Stanford Shelter Music
About Us
Spurred by stories of convenience stores and metro stations using classical music as a deterrent for unhoused individuals, Stanford Shelter Music began as a passion project to counteract this harmful narrative. Since then, it has grown into a thriving program that seeks to bring interactive, engaging classical music concerts to homeless shelters throughout the Bay Area. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Stanford Shelter music draws from student and professional musicians, local and visiting, and partners with HomeFirst, LifeMoves, and WEHope to pair groups with shelters.
Core Services
Artists
We work with artists from student groups to professional ensembles, providing community engagement opportunities for them to broaden their horizons.
Shelters
Partnering with LifeMoves, HomeFirst, and WEHope, we work to put together musical performances at shelters once every few months, depending on our availability of performers.
Interactivity
In all of our programs, we strive to directly involve residents in the performance. Activities range from instrument demos to performing music inspired by creative output from residents.
Outreach
We believe that community music is an essential part of being a musician, holding workshops to prepare student musicians for shelter and community concerts.
Our Team
Spencer Cha
Co-Founder
Spencer Cha is a pianist and composer from Los Altos, CA, and a cofounder of Stanford Shelter Music. Spencer is an MS1 at Yale School of Medicine, and he graduated from Stanford in 2026 with a B.S. in Bioengineering, Music minor, Cardinal Service Notation, and coterminal M.S. in Biomedical Data Science. At Stanford, he studied piano with Dr. Elizabeth Schumann and played in a piano trio with Audrey and Chris Costanza as part of the Stanford chamber music program for four years. A winner of the 2024 Stanford Concerto Competition, Spencer performed Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in November 2024. He also played rock, jazz, and funk with student bands on campus.
Audrey Kim
Co-Founder
Audrey Kim is a violinist from Los Angeles, CA and a cofounder of Stanford Shelter Music. Audrey is an MS1 at Stanford School of Medicine, and she graduated from Stanford in 2025 with a B.S. in Chemistry, minor in music, and Cardinal Service Notation. During her time in college, Audrey studied the violin under Geoff Nuttall and Owen Dalby and participated in four years of chamber music. She completed a Community Impact Fellowship at the Ravenswood Family Health Network in East Palo Alto before returning to Stanford for medical school. Outside of music, Audrey enjoys hiking around the Bay Area, hosting dinner parties, and spending far too much time on campus for someone who supposedly graduated.
Sarah Kendell
Artistic Director
Sarah Kendell is a violinist from Salt Lake City, UT, and current artistic director of Stanford Shelter Music. A senior at Stanford University studying Human Biology and music, Sarah has previously been a member of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Philharmonia, and is currently enjoying playing lots of chamber music. Sarah soloed with the Utah Symphony in their Salute to Youth concerts in 2019, 2021, and 2023, as well as their side-by-side orchestral concert in 2022. She spent five years as a member of the GMS Conservatory in Salt Lake City, where she was a recipient of the national Starling Scholarship for young musicians. Outside of music, Sarah loves hiking with her golden retriever and baking cakes.
