Greetings!
This is Julie Gardner, Managing Director of Lincoln Youth Symphony. For previous emails (or to read this one in another location), see the Lincoln Youth Symphony Blog, our Weekly Rehearsal Report, here.
Breaking News (please read this before you read the regular stuff below!)
I waited to send this email because of an important development in the finances of Lake Bonneville Symphonic Society, our umbrella organization... Because we did not receive the regular grant from the now-restructured Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, we have been planning to stage a really big fundraiser this spring that will bring in enough to cover the $6,000 loss, but we have realized that our payroll cannot be met for our second quarter (ending this week) without more money in the bank NOW.
Good news: The bills are paid and the treasurer has kept sufficient money for the insurance bill coming next month. ACYI has been paid off for the year. But our managing and artistic personnel who put in so many hours will not be paid. We also need money in the bank to pay for the bus to Abravanel Hall when the bill comes in March, etc., etc... It's just amazing to me how difficult, but rewarding, it is to keep the organization going. What a blessing it is in my life to play with and mentor such amazing musicians! I have confidence that we can overcome this shortage as we continue to explore and look for different grants.
So, here's the lo-down: Last year we put together a Gala Dinner and Silent Auction. Since we decided not to do it this year, opting for a bigger fundraiser later in the spring, we cancelled our venue and caterer (you may have noticed past emails that said "take Feb 21 off your calendar." Well, please put it back on!). Here are some details... (I hope this is not TMI - Too Much Information)... So far, we have put ourselves back onto the calendar for the Brigham City Community Center on Feb 21 (no one else had scheduled it) and since we are non-profit, we have a fee waiver! In other words, the venue will cost us nothing! Last year we had a caterer that did a wonderful Dutch oven dinner for $7.50 per plate. We charged $15 per plate. With a capacity of around 200 for the dinner (I think we sold some tickets to people who did not come), we netted $3000 that night; $1300 of that was from the silent auction and raffle and the rest was from the dinner.
We are considering doing two dinner rotations this time, with some small door prizes and a large raffle item. This is VERY SHORT NOTICE, but it is VERY NECESSARY if we still want to exist later this year! If we do one dinner, and every student in LYS and LYCO sells 4 tickets, we can net $1500 and have a really fun party at the same time. If we do two dinners (like one after the other on the same evening), and everyone sells 8 tickets, we can net $3000 and have a really fun double party. Anyone who comes and serves food & fills water & acts as waiter will get to eat free. I need feedback on this ASAP, especially from people with great ideas or who are willing to put their shoulders to the wheel - or both. I will have ticket sales figured out by THIS SATURDAY so we can get started. The person in each orchestra who sells the most tickets will get a $25 gift card to the location of their choice! (We did this last year... and it was fun!)
There are members of the board currently looking into finding a fun large raffle item, and a few door prizes. If you have connections, suggestions, ideas, or anything like that, please don't hesitate to contact me!
A Note on Entertainment for the dinner: Last year we had musicians from the youth and adult orchestras perform during the dinner. This year, we are looking into having Aspen Strings or another professional quality musical group perform for our dinner music. Instead of feeling like we need to applaud after every selection like a recital, it will be background music that enhances the quality of the evening. If anyone has ideas for this, please let me know!
Please get involved so we can save our organization! We are still planning a bigger fundraiser this spring, like a benefit concert... Stay tuned on that one.
One other completely unrelated fundraising note: We have a family whose children play in both orchestras that owns a vending machine business. They have offered a 10% donation on anything they make on vending machines that we help find a location for. Stay tuned for more information!
Now to the really important stuff: Rehearsals
Remember that there will be rehearsal Every Saturday from now until the concert Feb 28 and the trip to Abravanel Hall Monday, March 2. This includes President's Day weekend. The calendar on the website is correct. Here is the link: http://lincolnyouthsymphony.googlepages.com/calendar
This Saturday, January 31st, we have regular rehearsal with treats (don't forget to bring treats!) and I hope we have practiced like crazy so we are ready for a fabulous rehearsal.
I'm sure you've already measured your numbers... especially the people whose got my evil eye last Saturday. To check if your numbers are right or for tempo markings in Legend, read past emails on the blog by clicking here.
Last week, January 24th, we had quite a few people missing that were involved in the All-State Band... Congrats to them, and here's hoping they had a fantastic experience. However, that said, we also had a great rehearsal and made lots of progress. Keep Practicing!
Just a reminder: if you will not be attending a rehearsal, or will be leaving early or coming late, please contact me at 435.723.8262 or reply to this email. Thank you in advance for your courtesy! I try to make it very easy to provide notification, and I have been impressed with everyone's communication skills this year! You are wonderful.
Please contact me with any questions: Julie Gardner, 435.723.8262, GJulieKay@gmail.com, or check out the calendar on the website here.
Julie Gardner
John Findlay
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435.723.8262
LincolnYouthSymphony.googlepages.com
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