Hi Everyone!
YES--it has been a while since my last post. The end of the season was very hectic. Our final concert of the subscription season included Beethoven's 9th Symphony. We had a full orchestra, four soloists and a choir of 115. That is a lot to coordinate.
Then came grant writing season. Grant writing is a special way of communicating with those who fund us. We ask for and receive several very important grants. Without them we would not be able to operate. AND I do love opening the letter that starts, "You have received...." It is a lot like winning a very special lottery. The rejection letters (and I get lots of those) are not so nice to receive. They should start, "Dear Sandy, You weren't even close...." But we keep writing and trying and overall, we have done rather well.
Now we come to the Lemonade Concert. This event is wonderful! It is outdoors, as the sun sets, with a huge audience. The orchestra gets to play music they enjoy. Outside sound can be difficult. The orchestra is dotted with microphones (yes---the musicians have to be careful about that, right Patrick?) Most of the sound goes skyward and sometimes there is a struggle for balance and clarity. But that aside, the Lemonade Concert is a huge party. The audience claps along, sings along and enjoys a casual concert.
If you have not been to the Lemonade Concert, why don't you give it a try! There are shuttle buses from K and Q lots to Atwood Mall, the weather is supposed to be beautiful on Thursday and the music will be fabulous! We will feature Katie Jo Bates on the Star Spangled Banner and SCSU President Dr. Earl Potter will conduct Stars and Stripes Forever.
I hope you can join us!
Musically yours,
Sandy
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Friday, October 30, 2009
The First Concert a HUGE Success!
Hi Everyone,
The first concert of the season has come and gone. It was a huge success on many levels.
The orchestra sounded great! One patron who has purchased season tickets for 20+ years said it was in his top 5 performances the orchestra had ever done!
The audience was the large and enthusiastic. Tickets sales are a good thing for us.
Andrew did an excellent job with the pre-concert discussion. There was a large group in the lobby of the auditorium that heard him explain the music of the evening. AND he did a fabulous job on the podium--he had memorized The Hebrides and the New World Symphony. Many patrons were extremely impressed with the entire performance.
Peggy Doerrie was memorising on the Mozart flute concerto. She is a true gift to the woodwind section of our orchestra. It was great to see her featured on this concert.
Now it is time to move on. There is great buzz about the orchestra in our community. We have new energy and new excitement, thanks to Andrew. I believe the orchestra is on the verge of a new level of musical excellence.
You need to be a part of this.....buy a ticket. Come and see the orchestra, December 11, 2009.
Go to www.stcloudsymphony.com or 320-252-7276 for tickets.
Musically yours,
Sandy Nadeau
Executive Director
The first concert of the season has come and gone. It was a huge success on many levels.
The orchestra sounded great! One patron who has purchased season tickets for 20+ years said it was in his top 5 performances the orchestra had ever done!
The audience was the large and enthusiastic. Tickets sales are a good thing for us.
Andrew did an excellent job with the pre-concert discussion. There was a large group in the lobby of the auditorium that heard him explain the music of the evening. AND he did a fabulous job on the podium--he had memorized The Hebrides and the New World Symphony. Many patrons were extremely impressed with the entire performance.
Peggy Doerrie was memorising on the Mozart flute concerto. She is a true gift to the woodwind section of our orchestra. It was great to see her featured on this concert.
Now it is time to move on. There is great buzz about the orchestra in our community. We have new energy and new excitement, thanks to Andrew. I believe the orchestra is on the verge of a new level of musical excellence.
You need to be a part of this.....buy a ticket. Come and see the orchestra, December 11, 2009.
Go to www.stcloudsymphony.com or 320-252-7276 for tickets.
Musically yours,
Sandy Nadeau
Executive Director
Monday, October 19, 2009
Concert Saturday Night!
It is concert week! This week is a wonderful blend of craziness and completion.
This week is crazy because I am trying to finish the program book, get all the concert logistics ironed out and sell tickets. It is a little like putting out a series of brush fires...you just never know what is going to happen and where it is going to happen. Sometimes music gets misplaced, musicians have appendectomies (yes--this has happened this week) and there is a last minute flurry of ticket sales.
It is also crazy for the musicians as they make those final notes in their music, practice their parts and do their level best to stay healthy!
For me it is completion as well. Getting the first concert completed is a huge accomplishment. The audience is back, the program book is done and now we can move forward.
And for the musicians, it is a great accomplishment to have the first concert complete. They now have an idea of what Andrew expects of them in rehearsal and performance. They have presented their first concert to the community, and now we can move on to the December program.
Believe it or not, now we can begin to think about next season. What music and programs are we going to dream about? Andrew is already thinking about some things. I will put in one or two ideas. Do you have any suggestions? We would love to hear them, it is no gurantee we will perform them, but it is always good to know what you would like to hear.
I hope to see you all at the concert on Saturday evening! I look forward to seeing you as I introduce Andrew and your St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra.
My best to you always,
Sandy Nadeau
Executive Director
This week is crazy because I am trying to finish the program book, get all the concert logistics ironed out and sell tickets. It is a little like putting out a series of brush fires...you just never know what is going to happen and where it is going to happen. Sometimes music gets misplaced, musicians have appendectomies (yes--this has happened this week) and there is a last minute flurry of ticket sales.
It is also crazy for the musicians as they make those final notes in their music, practice their parts and do their level best to stay healthy!
For me it is completion as well. Getting the first concert completed is a huge accomplishment. The audience is back, the program book is done and now we can move forward.
And for the musicians, it is a great accomplishment to have the first concert complete. They now have an idea of what Andrew expects of them in rehearsal and performance. They have presented their first concert to the community, and now we can move on to the December program.
Believe it or not, now we can begin to think about next season. What music and programs are we going to dream about? Andrew is already thinking about some things. I will put in one or two ideas. Do you have any suggestions? We would love to hear them, it is no gurantee we will perform them, but it is always good to know what you would like to hear.
I hope to see you all at the concert on Saturday evening! I look forward to seeing you as I introduce Andrew and your St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra.
My best to you always,
Sandy Nadeau
Executive Director
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The First Rehearsal
The first rehearsal is exciting, this one even more so because the orchestra welcomed their new conductor, Andrew Altenbach, to the podium.
What is a rehearsal like? It really depends on the conductor. Andrew is very animated. He encourages, suggests, cajoles and corrects while at the same time he is conducting the orchestra. He moves around on the podium, he is on his toes and waves his arms and talking the whole time. And sometimes, when the music calls for it, he makes very small movements and stands perfectly still. There is lots of stopping and starting in rehearsal. Sometimes the same measures get played a few times to be sure the musicians understand what the conductor wants. The musicians ask questions, make notes to themselves on their music and check in with each other from time to time. Hillary Vermillion is there taking attendance and making sure everyone has music. Tyler Hogan, stage manager, is the first one in and the last one out. He sets the stage and makes sure everyone has a chair and a stand. I try really hard to pay attention to all that is going on so I can learn about the music as well. It helps when people ask me about concert programs. But my job at rehearsal is really easy compared to everyone else.
How do the musicians respond to the conductor? Andrew has a great blend of humor and seriousness that keeps the orchestra on their toes. There is very little talking in rehearsal. It is three very intense hours of work. It is interesting to watch the dynamic between the musicians and the conductor. There are equal amounts of respect of both sides of the podium. Andrew is very respectful of the musicians and the work they are doing. The musicians are respectful of Andrew and his leadership.
What does the music sound like on the first night? It has been a long time since the orchestra has played together, yes, parts were rough. Other parts were really, truly beautiful. I did get goose bumps during the 4th Movement of the New World Symphony. Goose bumps usually don’t appear on me until the fourth or fifth rehearsal, so this is really good news! But overall, I had the sense that the orchestra was just really happy to be playing great music together again.
What am I doing this time of year? This is a very busy time for me. I am working to gather all the information for the season program book. I need to get biographies of performers, programs, program notes from Charles Echols, and pictures. I also need to get background materials on all the educational programs, acknowledge the patrons and the grant-makers and sell the ads to pay for it! Then I work with Kristin Rothstein, Continental Printing, and her wonderful staff to put all the pieces together to make a program that serves the audience and promotes the orchestra for an entire season.
What is next? Next week the orchestra will have sectional rehearsals. The strings in one room, the woodwinds in one room, the brass in one room and the percussion will rehearsal pretty much wherever they want to rehearse. When you break the parts down it is easier to hear the small details of the music that need to be worked. And it teaches the musicians to listen to each other. Listening is just as important as playing. Small group work has always been a great way to learn to listen. When the parts have been worked, they will be put back together again for a full sound.
I hope you will join us this season! I would love to see you in the audience.
Sandy
What is a rehearsal like? It really depends on the conductor. Andrew is very animated. He encourages, suggests, cajoles and corrects while at the same time he is conducting the orchestra. He moves around on the podium, he is on his toes and waves his arms and talking the whole time. And sometimes, when the music calls for it, he makes very small movements and stands perfectly still. There is lots of stopping and starting in rehearsal. Sometimes the same measures get played a few times to be sure the musicians understand what the conductor wants. The musicians ask questions, make notes to themselves on their music and check in with each other from time to time. Hillary Vermillion is there taking attendance and making sure everyone has music. Tyler Hogan, stage manager, is the first one in and the last one out. He sets the stage and makes sure everyone has a chair and a stand. I try really hard to pay attention to all that is going on so I can learn about the music as well. It helps when people ask me about concert programs. But my job at rehearsal is really easy compared to everyone else.
How do the musicians respond to the conductor? Andrew has a great blend of humor and seriousness that keeps the orchestra on their toes. There is very little talking in rehearsal. It is three very intense hours of work. It is interesting to watch the dynamic between the musicians and the conductor. There are equal amounts of respect of both sides of the podium. Andrew is very respectful of the musicians and the work they are doing. The musicians are respectful of Andrew and his leadership.
What does the music sound like on the first night? It has been a long time since the orchestra has played together, yes, parts were rough. Other parts were really, truly beautiful. I did get goose bumps during the 4th Movement of the New World Symphony. Goose bumps usually don’t appear on me until the fourth or fifth rehearsal, so this is really good news! But overall, I had the sense that the orchestra was just really happy to be playing great music together again.
What am I doing this time of year? This is a very busy time for me. I am working to gather all the information for the season program book. I need to get biographies of performers, programs, program notes from Charles Echols, and pictures. I also need to get background materials on all the educational programs, acknowledge the patrons and the grant-makers and sell the ads to pay for it! Then I work with Kristin Rothstein, Continental Printing, and her wonderful staff to put all the pieces together to make a program that serves the audience and promotes the orchestra for an entire season.
What is next? Next week the orchestra will have sectional rehearsals. The strings in one room, the woodwinds in one room, the brass in one room and the percussion will rehearsal pretty much wherever they want to rehearse. When you break the parts down it is easier to hear the small details of the music that need to be worked. And it teaches the musicians to listen to each other. Listening is just as important as playing. Small group work has always been a great way to learn to listen. When the parts have been worked, they will be put back together again for a full sound.
I hope you will join us this season! I would love to see you in the audience.
Sandy
Thursday, September 3, 2009
You PAY Musicians?
Many people greet me with this statement: You mean you PAY musicians? I have to be honest, I am amazed at their amazement!
Yes, we do pay our musicians. I strongly advocate for musicians to be paid. I have negotiated many gigs for musicians. Sometimes my request for a payment are met with gasps. And that is the end of the negotiation. That is fine.
Having said that, the SCSO cannot pay musicians what they truly deserve, but our small stipend does cover some costs, ok, maybe only pizza and some gas but it is something! I would love a donor to give me $100,000 and say, 'Spend this on the musicians.'
I feel strongly about this issue because so many people expect me to book musicians for them for free or for a pittance. Onetime someone wanted the whole orchestra to perform at an event, 'They will play for free because they just love to play, right?' My question back was, 'will your computer person fix your computer for free?' Needless to say, that did not work out.
It takes a long time to master an instrument. Trust me, I have tried. It takes hours of practice, no matter how long you have played. Many of our principal musicians still take classes and lessons in order to get better. None of that is free. So expecting musicians to play for free or for nearly nothing is, my dear community, just plain rude.
AND I, Sandy Nadeau, have always advocated that students get paid for their skills as well. Why? We want to train them to be professionals, we want them to behave as professionals and they have spent many hours learning to master a skill. Sometimes I have had to debate this issue rather vehemently. Last year the student musicians who performed "Ocean" with the orchestra were paid just as much as everyone else. Why? Because the expectations were the same and what better way to train someone than to have high expectations. I won that round.
Many time musicians do donate their time and skill to events for the orchestra. Recently, several musicians donated time at the St. Cloud Public Library to introduce the instruments of the orchestra to very young children. For this, I am so grateful. The musicians of the SCSO understand the big picture. They know that getting kids to classical music early is essential and sometimes we just don't have the budget to pay them for this. (Did I tell you they are the best musicians on earth!--In my humble opinion.)
I hope they also know that I am angry when people undercut them and try not to pay at all. I would challenge those who do, to take a personal inventory and ask themselves, 'do I share my skills, my time, my talents for free?'
Yes, we do pay our musicians. I strongly advocate for musicians to be paid. I have negotiated many gigs for musicians. Sometimes my request for a payment are met with gasps. And that is the end of the negotiation. That is fine.
Having said that, the SCSO cannot pay musicians what they truly deserve, but our small stipend does cover some costs, ok, maybe only pizza and some gas but it is something! I would love a donor to give me $100,000 and say, 'Spend this on the musicians.'
I feel strongly about this issue because so many people expect me to book musicians for them for free or for a pittance. Onetime someone wanted the whole orchestra to perform at an event, 'They will play for free because they just love to play, right?' My question back was, 'will your computer person fix your computer for free?' Needless to say, that did not work out.
It takes a long time to master an instrument. Trust me, I have tried. It takes hours of practice, no matter how long you have played. Many of our principal musicians still take classes and lessons in order to get better. None of that is free. So expecting musicians to play for free or for nearly nothing is, my dear community, just plain rude.
AND I, Sandy Nadeau, have always advocated that students get paid for their skills as well. Why? We want to train them to be professionals, we want them to behave as professionals and they have spent many hours learning to master a skill. Sometimes I have had to debate this issue rather vehemently. Last year the student musicians who performed "Ocean" with the orchestra were paid just as much as everyone else. Why? Because the expectations were the same and what better way to train someone than to have high expectations. I won that round.
Many time musicians do donate their time and skill to events for the orchestra. Recently, several musicians donated time at the St. Cloud Public Library to introduce the instruments of the orchestra to very young children. For this, I am so grateful. The musicians of the SCSO understand the big picture. They know that getting kids to classical music early is essential and sometimes we just don't have the budget to pay them for this. (Did I tell you they are the best musicians on earth!--In my humble opinion.)
I hope they also know that I am angry when people undercut them and try not to pay at all. I would challenge those who do, to take a personal inventory and ask themselves, 'do I share my skills, my time, my talents for free?'
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Getting Ready for the Season!
It is time to get ready for the 2009-2010 SCSO Concert Season!
Actually, we have been working on this for the last few months. It all begins in January when I start to look for venues for the orchestra. It ends when the conductor walks on stage for the first concert. In between those two events there is a lot of work! We must decide on the program, engage musicians and soloists, sell ads to the season program, market the program to sell tickets, and find the money to pay for everything else. Whew! But it only sounds overwhelming. We just take it one step at a time and try to break the big jobs down into little ones. And eventually it all gets done, thanks to the musicians, the staff and the board of directors.
I met with our new conductor, Andrew Altenbach, for several hours this week just to discuss the logistics of the season. We talked about everything from rehearsals to pre-concert lectures. Andrew is planning the actual work in rehearsal. Hillary Vermillion, personnel manager and librarian, is organizing auditions, ordering music and working on finding extra musicians to fill in where we may be a little short on personnel. And our dear friend, Dr. Charles Echols, is writing our program notes. He is an expert in music history and has done the notes for the orchestra for many seasons.
All the planning would not matter if it were not for the musicians who give a lot of time and talent to the orchestra. They are an amazing group of people. They are different from each other in many ways but when they sit on stage they play as one. Without them we would be without any hope of a season. This season we will feature two of the SCSO's most talented musicians: Peggy Doerrie, Principal Flute, will perform on our October concert and Marion Judish, Concertmaster, on our December concert.
You can see that preparing for the season is a group effort. No one could do this alone. I am grateful for the staff, the musicians and the board of directors. Without this team there could not be a St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra.
I hope you will join us this season. We would love to have you come and hear what a little team work can accomplish.
Have a great day,
Sandy Nadeau
Actually, we have been working on this for the last few months. It all begins in January when I start to look for venues for the orchestra. It ends when the conductor walks on stage for the first concert. In between those two events there is a lot of work! We must decide on the program, engage musicians and soloists, sell ads to the season program, market the program to sell tickets, and find the money to pay for everything else. Whew! But it only sounds overwhelming. We just take it one step at a time and try to break the big jobs down into little ones. And eventually it all gets done, thanks to the musicians, the staff and the board of directors.
I met with our new conductor, Andrew Altenbach, for several hours this week just to discuss the logistics of the season. We talked about everything from rehearsals to pre-concert lectures. Andrew is planning the actual work in rehearsal. Hillary Vermillion, personnel manager and librarian, is organizing auditions, ordering music and working on finding extra musicians to fill in where we may be a little short on personnel. And our dear friend, Dr. Charles Echols, is writing our program notes. He is an expert in music history and has done the notes for the orchestra for many seasons.
All the planning would not matter if it were not for the musicians who give a lot of time and talent to the orchestra. They are an amazing group of people. They are different from each other in many ways but when they sit on stage they play as one. Without them we would be without any hope of a season. This season we will feature two of the SCSO's most talented musicians: Peggy Doerrie, Principal Flute, will perform on our October concert and Marion Judish, Concertmaster, on our December concert.
You can see that preparing for the season is a group effort. No one could do this alone. I am grateful for the staff, the musicians and the board of directors. Without this team there could not be a St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra.
I hope you will join us this season. We would love to have you come and hear what a little team work can accomplish.
Have a great day,
Sandy Nadeau
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Welcome to my BLOG!
HI! Yes, it's true, I am blogging. Why am I blogging? Mostly because I have a student intern who insists that this is effective marketing for the orchestra. Since she is considerably younger than I am, and is much more techno-savvy, I will believe her. So here we go---onto the blog.
We are looking forward to a great weekend. This is the first annual orchestra rummage sale. It has been so much fun gathering items and promoting this event. We have a preview party, with music on Friday night from 6-8 pm. For $10 per person you can have first crack at a great roomful of items. There are holiday decorations, jewelry, clothing, toys, books, cd's, dvds, and plants! on Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm we will sell away! At noon we will close the doors and when we re-open, everything will be $1 a bag! Bargains galore!!! We are at the Sauk Rapids Community Room, 115 2nd Avenue North in Sauk Rapids.
Fundraising is hard work, but it is good work. All the money we make goes to help keep classical music alive in our community. Of course, a few really big checks would make life easier! But every donation, every little bit and medium bit and big bit, helps. I read something in a fundraising book a few years ago that has stuck with me--donating to something is a privilege because you are building your community with each donation. What a great way to look at this.
Whether it be the orchestra or any other community organization, I hope you will donate to keep our community a wonderful place to live! Remember it is not an obligation, it is a privilege.
My best to you,
Sandy Nadeau
We are looking forward to a great weekend. This is the first annual orchestra rummage sale. It has been so much fun gathering items and promoting this event. We have a preview party, with music on Friday night from 6-8 pm. For $10 per person you can have first crack at a great roomful of items. There are holiday decorations, jewelry, clothing, toys, books, cd's, dvds, and plants! on Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm we will sell away! At noon we will close the doors and when we re-open, everything will be $1 a bag! Bargains galore!!! We are at the Sauk Rapids Community Room, 115 2nd Avenue North in Sauk Rapids.
Fundraising is hard work, but it is good work. All the money we make goes to help keep classical music alive in our community. Of course, a few really big checks would make life easier! But every donation, every little bit and medium bit and big bit, helps. I read something in a fundraising book a few years ago that has stuck with me--donating to something is a privilege because you are building your community with each donation. What a great way to look at this.
Whether it be the orchestra or any other community organization, I hope you will donate to keep our community a wonderful place to live! Remember it is not an obligation, it is a privilege.
My best to you,
Sandy Nadeau
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