If you feel like celebrating the fallen heroes of gruesome wars on this Veteran's day, we'll point you to the music budgets under assault in Gov. Schwarzenegger's war on education. The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a vital institution in this city, is hosting a fund raiser tonight, from 7pm to 11pm. Billed as "an evening of eclectic performances," it is faithful to the mission of the institution which teaches everything to everyone, from kids and adults and from baroque to avant-garde.

Tonight's party, Tuned In, features the Magik*Magik orchestra, a unabashedly modern ensemble which performed with Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood (see the Herbst theater result here) or Sting. Jazz trumpeter and composer Erik Jekabson, who attended the SFCM like Miles Davis went to Julliard, co-headlines. We heard him at Intersections for the Arts where he's a regular, and enjoyed the show. Plus, admission to the performance tonight includes beer from Anchor Steam and food from Bi-Rite, so purchase your ticket right now.

The other party this week is the kick-off of the Oakland East Bay Symphony season, on Friday at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. The music promises to be gorgeous: it's themed a Night at the Opera, with excerpts from Verdi's Aida, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Wagner's Ring Cycle or Bernstein's Candide. Hope Briggs and Brian Leerhuber leads an impressive cast of singers under the skillful baton of Michael Morgan.