Sofra is a music and arts collective born in Philadelphia and based in brooklyn, presented with love by people of all crafts.

Hello! Sofra is directed by me, Derin Çağlar, a first generation Turkish-American, interdisciplinary musician, and science nerd. The word “sofra” in Turkish most literally translates to “table,” but is often shorthand for the phrase “yemek sofrası” which means “dinner table.” For me, sharing a meal with the people around you is an obelisk of community and care. The way we build and engage with community in our lives is itself the gathering of a family around a growing dinner table. Sofra is centered in music, but my hope is that as our community grows, we are able to create projects that more deeply engage with other arts and practices.

{More About Me}

I started playing piano in elementary school after I got a Gamecube as a gift and became obsessed with the soundtrack of The Legend of Zelda series. I began studying jazz (Black American Music) through high school (guided by my mentors Carl Bradley, Dave Posmontier, and Dr. Matthew Clayton) while strengthening my love for soundtracks, hiphop/rnb/”neo-soul”. Anyway, talking about music is hard but that’s why my songs sound so weird! So much love for my NYC family as well, who taught me nearly everything I know about musicianship, for being a part of projects like these/

I studied neuroscience in college, and in my non-musical life I hope to educate and get people engaged with science :) One time I almost discovered a new moth in the South-Eastern Arizona desert!