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

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