Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sunday Afternoon Sessions 1

1:15 - 3:15 pm

Concepts of Choral Sound
Sue Coffee, facilitator

This session will begin with a presentation/overview of choral sound concepts-what are the possibilities?-followed by a facilitated discussion. What we do as artistic directors begins with the sound.

It's easy to get focused on programming, concert themes, ticket sales, even chorus politics. But the relationship with the audience is in the sound and that needs to be at the heart of all your planning and conceptualizing. Meredith Monk described the relationship between performers and audience as "a figure eight of energy," and that energy begins with the ensemble's sound. One of the responsibilities of the artistic director is to have a strong aural vision for your ensemble: to know your own tastes, to develop a concept of sound based on what you respond to as a listener, to understand how all of your goals and decisions are related to your concept of ensemble sound, and to know how to achieve that sound.

There are no right answers; or rather, there are many right answers, and that's what makes it so interesting. A strong aural vision creates a dynamic and growth-oriented musical environment in the chorus that is the foundation for a healthy musical community and for meaningful performance. I'm presenting this workshop because this is a topic I love and a conversation I would love to have with other artistic directors.

Fundraising Seminar Session
Robin Godfrey, Eve Campbell and Steve Smith, presenters

We are all struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economic environment. Viewed a little differently, however, our current economic woes can be seen as an opportunity to revisit our cost and revenue structures and make some changes that we probably should have been making anyway. The session will begin with an overview of the challenges and opportunities created by the recession and then break into smaller groups where you will have an opportunity to work on specific fundraising skills including individual donations, special events, business support, revenue best practices and a special section on specific challenges facing women's choruses.

Benefits

1. Gain a perspective on the opportunities created by economic downturns as well as the difficulties.
2. Attend mini-workshops on those revenue topics most of interest to you.
3. Share ideas with your colleagues about what is working and what isn't.

1:15 - 2:15      General Session
2:15 - 3:15      Breakout Session
3:30 - 4:30      Breakout Session
4:30 - 5:30      Breakout Session

Artistic Director/Executive Director Transitions

Succession planning rarely appears high, if at all, on the list of factors that determine long-term organizational success but it deserves to be there. Regardless of the type or size of the organization, how matters of succession are managed is directly related to whether it will survive and thrive. This session will feature a panel discussion with panelists who have recently been through a transition in either the artistic or executive director position. Session attendees will also receive a copy of "Planning for Succession: A Toolkit for Board Members and Staff of Nonprofit Arts Organizations," written by Merianne Liteman for the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation. Benefits:

1. Become familiar with the issues surrounding transitions of artistic and executive directors.
2. Get information on incorporating succession planning into strategic planning.
3. Hear from your peers what worked and what didn't in their transition experiences.
4. Obtain guidelines and checklists for managing the transition process.

Sunday Afternoon Sessions 2

3:30 - 5:30 pm

Performance Practices for Pop, Jazz and Broadway
Jerry Rubino, presenter

While many trained musicians have spent hours studying the performance practices of classical music, the American styles of pop, Broadway, jazz and gospel each embody their own sound, tone and expressivity. Join Jerry Rubino for this interactive session as he discusses the musical elements at our disposal to deliver an authentic performance. The effects of amplification, microphone techniques and accompaniment style (tips for the pianist) will also be explored.

Fundraising Seminar (Continued)