About Us

Welcome, music lovers! We’re glad you’re interested in who we are and what we do.

Our History

Music In Place was founded in April 2020 by a core group of music/video techies, legal, finance, and business professionals — who are also accomplished musicians — to expand public access to the Bay Area musical community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our purpose was to create opportunities for musical performances to occur in nontraditional venues and for the public to access such performances, whether ‘in place’ or remotely, thereby educating the public about, and expanding access to, the musical arts.

Our original goals were to:

Expand public access to musical performance and the musical arts through original music and video works
Provide training and technical support for musicians, composers, and production professionals as they transitioned to digital performance venues
Manage digital hosting and distribution on our website and on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter, and Instagram
Create new models for generating financial support

Our Vision

Music in Place is a vibrant, connected community where arts and arts education are accessible to everyone – enriching daily life, strengthening social bonds, and inspiring joy, curiosity and belonging across generations.

Our Mission

Music in Place connects people and communities through music while curating high-quality experiences and supporting artists who create them.

Hear from Rod Marymor, David Poe, Aaron Lington and Melissa Bingham about the magic of Music in Place.

2024 Impact Report

2024 was a thrilling year for Music in Place as we:

collaborated directly with 7 local non-profits
presented 20 education programs for kids and adults
offered 42 free concerts in Sonoma and Petaluma
produced 2 large ticketed concerts in Sonoma and Rohnert Park
provided meaningful gigs for 300 musicians and teaching artists
reached a total audience of about 10,000
expanded staff support and welcomed 2 new members to the board.

We are grateful for the support our donors, volunteers, and audience members collaborators, and board of directors who made this success possible.

Read the full report

Our Team

Melissa Bingham

Executive Director

Melissa Bingham brings a lifelong love of the arts and a deep commitment to community to her role as Executive Director of Music in Place. Her passion for live performance began at age eight, when she saw Yul Brynner on stage in The King and I — a moment that left an indelible mark and sparked her enduring devotion to musical theater and the power of storytelling through song. While not a musician herself, Melissa is surrounded by music at home and is a steadfast believer in its ability to connect, inspire, and unite. She brings decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, community development, and event production to her work, with a focus on creating accessible, inclusive spaces where the arts can thrive. Melissa lives in Sonoma with her family and is honored to help carry forward the mission of Music in Place — building community through music, one note at a time.

Aaron Lington

Artistic and Education Director

Grammy Award-winning baritone saxophonist and composer Aaron Lington has performing and compositional credits that include collaborations with the San Francisco Symphony, Maynard Ferguson, the BBC Radio Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, Doc Severinsen, Bo Diddley, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Jamie Davis, Tommy Igoe, Pacific Mambo Orchestra, and many others. In addition, he has won awards for both his playing and writing from Downbeat Magazine, ASCAP, and was the 2003 recipient of the Sammy Nestico Award. He was named the 2011 “Jazz Educator of the Year” by the California Music Educators Association, and has been recognized multiple times in the both the Downbeat Magazine Critic’s Poll and Reader’s Poll. In 2015, he was named Silicon Valley Artist Laureate.

Rodman Marymor

Founder and President

Rod started out as a professional shoe shiner and weed puller, earned a Masters in Percussion Performance, and worked in a diverse array of settings as a musician and composer (i.e., starving artist). Along the way, he shifted his focus to the business of music with a recording studio and entertainment production company. His company, Cardinal Communications, created and managed nearly one thousand hotel and conference center websites and was instrumental in the pioneering development of online registration and attendee management. In 2012, Rod’s business focus shifted to commercial real estate investment and philanthropic activities for the performing arts. During the pandemic, Rod co-founded Music in Place to help create opportunities for musical performances to occur online and in nontraditional venues. Since that time, he has dedicated much of his time to expand and fulfill the mission of Music in Place as producers and presenters of free and accessible live music that benefits everyone. Rod currently serves as a Trustee of The American Conservatory Theatre and The Tamapla Institute.

David Poe

Founder, Board Chair, and Secretary/Treasurer

A French horn player in several Bay Area concert bands, orchestras and wind ensembles, David is passionate about helping Bay Area musicians find opportunities to perform in venues that appreciate their talent and bring happiness to their audiences. He co-founded Music in Place in April, 2020 to initially create opportunities to perform “virtually” for audiences to enjoy during the pandemic when live performances vanished. A retired executive of a global management consulting firm and public company board member, David now spends his time supporting non-profit organizations, racing cars, and participating in sporting activities.