In this last of many articles I have written or edited for Notes, the Concord Band newsletter, I want to review just a few of the more important achievements of my 50 years (not to pat myself on my back, but to make it clear that nothing happens unless someone takes the initiative) and to identify the directions in which I would like to see the Band go in the coming years.
One thing I would like to point out: very few of the things I have done for the Concord Band are directly related to music. As I have made clear to the members of the Band over the years, it takes much more than making good music to be an effective member of the Concord Band. I am not planning to retire as an active playing member of the Concord Band, only from most of my non-musical activities.
A Few Past Achievements
In 1970, I persuaded the Band Board to end the Band's parade appearances, allowing it to become strictly a concert band.
In 1976, I persuaded the Acton-Boxborough unit of the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary to sponsor an annual spring Pops concert the night after Concord Rotary's concert and to share expenses. This sponsorship lasted about 40 years. In 1985, I introduced Santa Claus to the Holiday Pops Concerts. Bill Toland, the Band's first Music Director, after Pops that year, commented, "This guy is the real thing." The same Santa has been with us ever since.
I was Fundraising Chairman for most of the period beginning 1970. Although I continually met or exceeded targets and mounted a substantial surplus as protection against any future financial disaster, I feel that I should have done much better. This is a function that deserves considerable improvement.
Having conceived of and introduced Notes as a replacement for the annual fundraising letter, I eventually became its editor and publisher, responsible for writing or sourcing the page 2 article. I organized and managed the processes for newsletter and fundraising mailings to a list of 3,000 three times a year (the third time is for a summer schedule postcard). Later the number of recipients was reduced to 1,800.
I conceived of the Lifetime Service Award. First given in 2002, thirteen have been awarded to date. I took on the responsibility of producing Concert CDs to give them professional quality documentation and packaging.
In 1995, at the end of Bill Toland's tenure, I wrote the Band's Mission
Statement in preparation for the search
for a new Music Director, and coined the Band
motto, "A Community Band with a Professional
Attitude".During planning for the 50th Anniversary season, I conceived of the idea of making video recordings of Fall and Winter Concerts as a major addition to the Band archive. I brought in Concord-Carlisle TV as the production company and acted as Executive Producer and post-production editor. I organized the Band to get the Fall, 2008, Concert video onto as many public access cable stations as possible to promote the 50th Anniversary concert in March, 2009. Beginning with that first concert, each piece performed has become part of the Concord Band YouTube Channel, which now includes more than 200 performance recordings.
In time for the 50th Anniversary Concert, I proposed naming Bill McManus Music Director Emeritus and Bill Toland, Music Director Laureate.
Suggested Future Directions
The next Concord Band Fundraising Chairperson should try to do much more with the job than I did. In particular, grants beyond those of the Massachusetts Cultural Council should be investigated and, where appropriate, pursued. In addition, fundraising methods used by other symphonic wind ensembles around the country should be explored, and those that appear to be most promising, tried.One promising area is the involvement of local school children. There are a few potential advantages of such activity. In addition to providing performance opportunities for the kids, it makes them aware of us in advance of potential membership later in life. More immediately, it makes their parents aware of the Band's concerts.
Finally, I want to encourage all those who may serve on the Band Board of Trustees in the future to continue to pursue the Band's program of commissions, setting aside funds every year and seeking grants for major works. I would recommend avoiding consortia as they make it very difficult for any one participant to influence the work to be created. I would like to see the Band commission a work for symphonic wind ensemble and mixed chorus.
