Creating space for creativity in Redwood City

Tucked along this gastronomic strip of Redwood City’s Broadway, this jewel of a salon brings musicians of every skill level together to develop their compositions and musical repertoire. Whether a person joins as a novice guitarist, a casual jazz musician, a fledgling podcaster or an artist searching for their next band, the club offers educational resources and a state of the art setup to support one’s musical journey.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to pursue their music passion,” John Avilla, one of the co-founders of Sound Union, said. “My team and I, we talk a lot about how we’re not going to be the only place our members play music, but we want to be the favorite place.”

What inspired Avilla and his longtime friend Tom Zazueta to start the club was the lack of a “cool space to go and meet other musicians and play.”

Over three decades working in Silicon Valley advertising, Avilla met C-suite and executive-level people who shared his passion for music but had no place to practice other than home studios, garages and warehouses.

The space connects people to potential musical accompaniments, fostering relationships that lead to the formation of bands, collaborations, mentorships or hangouts.

Conor Andrews, a ride-hailing driver from Menlo Park, discovered Sound Union through a digital ad that popped up during his social media scrolling. He now goes to the club four to five times a week, rotating as vocalist, guitarist or bassist, and socializes with other members.

“It’s hard organically to find other musicians and get things together and have a space to go do them and the equipment,” Andrews said. “Here you can show up with nothing, and all that stuff is ready for you.”

Some musicians further their skills in musicality and audio production in the Redwood City lounge, while others discover opportunities to start a band. The David Hobbes Band formed within the walls of Sound Union.

During the day, Hobbes, a Redwood City local, works in the clean energy sector developing renewable energy projects. When he is off the clock, he writes songs and works on arrangements with his guitar and drums. After the pandemic, a fellow parent at his child’s school recommended a place where he could continue his music.

Hobbes called the club his “sacred space,” where he could showcase his investment in music and meet other musicians on his wavelength. Members at Sound Union got the first chance to hear his original works following the release of his debut album, “Searching For Home,” last year.

After spending sessions with other members, he found his collaborators, and the four of them created a band. From Redwood City cafes and bars, the group has performed and made noise in the indie music scene and guest-performed in different cities around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Within its 10,000-square-foot space, Sound Union built three soundproof studios that can fit up to 15 people and include high-end instruments and equipment for recording. It also has three smaller studios that accommodate a duo to rehearse or record audio for a podcast.

For original compositions, Sound Union offers a digital audio workstation room, where members can fine-tune and polish their projects. Avilla estimated that around 30 compositions have been recorded in the facility.

The salon also functions as a coworking and events space. Its regular programming, such as workshops, masterclasses and karaoke nights, brings in veteran musicians to speak or perform for the members.

As of September, the monthly membership fee is $400, while a one-year commitment subscription costs $350 per month.

“There’s something about music and playing music together that is super, super powerful,” Avilla said. “Those are my favorite moments, when I see that stuff happen.”