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Getty Education and Community Investment Grants Recipients 2012-2013

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, for its Neighborhood Residency Initiative, encompassing the orchestra’s entire roster of concerts, education programs, engagement activities, recitals, and senior programs which take place outside of Orchestra Hall. A strong component of the program is health and wellness; the orchestra assists children and adults of all ages, bringing its musicians to assisted care facilities, senior centers and hospitals for performance, music therapy sessions, and personal interaction. Among the multiple partners the orchestra engages to facilitate its services are Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital of Michigan, and Henry Ford Health System.

Hartford Symphony Orchestra (with partner Hebrew Health Care) for its new Musicians Care Project (MCP): Five new in-facility programs for the elderly and disabled include creating and recording music around their life stories, and offering elderly patients in the final stages of their lives a performance of a song of particular personal resonance.

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, to expand its Music & Wellness program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cancer Institute. The program, which currently provides live musical performances for patients to enhance the healing process, will now employ a part-time certified Music Therapist.

Madison Symphony Orchestra, for continuation of HeartStrings, its music therapy-informed program using live music to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of adults and children with disabilities and long-term illnesses, as well as aging populations with dementia and assisted-living needs.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, to establish its Autism Community Initiative, a series of chamber music programs that are tailored to meet the developmental needs of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This season’s program will serve more than 1000 youth and adults with autism, with six program partners in nine locations in Mercer and Essex Counties. The chamber music programs meet New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards, and the music is used by the orchestra’s program partners for cultural enrichment, and as an aid to reinforce positive behavior.

Phoenix Symphony, for its B-Sharp Music Wellness Initiative, a music wellness program for health care and community facilities that serve the homeless population. Symphony musicians comprising duos, trios, quartets and quintets, will perform monthly at two facilities: Circle the City, which provides respite care for homeless adults in need of recovery following hospitalization, and Lodestar Day Resource Center, which offers shelter, food and structured activities during daytime hours.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, to help fund its Music and Wellness program, taking place at UPMC Children’s Hospital, UPMC Shadyside Hospital, Allegheny Valley School, Gilda’s Club and Veterans Hospital. More than 22 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians are active participants in the program, which integrates live chamber music performances with music therapy to provide music and wellness sessions for small groups of hospital patients, families and staff. The orchestra is also developing a music and wellness online resource center to provide arts organizations, healthcare facilities, and the general public with information about music and wellness.

Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine), to establish a comprehensive music and wellness program in order to improve the healing process and reduce stress levels of hospital patients, employees, and patients’ visiting families. The two-part program, in partnership with the New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland (NERHP), will include live, in-hospital therapeutic performances by PSO musician ensembles as well as a stress-reduction program for hospital employees that combines live classical music with resistive muscle movement and deep breathing exercises.

St. Louis Symphony, to develop SymphonyCares, a program providing free concerts and music therapy for adults and children in area hospitals, assisted living centers and nursing homes. One part of the program features joint performances for children by an orchestra violinist and a clown; duos of St. Louis Symphony musicians also perform monthly for patients receiving chemotherapy infusions at Saint Louis University Cancer Center. The orchestra is now expanding facilities and patients served, as well as the number of STL Symphony musicians involved, and will now perform at The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and, separately, for children and adults with development and intellectual disabilities.

In-School and After-School Programs

Getty Education and Community Investment Grants Recipients 2012-2013

Allentown Symphony Orchestra, to help fund El Sistema Lehigh Valley, an after-school initiative run in cooperation with the Allentown School District. The ‘social justice through music’ program helps underserved and special needs youth to develop life skills learned by participating in daily music instruction, large ensemble performances, and academic tutoring. Allentown School District is the 3rd largest of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, with 88% (or nearly 15,900 children) coming from low-income families.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, for OrchKids, a free in- and after-school music education program providing personalized music instruction, life skills training, academic assistance, healthy meals and positive mentorship to nearly 600 inner city students each year. In a typical OrchKids neighborhood, 71.2% of children live in single-parent, female-headed households and the high school completion rate is just 75%. The orchestra’s numerous partners include the Baltimore City Public School System, University of Maryland Baltimore County and the Peabody Institute, among others.

California Symphony Orchestra, for Sound Minds, a free, comprehensive after-school program for elementary school students in need, 100% of whom are eligible to participate in the free or reduced cost lunch program. Sound Minds features multiple modules, including music instruction, ensemble practice, theory and rhythm, community performances, and academic reading support. 120 first and second graders in Concord, CA will participate in 2013.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra, for Young Strings, a music program for black and Hispanic children in grades 2 – 12 now celebrating its 20th year. The program features curriculum-based instruction, mentoring, master classes, performance opportunities, instrument loans, audition preparation, college application assistance, and career guidance, all provided free of charge. Young Strings aims to provide economically disadvantaged children with an opportunity to study a musical instrument, with a larger goal of increasing the diversity of American orchestras. More than 200 children will participate in 2013.

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, to expand its Kalamazoo Kids in Tune after-school music and youth development program. A partnership between the orchestra, Communities in Schools of Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo Public Schools system, the program weaves the El Sistema philosophy and methodology of accessible, intensive, ensemble-based music learning through an after-school program for children with a high level of need. Non-music activities include a daily nutritious meal, weekly dance classes, daily homework help and 1-on-1 tutoring with volunteers for students with identified needs, and periodic field trips.

Los Angeles Philharmonic, for Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) one of the largest El Sistemainspired programs in the United States. The program provides free after-school instrumental instruction, ensemble performance opportunities, and academic support at two locations: YOLA EXPO Center in South LA and YOLA at Heart of LA (YOLA at HOLA) in the Rampart District. The students participating primarily attend Title I schools and live in neighborhoods with 75% of families’ household incomes at or below $20,000 per year.

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, for Progressions, its intensive string training program in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools and other urban schools. The program, now in its tenth season, provides private instruction and orchestral training in violin, viola, cello and bass to 3rd and 4th grade students.

Omaha Symphony Association, for More than Music, a program which pairs 4th, 5th and 6th grade elementary music students from Girls, Inc. with advanced high school and college student musicians for one-on-one musical instruction and mentoring. Students participate in Omaha Symphony music-focused outings, master classes, and side-by-side concerts with their mentors. 87% percent of the students served at Girls, Inc. are in households with an annual family income of $40,000 dollars or less, and over 81% live in single parent households or in environments without either parent.

Pacific Symphony, to develop Santa Ana Strings, a new collaborative project between the orchestra, Santa Ana Unified School District, and the non-profit organization THINK Together. 300 4th and 5th grade students from six Santa Ana elementary schools will receive year-round, in-school intensive group violin instruction from professional music educators; the program will also include an after-school and summer component. The program curriculum meets both the California Department of Education Music Content Standards and the Common Core Standards, promoting literacy as well as developing students’ ability to work together, analyze problems, and persevere in solving them.

San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, for Community Opus Project, a communityresponsive, on-site, after-school program that provides affordable music education for children in Chula Vista, one of San Diego County’s lower income communities just seven miles from the Mexican border. Inspired by the El Sistema program, Opus serves more than 200 students at six primarily Title I elementary schools that do not offer music programs. In addition to a variety of community and funding partnerships, the orchestra has also joined with the University of California San Diego’s Center for Human Development and the Neurosciences Institute to conduct studies of Opus students to learn how music education affects children’s brain development and behavioral and cognitive skills.

Sphinx Virtuosi, for Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA), an intensive summer music program serving aspiring black and Latino students in pursuit of classical music studies, but who have limited resources and access to consistent high-quality training. This full-scholarship program provides boarding, private lessons and chamber music training for 64 students aged 12- 17 who are based at two sites: SPA—Chicago at Northwestern University and SPA—Oberlin at the Oberlin Conservatory.

Other Programs

Getty Education and Community Investment Grants Recipients 2012-2013

Brooklyn Philharmonic, to further establish the Brooklyn Philharmonic Neighborhood Music Residencies, a series of site specific orchestral events taking place in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brighton Beach, Crown Heights and Downtown Brooklyn. To curate the events, which bring the arts to underserved communities, the orchestra partners with local organizations, as well as neighborhood artists and musicians. Program components include mainstage orchestral concerts, interactive music and arts workshops, chamber performances, and neighborhood walking tours.

Central Ohio Symphony, for a new criminal justice program utilizing drumming circles to engage court-involved adolescents with substance use disorders and/or mental illnesses. The orchestra will partner with the Treatment Court of the Delaware County Juvenile Court and local nonprofit treatment providers to help juvenile offenders gain control over their illness and/or substance disorder, take responsibility for their offense and their personal development, and reconnect as healthier individuals with their families and community.

Volunteer Notes Summer 2013

 


Volunteer Notes
The Newsletter for Symphony Orchestra Volunteers
Summer 2013


Notes from Helen Shaffer, Volunteer Council President

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.”  -Ivern Ball

Enthusiasm is exactly what you will gain from the 2013 League of American Orchestras Conference. This enthusiasm will carry over to your organizations when you return home and you will have renewed energy to accomplish your goals. The Conference will share ways to breathe new life into those tasks that have become dull. It will offer insights to:

  • Increase Revenue
  • Increase Operational Effectiveness
  • Increase Volunteer Participation

Active participation in the variety of events that are planned for the Conference will enable you to share many ideas on fundraising, increasing membership, and being better advocates for the art form we love.

This is a very special Conference as we will celebrate orchestra volunteers throughout the country. We want you to be a part of this as we honor you.

The Conference is June 17 through June 20. To register, visit americanorchestras.org.

Join us as we dream big for the future of our orchestras! 


Attending Conference: The Top Five Reasons

There are so many reasons volunteers should attend the League Conference in St. Louis, June 17-20, 2013 – they cannot all be listed! But, here are the Volunteer Council’s Top Five Reasons You Should Attend:

#5 Kick off your Conference experience by signing up for the Volunteer Council’s Riverboat Cruise Dine-Around on the evening of June 17th – this will be a good opportunity to see the city sights along the river and to network with volunteers from across the country.

#4 The League’s opening session, Imagining 2023, will set the stage for looking at the current and future state of orchestras. The closing session, Imagining 2023: Taking It Home, will give you the opportunity to participate in an interactive session about what you are taking home and what your orchestra will be in 2023. The League’s skill-building toolbox sessions and perspectives sessions will offer all Conference delegates the opportunity to learn about exciting new ideas orchestras are testing, audience initiatives, artistic projects, and much more. 

#3 Learn from the “Best of the Best” as the Award of Excellence winners present the most successful and innovative projects submitted to Gold Book Online for 2013. These newly interactive sessions will give you an opportunity to actively participate in your learning. Moreover, the ever-popular Roundtable presentations will offer wonderful ideas from nine selected projects. This is all in addition to three League programs just for volunteers. 

#2 Speakers and panelists will discuss topics relevant to the orchestra volunteer experience. Gain insight into the future of orchestras by signing up for the Volunteer Council networking luncheon with guest speaker Garry Golden, an academically trained Futurist. And, learn about enhanced cross-cultural community development by attending a special talk for volunteers by Bo Young Lee, a global diversity & inclusion practice leader with 15 years of experience. Ms. Lee’s talk will be followed by three case studies of cultural diversity in action from the Indianapolis Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Miami’s New World Symphony. Panelists from these three orchestras will demonstrate how they successfully engage with their communities along generational, ethnic, and cultural lines. 

#1 The League is honoring orchestra volunteers at their 2013 Conference as part of the Volunteer Council’s 50th Anniversary celebration – you need to be present to be honored and join in the celebration!

Register before May 1st to get the early bird registration rate. Visit americanorchestras.org for more details.

Tina Parker, Volunteer Council 2013 Conference Chair
Southwest Florida Symphony Society


Roundtables Poised to WOW at St. Louis Conference

You will absolutely want to be at this year’s Roundtables, not just for the dizzying fun of award-winning project sharing on the run (yes, the delivery can be fast!), but also for the content, which is mighty. You can learn how to:

  • give your fundraiser a fast face-lift
  • celebrate a major milestone for one full year
  • help a school concert program continue to resonate long after the instruments are back in their cases

And much, much more – wonderful ideas from nine selected projects will be swirling about the room! This year’s Roundtable projects/presenters include:

City Lights: Photography Contest, Girls’ Night Out, Mad Martini Nite – Southwest Florida Symphony Society: Bringing a younger, hipper demographic to downtown (per the Mayor’s request) with fashions, photo shoots, and a swinging retro martini party makes everybody happy.

Derby Day – Illinois Symphony Orchestra League of Bloomington-Normal: Mint juleps, fabulous hats (with a contest), creative betting games, and cheering the ponies can prove to be a winning recipe for fundraising.

Gifts of Note – Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra (formerly WAMSO): Revitalize the annual fund and give new energy to a time-tested project – after 15 years, even a solid foundation could use a few nips and tucks!

Symphony Ball – Symphony League of Kansas City, MO: Effective, productive, historically tried and true methods – all the stops were pulled out to create another spectacularly successful fundraising ball.

Two Parties at Komali – Dallas Symphony League: Komali (contemporary Mexican restaurant) hosts a Party of Note AND Celebrity Sips to raise funds for Young Strings – a program providing free lessons and resources to young African-American and Latino string players in inner-city Dallas.

50th Anniversary Celebration – Waco Symphony Council: Learn how to celebrate a Golden Anniversary...Waco Style!!

Step by Step – Illinois Symphony Orchestra League of Bloomington-Normal: Interactive pre-concert assemblies, the concert, and post-concert follow-ups involve a VILLAGE of orchestra members, educators, local high school and college musicians, and symphony volunteers.

SignUpGenius – The Symphony Guild of Charlotte: Find out about an easy “techie” way to engage your volunteers with minimum effort for maximum success!

Improving Communication Strategies – Houston Symphony League: Harness web and email tools to improve communications with your members.

Linda Weisbruch, Volunteer Council
The Symphony Guild of Charlotte


Dallas Conference 2012 – Roundtables


Showcase – Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates Fundraising Workshop

The primary purpose of this workshop was to improve the LA Philharmonic Affiliate members’ fundraising capabilities, and to build a closer working relationship with the development department of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

The needs were identified by the LA Philharmonic Affiliates Six-Year Strategic Plan, which reflected concerns of the sixteen individual Affiliate committees who had requested help in the area of fundraising. A second concern expressed by the Affiliate leadership was the need to develop a stronger dialogue between the Affiliates and the development staff.

To address these issues, the LA Philharmonic Affiliates presented a groundbreaking fundraising workshop in cooperation with the Philharmonic Association development department. The event began with an LA Phil senior staff member giving a PowerPoint presentation on the basics of successful fundraising. Twelve colleagues from the development department were then introduced, and each was assigned to be a mentor to one or two of the LA Phil Affiliate committees, with smaller committees sharing one mentor.

Breakout sessions with individual mentors followed, where small groups held discussions on how the LA Phil could help committees reach their individual fundraising goals. After a salad and dessert buffet, the workshop concluded with presentations from the breakout sessions, reporting on what specific ideas committees could use.

The project was highly successful! In the following months, fifteen out of sixteen Affiliate Committees increased their fundraising revenue from the previous year. Overall benefit revenue grew by a whopping 21%. Furthermore, in the area of campaign fundraising, there was an increase of 136% over goal.

New ideas included: 1) Present Fund-a-Need events 2) Keep up committee morale: social aspects a priority 3) Keep budgets realistic 4) Conduct successful silent auctions 5) Team up with Facebook and 6) Review seven considerations before planning a new event.

This Fundraising Workshop strengthened all committees, both large and small. Morale was higher because of the strong level of cooperation and collaboration with Development Staff. All agreed that the workshop was a unique, worthwhile, and motivational experience.

Sheri Gill, Benefits Coordinator
Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates


LA Phil Affiliates Fundraising Workshop


Advocacy Alert

A proposal to cap the charitable deduction at 28% is a pressing legislative issue for arts organizations according to Najean Lee, a lobbyist in Washington, DC for the League of American Orchestras. Lee gave an update to Volunteer Council members at their meeting in March. She stated that this is a public value issue. Orchestras and their volunteers need to make Congress see the value of arts for their communities including the range of people who are served.

We are asked to contact our Congressional representatives and urge them not to limit the cap on charitable deductions. The following are four talking points:

1.    NOW is not the time to limit the charitable deduction for already stretched arts organizations.

2.    Unlike the mortgage deduction (for example), charitable deductions don't give anything back to the donor.

3.    Preserving the charitable deduction serves to broaden the arts.

4.    There are 13.5 million workers in non-profit organizations around the country.

"The charitable deduction is more of a lifeline than a loophole," concluded Najean Lee.

Becky Odland, Volunteer Council
Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra

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Conference 2013 for Board Members

Each year the League of American Orchestras National Conference brings together over 1,000 top orchestra professionals and volunteers from around the country to network, learn, grow, and have fun. The programs, which are tailored to address the individual needs of a variety of stakeholders in the orchestra field, range from workshops, thoughtful seminars, skill-based sessions, concerts and networking events.

Board chairs will have the chance to attend a range of programming designed to suit their interests. Learn more here.

The League's 2013 National Conference will be held June 18-20 in St. Louis, Missouri, with Pre-Conference seminars on June 16-18. Visit the Conference website to learn more and register now!

Resources

This is a collection of the resources available through the League of American Orchestras related to board governance and leadership. For a full list of the League's professional development resources, visit Learning Online.

Articles & Recommended Reading

From the League

Other non-League Materials

eBooks

Developed by BoardSource, these eBooks provide best practice strategies for nonprofit governance. For more information, click on the titles below.

BoardSource publishes its eBooks in the PDF format, which can be read on iPads, and on the Kindle 2 and above.

Assessment Tools

Board Self-Assessment Tool: Developed in partnership with BoardSource and customized for orchestras, this assessment tool identifies areas of strength and opportunities for growth.

Your Orchestra, Your Community: Roadmap to Success: A comprehensive assessment tool designed to help orchestras think deeply about their role in community from a holistic point of view and assess their own readiness for growth and improvement. An abridged version is also available.

Public Value Toolkit: An online toolkit of resources to assist orchestras in strategically assessing, improving, and communicating their public value.  To access the Public Value Toolkit, your orchestra must be a League member.

Operating Reserve Policy Toolkit for Nonprofit Organizations: A resource to help make a compelling case within the organization for the need to establish an operating reserve.

Diversity in Action Assessment: A new diversity assessment tool developed by BoardSource for board members to assess their perception and value of diversity; policies and practices; and board culture and dynamics.

Audio & Video Resources

Audio
Hear directly from orchestra boards across the country and the lessons they have learned.

Video

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