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The Bonita-Sunnyside Library is turning its community room into a concert hall, with a new monthly series designed to bring professional musicians, student performers and local residents together.
The Friends of the Bonita-Sunnyside Library Concert Series launched Sept. 5, with Coronado-based vocal ensemble Musica Vitale headlining the inaugural performance.
The series grew out of discussions among Friends of the Library members about the library’s community outreach programming and its existing music offerings.
“We were lamenting the fact that the concerts were poorly attended and that the quality of the music varied and was not particularly geared to our community,” said Frank Borik, artistic director and concert committee chair.
The group decided to create a series supported by Friends volunteers, who would help promote the concerts, identify performers and assist with activities on concert days. Members also looked at other libraries for ideas, including the Pacific Beach Library, which has a similarly supported concert series.
The goal is to make the Bonita concerts feel like a professional performance rather than simply an event taking place inside a library.
“We actually wanted the experience to be a ‘concert at a library’ as opposed to being a ‘library concert,’ ”Borik said. “We will transform our community room into a concert hall with top-notch performances and make it just as professional as any other concert venue.”
There is another important difference: There is no admission charge.
“Offering the concerts for free is central to our mission of community outreach,” Borik said.
The Friends subsidize the concerts through sales of donated books at the Friends of the Library bookstore. The organization hopes free admission will make live music accessible to people who may have had limited opportunities to attend concerts in traditional venues.
The series will also connect professional regional musicians with student ensembles. Among the groups scheduled for future performances is the Southwestern College Gospel Choir, which is set to perform Nov. 7.
“Our college and high school musicians are working hard at perfecting their musical skills and deserve a local venue where they can perform for a large and enthusiastic audience,” Borik said.
The Friends are also considering inviting community concert bands and choirs to participate in a future season.
For the musicians, the series will offer another benefit. A professional videographer will record each concert for archival purposes and produce a music video of the first piece performed by each group for YouTube and social media. The recordings will provide promotional material for the musicians while creating a lasting record of the performances.
But organizers ultimately hope the series becomes a regular part of life in Bonita.
“It is our hope that through our promotional efforts and by integrating the wonderful musicianship which already exists right here in our community, that we can build a lasting following and that people will look forward to the first Saturday of each month as “concert day at the library” and make plans in advance for coming,” Borik said.
Visit bonitasunnysidefol.org/concerts/ for series schedule.
