‘It’s About Time’: Sonoma State University Professor John Palmer takes a bow with Rock Collegium
At the close of Sonoma State University’s sold-out Rock Collegium concert, “It’s About Time,” professor of music John Palmer stood at his keyboards in Schroeder Hall with nearly 20 years of teaching behind him.
On May 2 at the Green Music Center, all 240 audience members rose in a standing ovation as 33 student musicians gathered around him onstage. Palmer held a pink mixed bouquet as he took in the applause — the blooms matching his pink tie in a moment that marked the end of an era for the program.
The ensemble director had just announced his retirement from Sonoma State, turning a spring concert about time into a farewell for the faculty member who helped shape Rock Collegium into a close-knit musical community and one of the Department of Music’s most visible showcases of student creativity, collaboration, and resilience.
Palmer, better known to students and friends as “JP,” has directed Rock Collegium since its 2011 origin as a seminar with a performance component. By 2012, it had evolved into a formal ensemble.
This year’s concert reflected on the past, present, and future. The program featured time-themed songs such as “Time Is Running Out” by Muse, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” by Chicago, “Time” by Pink Floyd, “Reelin’ in the Years” by Steely Dan, and “Time Stand Still” by Rush, along with new works by students.
By the end of the night, the theme had become personal.
“It was also about time that I retired,” Palmer said. “It was intentional.”
A musicologist who plays keyboard and bass, Palmer brought a wide-ranging musical background to Sonoma State. His scholarship includes Fulbright-supported research in Vienna on Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony and published work on English rock music from the 1960s and 1970s.
Since arriving at SSU in 2007, he has taught courses in musicology and musicianship, including music history sequences for majors, sight-singing and ear training, music theory, seminars in symphonic and rock music, general education courses in classical and rock music, and most notably Rock Collegium.
What began with a handful of participants practicing in small rooms before the 2014 opening of Schroeder Hall has grown into one of the music department’s most distinctive programs. Today Rock Collegium fills a larger venue and regularly features adventurous programming, student-selected pieces, and original student compositions.
“It’s gotten more sophisticated,” Palmer said. “We’ve tried more difficult pieces over the years, (and) I’ve figured out how to rehearse multiple groups all at the same time.”
A defining feature of Rock Collegium is Palmer’s teaching philosophy, which emphasizes student independence and collaboration. The ambitious process often requires as many as three groups rehearsing in separate rooms, with more than a dozen songs refined for each semester’s performance.
In rehearsal rooms, students learn to work together in ways they might not experience in more traditional ensembles, Palmer said. Rather than waiting for a conductor to lead every step, they make creative decisions, listen to one another, and figure out how to move the music forward.
Sometimes Palmer will write out parts or give students a clear direction, then leave them alone for 20 minutes. At first, some are unsure what to do with that freedom. Over time, they learn how to take “real control over what happens,” he said.
Students choose songs, write pieces, and perform a wide variety of music. About half of the program’s music is written or suggested by students, with Palmer providing guidance as needed. Many return to the ensemble multiple times, building their confidence from one semester to the next.
Palmer described directing Rock Collegium with the wry honesty his students have come to know well.
“Arranging medleys takes months off of your life,” he said. “It increases your gray hair.”
The ensemble also taught him lessons in organization, guarding his time, and understanding what was realistically possible.
“I’ve been able to figure out when to let go of something and let the students actually try to do things on their own,” he said.
Onstage, students turn that trust into sound. With Palmer’s encouragement, they have tackled complex pieces such as “Starless” by the progressive rock band King Crimson, which features diverse instrumentation. For Charlotte Summins, who played lead guitar on the piece, that challenge opened new possibilities as a musician.
“Thanks for proving to me that I could be a ‘prog’ guitarist if I wanted to,” Summins said.
Summins also credited Palmer with modeling an “obvious passion for music and art” and inspiring deeper curiosity that pushed her to pursue knowledge more fully and produce work she could take pride in, both in and outside the ensemble.
For many students, those lessons have lasted beyond their time at Sonoma State. Palmer said Rock Collegium alumni have gone on to succeed in the music industry, and some still keep in touch years later. One alumnus who attended “It’s About Time” was part of Palmer’s first Rock Collegium in 2011 and later earned a doctorate at UCLA, he said.
At a May 15 celebration honoring Palmer, student after student shared gratitude and memories of his teaching, mentorship, and presence in their lives.
Chris Fromm, one of the students who spoke, said Palmer’s impact extended beyond the music itself.
“You’ve been able to connect with your students in a unique way that is unmatched at this school,” Fromm said.
He also thanked Palmer for “preserving classic rock,” encouraging students to “put their best foot forward,” and bringing his “special charismatic attitude” to SSU.
The celebration also pointed toward Rock Collegium’s future. In a tribute video shown that afternoon, Eric Cabalo appeared holding a “JP for President 2028” sign before acknowledging the weight of stepping into Palmer’s role.
“You’re leaving big shoes to fill and you will be greatly missed,” Cabalo said to his friend, colleague, and bandmate.
Cabalo, director of classical guitar studies and a longtime faculty member since 2005, will lead Rock Collegium in the fall semester. A multi-award-winning performer and educator, he also oversees the Sonoma State Guitar Ensemble, whose repertoire spans classical, Latin American, and pop/rock music.
Palmer described Cabalo as the right person to carry the program forward, citing his familiarity with Rock Collegium, experience with student ensembles, and ability to relate to younger musicians.
“He’s played in it many times; he knows what he’s doing,” Palmer said. “And if I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t have mentioned it to him.”
As a guitarist, Cabalo will also bring a different perspective to the program rooted in rock music. His patience, rehearsal experience, and ability to put on a concert are qualities that will serve Rock Collegium well, Palmer said.
Looking ahead, Palmer would like to see Rock Collegium expand its audience, attract prospective high school students through performances, and remain a creative outlet where students can play works they might not otherwise encounter. He also hopes the ensemble will continue encouraging original songs and experimentation, with the possibility of performing in a larger venue.
The next chapter will carry forward the work Palmer helped build: a place where students can take risks, find their sound, and evolve as musicians. To him, that energy reflects the department’s momentum.
“We’re still kicking it,” he said.
More than anything, Palmer hopes students “remember what they did well, and that they enjoyed doing it.” He said that lesson should extend beyond Rock Collegium to all the music they play.
Directing Rock Collegium has been heartening for Palmer, but his departure from Sonoma State comes with “mixed feelings.” He won’t miss the long days or the commute from Emeryville — roughly 100 miles round trip — but for him, good pedagogy meant putting in the time and effort, whether in the classroom, rehearsal room, or onstage.
Before arriving at Sonoma State, Palmer worked for music organizations including Cal Performances, and even did a stint in language instruction at Berlitz. He said those roles felt like “something of a distraction” from what he was meant to do, and none quieted the feeling that he “should be doing something else.”
Teaching at SSU did.
“I felt like I should be doing this,” Palmer said. “It’s been great, and I want to stop while it still feels that way.”
Retirement, however, does not mean leaving music behind. Palmer is looking forward to not having a set plan. In jest, he said he might “take up gardening,” though he also hinted at future Rock Collegium cameos and performances with faculty colleagues at local venues.
Still, the students are what he will miss most — the interactions that shaped nearly two decades.
“It’s a pretty emotional thing,” Palmer said. “There are some people here that are very dear to me. It’s like when special students graduate — there’s a layer of sadness over that, and yet you congratulate them. And in this case, I guess I’m graduating.”