Sister Singers Network

Sister Singers Network
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Sister Singers 2001 Festival Planning Meeting
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Sunday April 9, 2000

Grand Rapids Women's Chorus NEW web site www.grwc.org
Will there be separate email address exclusively for the festival?
Suggestion on discussing the effects of organizing a festival on a chorus. The increased demands created really do require a lot more energy. The organizers chairs etc. may not even see the stress that the chorus members develop.
Regarding the flow chart…really thought out what things were coming up…the needs that would be present. Members were advised a year ahead. Cincinnati expected members not to do a lot during the chorus season, but really work a lot after season…(but their festival was in July). Cincinnati members knew they wouldn’t be singing in the mass concert – mostly concert members did enjoy the process. You just have to let people know – results oriented, not process oriented. You have to be sure it is understood, do not let your feelings get hurt if you get ridden on a task.
Have GRWC spring concert at the beginning of the festival? Doesn’t help Sistrum with their spring concert
Having 2 choruses one with festival experience should be helpful.
Asks Artemis – do we need to brainstorm workshops or how can we support. Rather than just leave here without revisiting.
In past, mailings went out to SSN members asking first what topics people were interested in and second calling for leaders to lead workshops. Will need to decide if topics limited to music/chorus topics or open to any issues/topics.
REGISTRATION/INITIAL MAILING/REGISTRATION LIMITS
Time tables for registrations and such. How do we limit – first come, first serve/ size of choruses
First mailing in from Cinn had big picture – stating how each chorus would have performance time, mass chorus. The mailing requested 1) point person from interested choruses 2) response to the mailing expressing “interest” in order to receive follow-up information 3) estimate of number attending. Second mailing had deadlines, costs.
After first mailing, developed their own mailing lists to send follow up information. They did not send later mailings to everyone. Suggestion that we do initial mailing now to all women’s choruses before their season’s end.
First mailing should tell when choruses have to respond by to be tied in. Whether or not the first mailing requires an earnest/registration fee. First come; first serve with a waiting list.
Initial mailing to choruses just a one-page letter. Announce a fall registration date to commit. Mail out by first week of May to entire SSN/GALA combined mailing list that Nancy has merged. With a registration form requesting a contact person and interest. Or maybe not a registration form. Cincinnati had 2 letters out before they asked for specific registration information. Maybe at least ask for contact person. Mary notes that she would like a single paper to take to GALA then she will make copies in San Jose to hand out at large. This may or may not be the same flyer that goes out in May.
If we get more registrations than we can handle, drop back and move to a bigger venue. Or then you send out that we aren’t able to handle that many choruses and limit then.
Suggestion regarding placing an ad in GALA
Someone recommended discussion should occur on involvement with GALA
Will need hard copy – not recommend we do formal information on email/web. Can duplicate on web, but not exclusively on web.
These notes will be on SSN website. So actually in this respect the snail mail may follow the email.
Don’t put registration forms on Internet. Make everyone file paperwork. Internet can be used to express interest but official registrations will have to be snail mail.
Registration of chorus vs. individuals. Recommends having both chorus and individual registration. Cincinnati did not have a chorus registration fee and had some problems. Chorus registration can cover the production costs for the performances and makes a commitment by the chorus.
Suggestion that this festival should have grass roots accessibility, as opposed to “GALA’s” huge expensive festivals. Needs to be accessible to choruses that don’t have much money.
Salmon singers will need to have some philosophical discussions/ mission statements. We have a desire to be cost conscious, barter, we understand that SSN is unique vs GALA.
New information on costs St. Cecilia’s $1750/day for the whole building and is available for our Memorial Day Weekend Fri/Sat/Sun
What would be a reasonable chorus fee per chorus?
Dependant on size? Charging one chorus fee plus an individual fee will end up getting the larger choruses to pay their share through the individual fees.
The size of the group doesn’t necessarily affect the cost of the production for that group, so one set chorus fee makes sense.
Base the chorus registration on a chorus’s annual budget/sliding scale.
Chorus fee as a “down payment – interest fee” should it be refundable – maybe at a certain date.
100.00 “earnest money” chorus registration fee seems easy
Be careful with our judgement of whether $100.00 is or is not a lot of money.
Purpose of the Chorus reg. – production costs? Or commitment?
Number one – we need a budget. This all is driven by the budget. Look at the production costs…see how it divides out. Then set the fees to be sure those are covered. Refunds based on when our expenses/our commitments are due. When our last cancellation dates pass, then the refund dates are gone.
Within the network –do most people will understand this?
Be sure this is explained as to why the costs/refunds etc. are there.
Scholarship issue
Cincinnati had a sliding scale available for individual registration. The high-end payers did cover the low-end. Their high end was 60.00 for the weekend.
A chorus of 70 will take up the space of 3- 20 member choruses if the space is limited. Preference could be given to choruses not able to attend GALA functions/festivals
The limiting problem is not the mass chorus size but total size of venue for festival attendees
WORKSHOPS
If there are any suggestions pass them on to Diana. This will be revisited the next SSN meeting we are having.
TRANSGENDER AND MEN ISSUES
1) Males on stage – director/accompanists
2) Transgender individuals
#1 has been more of a problem historically. In past males have not been allowed on stage. Portland was planning on allowing it.
Goes back to philosophical issue. Can not make everyone happy. Why do we have SSN and women’s choruses? – to provide opportunities for women to sing. Women to sing about women. If a chorus has a male director – will women be given an opportunity to step up and direct?
Men have been allowed to attend the performances.
In past Cincinnati helped a chorus find another accompanist.
Some would like to prohibit men on stage and in workshops. Will be allowed into the concert audience.
Regardless of our decision some will be unhappy, we have to ready to deal with the backlash.
If we go with tradition – state that it is a tradition that has been revisited at past festivals.
If we go with allowing males – note that it was to be allowed to happen at Portland
Some express hopes that we keep the tradition of no men on stage
Transgender – if has had a surgery and hormones is female now
Transgender issue – This is for women’s choruses do not go into the women born women phrase. Go with self defined – let the each chorus decide if the transgender is allowed. They’ve already gone through it. Key term self defined woman.
Differences between feminist choruses and lesbian choruses some embrace brothers, some not
Tech people – St. Cecilia’s has a man tech person and he WILL be on stage. Our group does not see a problem with this, besides there is no choice.
In the discussion – commit our group to not escalating the discussions on email. Be sensitive relate it to be a sensitive issue that a lot of thought has gone into.
ORGANIZATION OF WORK/COMMITTEES
Looking at the Salmon Singers diagram of organization structure.
Artemis will need to establish a point person to join Salmon Singers organization on the workshops to keep us informed.
Committees:
Production - Lori/Rachael
selection of repertoire for mass chorus
interfacing with choruses on rehearsal times, tech support, movement on and off stage, coordinate volunteers to work on stage.
Rachael notes an artistic direction component.
The names in the box (the committee members) will be responsible for getting the help necessary here.
Program/guide – fits into this –could this be a non-local undertaking.
ADA issues fall into production including interpreters to the deaf community – will need interpreters available for choruses who do not have. At Cincinnati – another interpreter took on the task of contacting and coordinating to be sure all aspects covered.
Mary knows she’d like to help with staging on concert times and she could bring in several of her people to help
Barb willing to come a few days early to help.
Patty wants to help but things she wants to help with are shot down as local.
Rachael likes doing layout.
Chris volunteers to do printing, but has to be set up in PageMaker has to be totally ready for Macintosh.
Suggestion we inventory the skills/interests (note: this is done and will be sent to those attending this planning meeting in a separate document)
March 3rd memo from Monica Hubbard ACDA online for registration/ticketing – Lori checking into what that is.
ADA affects every aspect of festival planning. Perhaps an ADA coordinator for everyone in the structure.
Program – really needs to be someone in the Salmon Singers. It’s a last minute thing. Ads will be locally acquired. The information is locally created.
Housing and Transportation –
needs to be tied to Nancy in registrations. Pat and Janet only want to work transportation. Going forward they don’t want to be in charge of housing.
Financial and Fundraising –
Cathy – financial only – the accountant.
Fundraising….who to head this up? who to solicit? Really can’t talk about fundraising until we have a budget. Cincinnati did not have to do any
Community outreach –
local
Promotion –
Volunteers to promote festival at GALA?
Goldenrod will have a table at GALA.
One page overview of when, what, where with logo etc will make it happen.
By July we hope to have a handle on what this looks like on as far as number of people. Get the word out that SSN is active again.
Retailing to let choruses bring their own things to sell?
Festival t-shirts There is a need here for help from outside choruses.
Registration/communications –
Nancy
Robin nominated to help on committee
Naomi as web goddess of SSN
Lori Helederman from Bread and Roses wants to help in web work – have her design web pages to hang off our site. And SSN site
Recommended that a handbook notebook be developed as we go.
Need to know whom Artemis/workshops coordination will contact within Salmon Singers
Timeline/Calendar
Salmon Singers will meet this afternoon. April 9, 2000 – Diana, Chris and Barb will attend some future Salmon Sing Meetings
Next Salmon Sing meeting in June 11 in Lansing
This group may need to meet again.
THEME/LOGO
No Millennium mention/century
Mention it is The 8th International Conference
Birds
Lyric from a song – Let The River Run
A river runs through it.
Let the Music run/flow
Let the river run -- Ain’t it Grand! Tie into the Salmon carrying forward from Cincinnati
The river runs through her
She who lets the river run
We digress…poorly – she who flows
Blending voices
River of Harmony
Nation of women in song
Sisters singing again & always SSAA too 70’s
Coming back to Let The River Run
Too esoteric? To much Carly Simon
Sweet Sorcery -__NOT IN GR…where harry potter books are a major editorial discussion in the
Who’s got something to sing?
Something to sing
The earth is singing my name

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