talented musicians, and passionate performers. We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from our warm and devoted community members who share our passion for making accessible to all. Your involvement is what makes our musical family so special.
Please send donations of any amount to:
Musical Soulmates PO Box 145
Davenport, CA 95017
Venmo: @MusicalSoulmates
To donate through Square CLICK HERE
Musical Soulmates is registered with Benevity—Benevity is “a corporate software company that powers workplace giving, volunteering, and grant-making programs for hundreds of global enterprises, including companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft. It provides a unified platform that connects employees and customers to nearly 2 million vetted nonprofits worldwide”. We have a $10,000 campaign underway!
Musical Soulmates is a nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Contributions made to it are tax deductible, subject to the general limitations otherwise applicable to contributions for income tax reporting purposes. Musical Soulmates is also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests under Section 2055: Please search us through your corporation, who will match a donation… Thank you for your attention, care, and support. We can’t do this without you!
