2012 WCMW: Recap I

Y’all, we have had SUCH a fun time planning and organizing the second season of the WCMW!  With four diverse concerts (one every weekend in May), we had a whole month of exciting chamber music right here in Westminster.  The great thing about chamber music is that it’s intimate.  It breaks down some of the barriers between performer and audience that traditional venues (auditoriums, halls) often have in place.  It allows for better communication.  In fact, the Q&A conversations with the musicians each week were some of our favorite moments! Here’s a look at the 2012 WCMW:

WEEK 1: The Samirah Evans Jazz Trio Samirah Evans, vocals Miro Sprague, piano Wayne Roberts, bass

Watch a video clip here.

WEEK 2: Community Sing Led by Dr. Susan Conkling

Watch a video clip here.

Stay tuned for part II with recaps of weeks 3 and 4!

WCMW: Why We Do What We Do

Image Credit: Nicholas Garofalo

I feel so fortunate for the opportunity to create, build, and dream up new ideas and bring them to fruition.  Steve and I truly love what we do and I’m so grateful for that.  When it comes to the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop (we’re halfway through our second season now!), many have asked how we got started and why all of our events are free to the public.  Together, Steve and I wrote a response on the WCMW blog last week and I thought I’d share some of our thoughts here, as well.  Since this is a joint post, Steve’s comments will be in blue.  Here we go!

We started the WCMW in 2011 (really, the fall of 2010) as a way to bring excellent musical experiences to Westminster and the surrounding communities.  Soon after relocating to Westminster, we realized there was a need for concerts right here for anyone and everyone that wanted to experience them.

Our original plan for the WCMW included a parallel track for singers and instrumentalists in the area who wanted to experience chamber music first-hand.  As such, our first season (June 20-25, 2011) featured a 16-person chamber choir, which rehearsed all week and performed our final concert.  We also organized six special events for the community, ranging from a voice and piano recital to a trombone duo to an interactive game of musical memory.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted all of our events to be free and open to the public – not because we think music should be free and not because the people we had coming in were willing to perform or teach for free.  Rather, because we wanted these musical experiences to be ACCESSIBLE to everyone, regardless of age, status, or ability to pay.  Through the generous support of cultural council grants, local businesses, individuals, and a special grant through Fitchburg State University, we raised enough money to cover our administrative costs (printing, marketing, website, music, etc.) and pay our faculty and guest artists (six total).

People ask us all the time why we don’t charge “a little something” or put out a donation plate.  Without expounding on this issue of whether free products/services devalue them (which is widely debated), let me say this – if one person attends an event of ours who wouldn’t have been able to pay admission, and what we do sparks an interest in them, moves them, makes an impact on them, then we have done our job.  That person will go out and explore music, share it with others, spend money in the musical economy, and more.

This year, we adjusted the model to include four larger-scale concerts featuring ten excellent musicians.  Our second season includes a different concert every weekend in May: a fiery jazz trio, our first-ever community sing, a dynamic saxophone quartet, and a classical string duo.  Once again, each and every event is completely FREE to those who want to come.  Yes, we’ve gotten some quizzical looks but we stand behind these words:

The mission of the WCMW is to provide opportunities for community members of all ages to come together and experience great music.

Once more, through the generosity and support of many friends, local businesses, and cultural councils, we are able to cover our costs and pay the musicians who are traveling in to present these concerts.  Those who attend will get to experience this great music, free of charge, with the hope that they’ll go out and support music somewhere else in the greater community.  It’s a gift that keeps on giving!  As they say, pay it forward!

In conclusion, get out there!  Perform more, attend concerts, be a good listener, support the arts, try new things, build relationships, create opportunities, and make music happen!

Ashley & Steve

See more: WCMW: Behind the Scenes Webinar: Making Concerts Happen Anywhere 2012 WCMW Schedule of Events

Planning a Concert Reception

What a busy weekend we had! 

Saturday marked our first WCMW concert of the season and we had a great time with the Samirah Evans Jazz Trio!  Steve and I decided to put together a brief reception after each concert this year so I've been collecting inspiration for a few weeks now.  We knew we needed food that was crowd-friendly, easy to prepare and serve, and kept the flow of traffic moving.  Mini food seemed like the perfect option and the presentation is just too cute!

Being that Saturday was Cinco de Mayo, we fixed individual portions of Mexican layer dip topped with tortilla chips and served cups of chilled limeade.  Delicious and it was quite the hit!

Sneak peek!  We'll be making these Caprese Salad bites in a few weeks - mozzarella cheese, cherry/grape tomatoes, and basil leaves.  I love them!

WCMW: Behind the Scenes

Goodness!  There’s just one more day until our first WCMW concert of the season and we are beside ourselves with excitement!  I thought it might be fun to give you a little behind-the-scenes glimpse of our preparations for tomorrow’s event and our 2012 season.  Hope you enjoy!

Wednesday night: Steve and I did our final round of edits on the program book and did a once-over proofing to make sure everything was set to go for our first round of printing Thursday morning.  After several hours of tweaking, converting, saving, and sharing between computers (madness, at times), we finally ended up with a final copy of the file… at 12:45 a.m.  Phew!

First thing Thursday morning, Steve was at Staple’s to pick up some extra paper and I was on my way out the door to get started on the copying.  This year’s program book is a grand 36 pages (9 sheets, front and back)!

Things never go exactly as planned, of course.  After many frustrating encounters with a botched file (and a trip home to fix it), paper jams, chewed up glossy (expensive!) paper, and roller marks, we finally got everything sorted out.  We spent a total of 3.5 hours sending one page at a time to the copier (Steve’s job) and feeding a few pages at a time (one side at a time) into the copier (my job) but we have 100 beautiful program books to show for it!  I count that as a success!

Today's job is collating and stapling.  So looking forward to handing these out on Saturday night at our jazz event!

About the WCMW: Based in the beautiful north-central region of Massachusetts, this summer chamber music series offers an assortment of dynamic concerts and special events presented by renowned guest artists from the regional area.  Founded in 2011, the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop exists to provide opportunities for community members of all ages to come together and experience great music.  With the support of generous grants, sponsors, and donors, all of our events are free and open to the public.

Making Concerts Happen

We had a great experience with our webinar, “Presenting Concerts in Your Local Community: Creative Ideas for Making Concerts Happen Anywhere” on Monday night!  Hosted by Polyphonic On-Campus, Steve and I used the WCMW as a case study to explore strategies and ideas for creating community-centered events.  We shared our personal insight in getting to know your community, evaluating your assets, getting funded, and creating opportunities.  Ready to make concerts happen in your local community?  Get started by watching our webinar presentation!

2012 WCMW Schedule of Events

Steve and I are so proud of and excited about this year’s Westminster Chamber Music Workshop (WCMW)!  We have four great events planned for May 2012.  Each event is designed to be educational, entertaining, and fun, combining the performance of music with insight from our esteemed guest artists (see more here).  Our mission is to provide excellent musical opportunities to people of all ages and as a result, all events are FREE of charge and open to all!  If you’re in the area, we hope you’ll join us! THE SAMIRAH EVANS JAZZ TRIO Saturday, May 5, 2012, 7:00 p.m. First Congregational Church of Westminster Free Admission

Co-presented by CenterStage at FSU.

Originally from the Great South (New Orleans, to be exact) and currently from Brattleboro, Vermont, Samirah Evans is a dynamic performer with a voice described as “smoky-sweet” by the Times-Picayune.  Joined by two members of her “Handsome Devils” band, you’ll enjoy an evening of sultry, fiery, and foot-tappin’ tunes that will have you dancing out the door!  Click here to read more about Samirah.

COMMUNITY SING with DR. SUSAN CONKLING

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 7:00 p.m. First Congregational Church of Westminster Free Admission

Rich with tradition dating back to the early 20th century, the Community Sing is an informal musical event designed for all ages – no experience and no preparation necessary!  We hope you’ll join us for an evening of good, old-fashioned singing.  Come be a part of the fun!  Click here to read more about Susan Conkling.

THE SAXOPHONE QUARTET directed by LYNN KLOCK Saturday, May 19, 2012, 7:00 p.m. First Congregational Church of Westminster Free Admission

We are so pleased to welcome not one, not two, not three, but four saxophonists for a concert of quartet music!  For those of you who have never heard a saxophone quartet play live, you’re in for a real treat!  The concert program will include a wide variety of music written for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone.  The quartet is coached and directed by master teacher and performer Lynn Klock.  Click here to read more.

THE COPERNICUS DUO Saturday, May 26, 2012, 7:00 p.m. First Congregational Church of Westminster Free Admission

We are thrilled to introduce the members of the Copernicus Duo to you – meet David Bebe and Jamecyn Morey, a husband and wife duo active in the realms of musical performance and music education.  The Copernicus Duo, featuring David on the cello and Jamecyn on the violin will present our final concert of the 2012 season.  Join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening of music!  Click here to read more about David and Jamecyn.

Image Credit: personal, Andrew Kielbowicz, David Pope, personal

Presenting Concerts in Your Local Community

Ever wondered how musicians can afford to give concerts for free? Interested in learning more about how Steve and I built the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop (WCMW)? Want an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the chamber music series?

Join us for an exciting presentation and live Q&A on Monday, March 19 from 8:00-9:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time presented by the popular young musician initiative, Polyphonic On-Campus. It's free!

Presenting Concerts in Your Local Community: Creative Ideas for Making Concerts Happen Anywhere

Presented by WCMW Artistic Directors, Ashley and Steve Danyew

As musicians, we love to put on concerts, perform for others, showcase our friends, and share our passion for music with all kinds of audiences.  Organizing a concert or a series of events can seem daunting, and we often make excuses why it's not possible or won't be successful.  In this webinar, we will discuss how we made music happen in our community – from finding sources of funding, to finding performers and venues, to building a local audience base, and more! 

We will use the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop (WCMW), a chamber music series based in a small New England town as a case study for thinking about creative ways to make music happen in any community – large or small.  This webinar will give you the tools to create your own opportunities for music-making and presenting.  There is always a way to make it happen - we just need to be creative!

Location: Your computer.  With the power of the wonderful world-wide web, you can join us from the comforts of your living room, fuzzy slippers and all!  Platform details to follow once you are registered.  Click here to sign up for the free webinar.

WCMW: First Look!

As some of you might recall, Steve and I co-founded and co-directed the first Westminster Chamber Music Workshop last summer (recaps here and here). A week-long series of music events for the community alongside a chamber choir workshop for adult amateurs, we wrote a few grants, built a website, contacted the press, brought in guest artists from the regional area, advertised, and organized the details. What a wonderful privilege to be able to create new opportunities for music! These sorts of creative projects are some of my favorites as they combine my interests in leadership, community music, and teaching.

Last week, we announced the dates for the 2012 WCMW (read the full post here). If you’re in the area, be sure to mark your calendars!

We’ll be announcing our 2012 Guest Artists in the weeks to come but for now, here’s an idea of what’s in store:

• a dynamic, classical string duo (cello and violin)
• a soulful jazz trio featuring a vocalist from New Orleans
• a community sing led by a passionate choral director and music educator
• a cutting-edge saxophone quartet

I hope you’ll plan to join us for these four very exciting events if you’re nearby! Want to be in the know? Subscribe to our blog (see sidebar) and sign up for WCMW email updates!

Professional Update: November 2011

The beginning of a new month always seems like a good time to step back, reflect on the last month, and plan for the weeks to come.  Also, it's been a little while since I've given y'all a professional update!  Here we go:

PIANO STUDIO

We just passed the midway point of the semester and all seven students are doing great!  I had three new students start lessons this summer, which was great but there were a few students from last year who were unable to continue this semester so it sort of evened out.  Our next recital will be sometime in the spring so for the time being, we are working through new repertoire and technique exercises.  I am hoping to put together some type of assessment for maybe January or February.  I'm envisioning a low-key jury week where each student is asked to perform a solo piece or two and maybe a few technique exercises.  This would give me the opportunity to evaluate their progress and give more formal feedback to the students and their parents.

WCMW

We are in the off-season for the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop but that doesn't mean we're not working on next year already!  Steve and I just finished applying for two Cultural Council grants and we're beginning to plan some of the events.  Speaking of events, we've also been maintaining a monthly "Community Concert Calendar" on our blog.  If you're in the area, check out our November calendar of events.  We're hoping to really focus on the musical events for the community this year and we'd like to keep everything free (as much as that is possible).  We're also talking about adding a new element this year but that's all I'm allowed to share with you!  Check our website in the coming months for more details!

FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY

This semester I am teaching one section of MUSC 2500: Class Piano I at Fitchburg State.  I have five students enrolled and all are doing well.  Our second quiz is tomorrow!  A few weeks ago, the Humanities Department Chair asked me if I would consider teaching a 3-credit course called "Commonwealth of the Arts" (in addition to two sections of Class Piano I) next semester.  There are several sections of this course offered each semester and many students are required to take it to fulfill their Humanities requirement.  Each professor takes a different approach: some focus on art, some focus on music, others focus on theatre.  The Department Chair recommended I use a particular set of textbooks (6-book series) but it was up to me what time frame I wanted to cover, what assignments I want to give, and what area I want to focus on throughout the semester.  After flipping through a borrowed set of books, my first instinct is to focus on books 4-6.  Book 4 starts in the Baroque period and book 6 is all Modern.  Each book includes elements of art, music, and theatre.  I am still in the early planning stages but I am very excited for this new teaching opportunity!

In 2010, a few Humanities faculty members started the Foundation Music Lesson Program at Fitchburg State.  Steve and I were both asked to join the faculty - lessons are offered for a variety of instruments to faculty, staff, students, and community members alike.  Over the summer, one of the co-founders asked me to consider the role of Program Coordinator, responsible for student registrations, coordinating with the teachers, arranging lesson facilities, and overseeing recitals.  I said yes.  I am now several months in to this position and am enjoying the opportunity to teach and work administratively in this program.  I organized a faculty recital back in September and we had a very interesting, very diverse program.  This month, we will begin marketing for the Spring semester - lessons, group classes, a student recital, and hopefully, another faculty recital!

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

The children in Singers & Scholars, our joint choir and Bible study program for 1st-8th graders are loving our around-the-world adventure!  We just finished the Africa unit with songs like "Siyahamba" and "A Ram Sam Sam" and are gearing up for our month in the Navajo Nation.  The Sanctuary Choir (our adult choir, though many of them are still children at heart) is preparing for a special Thanksgiving Eve service and a Christmas Cantata in mid-December.  The Thanksgiving service is combined with the Catholic church down the street.  We alternate hosting the service (this year, it's at their church) and the choirs combine for a special anthem.   My choir refers to them as "the BIG choir" - they can't believe the number of tenors!  Last year, we had about 45 between the two groups.  While re-organizing the Choir Room a little bit this summer, I came across 15 copies of a 1997 SAB Christmas cantata by John Purifoy.  It's not half bad!  I decided it would be just right for our group this year.  It's about 30-35 minutes in length, includes a narrator, and incorporates several of the favorite carols.  And besides, the choir hasn't done a cantata in over 15 years (or so they tell me).  There is no better time than the present!

DUO

Steve and I perform together every few months, though we haven't done anything big since our lecture recital back in April.  See clips here, here, and here.  Our most recent gig was in August at the church's annual Yankee Street Fair.  We played a 45-minute set under a yellow- and white-striped tent just hours before Tropical Storm Irene came barreling down Main Street.  We were asked a few months ago to prepare a short program for young children in town.  We're hoping to do something similar to the Musical Memory Game which we premiered at this year's WCMW.  As a way of engaging such a young audience, Steve and I will play short clips of music and the children will be asked to decide which ones matched.  Stay tuned for more info on this - we're aiming for early 2012!

Image Credit: Jen Shenk, personal, personal, personal, Nicholas Garofalo (last two)

WCMW Round-Up: Part II

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We're back with the rest of our exciting week at the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop!

Thursday, June 23- "A Game of Musical Memory: Thematic Connections in Music Through the Year" - Artistic Directors Ashley Danyew (that's me!) & Steve Danyew

Friday, June 24- "Mythology, Modernity, and Musical Theatre: Jacques Offenbach's La Vie parisienne" - Guest Artist Elizabeth Hebbard

Saturday, June 25 - WCMW Final Concert - WCMW Chamber Choir, Faculty, and Guest Artists