Graduation!

Arts Administration Symposium 2011

Bay View Music Festival, Michigan

 In May of last spring I was hired as the Theater Arts Administrator of the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, Michigan, for the summer of 2011. According to the contract that I signed, my duties included serving as the conduit between the festival administration and the theatre personnel, having consistent office hours, working closely with the Artistic Director to carry out various tasks, and producing an operations manual for the entire summer as a culmination of the experience. 

 Before my arrival I had a separate Bay View Practicum Assignment where I wrote all the press releases and created all the email blasts for the entire summer in May and early June. There were over 50 press releases alone and weekly email blasts for 9 weeks. This was a perfect practicum because it really prepared me for the summer internship. Even before arriving, I was very familiar with the summer programming!

 Upon my arrival I discovered that what they truly needed was a full festival administrator. As one often finds within small arts organizations, individuals are required to wear many hats and complete whatever tasks are needed. On a day-to-day basis I functioned as the music festival office manager. I also was responsible for marketing and development tasks, coordinating student communications and activities, and theater administration as well.

 For marketing, I wrote and submitted all the press releases for the festival performances and events (theater, chamber music, the ‘On the Rocks’ series, and more) to local newspapers and newsletters, proofed all posters with the Bay View graphic designer, was the sole designer of posters and programs for the three theater events (Cinderella, the children’s musical; Grease, the summer musical; and the opera, which was Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost), organized student teams to distribute posters, and also went on a few poster runs myself.

  I almost always ushered or house-managed at the performances as well. There were several donor-relation-driven events during the summer as well. I was involved in sending the invitations, keeping a list of the RSVPs, communicating with the caterers and venues (if the event was off-site), and set-up and take-down for the events. As a liaison between the students and the administration, I planned two sailing outings, a day-trip to Mackinac Island, as well as sent out informational emails regarding the concerto competition, mock auditions, changes in dates/times, church gig schedules, and more. I was the Festival Orchestra Manager for two orchestra concerts (Pops and Concertos) and for the opera orchestra.

This involved hiring outside area musicians, coordinating the orchestra staff (for set-up, music and bowing distribution, etc), renting and returning music to the rental companies, and being available to help the conductor. I played in all the orchestral engagements and sang alto in Festival Choir, which met twice weekly and performed every Sunday evening. I also directed a Festival Choir rehearsal when the conductor was absent. As the TA Administrator, I attended production meetings and theater committee meetings, helped with Cinderella auditions and was at almost half of the rehearsals teaching music, collected cast and creative team bios, wrote press releases, created programs and posters, and took care of the rental parts and returns. Balancing all of these different responsibilities was a challenge, but the hardest part of my job was being familiar with all of the festival’s activities that were going on, whether it was the 50’s/ 60’s karaoke night, new comp ticket policy, or time of the costume shop tours. I had to be able to answer any questions that came into the office.

There was never a boring day. I was asked back as a full-time administrator for next summer and as many subsequent summers as I am available to return. I am planning on returning for the summer of 2012. I will have a full salary as well, which will be wonderful.

The two biggest challenges of this internship, besides the crazy learning curve and becoming familiar with the running of the BayView Music Festival, were trying to balance my role as a very young festival administrator with my relationship as a housemate or friend of the faculty and students and with becoming accustomed to the Bay View Association’s deeply-ingrained traditions. Trying to keep up with the numerous tasks and to know what the administration or faculty might need, when it was only my first year and they’d all been coming for years and years, was also a challenge.

Bay View is absolutely beautiful and the music festival has a wonderful atmosphere, but be ready for a lot of hard work, long hours, and some frustration when tasks arise last-minute that should have been remembered weeks ago. A lot of this occurred because it was my first year. Since it is a small festival, however, a lot is required and expected. Living and working on campus made it difficult since I was always available. The best advice I can give is to take time for yourself and relax and to communicate when you’re off-campus how you can be reached. Forge relationships with the people you meet- getting involved in the community and reaching out to the people were the best part! And definitely spend a lot of time at the beach!

Backstage at Bravo!

Hello all! I thought I would give you an update on all that I am doing at my internship at Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. The festival kicked off last weekend, on June 26, with a free piano recital by our new artistic director, Anne-Marie McDermott. (photo: fellow intern/roommate Amanda and I enjoying the onstage champagne toast post-concert) It will be non-stop classical music until August 3. Last week, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra opened as our first of three resident orchestras. The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic will be here later this month.

So far, I have been running around helping with all facets of the festival. I have been doing a lot of marketing as well as helping out during the events (I have put together all the artist and patron baskets for all the amphitheater shows this week). As some of you may know, I made an appearance on Friday as the festival's mascot, "Billy Bravo," or in my case "Billie." (See photo)

As the weeks go on, I expect to have my days filled with running around helping with many education events in the community, such as our Live @ the Library programs and

Instrument Petting Zoos. I am also scheduled to give a couple TV interviews for Vail's local station. I am also looking forward to attending several of the special events that go on during the festival such as Soirees (private concerts and dinner held at local patrons homes) and the annual Gala. I'm especially looking forward to really good catered food :)

I will leave you with a photo from last Wednesday's concert that was interrupted by some crazy weather. However, one of our photographers took this wonderful shot of the double rainbow. What does it mean???

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!

Party in the City (Hall, that is)

Greetings from far away, exotic Bloomington, Indiana. The weather is sunny, the storms are torrential, and I have a great view of the pool. I've been working hard for Miah, in charge of all of the public art. I'm making a public art trail brochure, getting traffic boxes painted, and writing proposals for even more art. It's a lot to do but very rewarding. Well, I should get back to exploring the wild frontier that is B-town.

Wish you were here,

Alejandra

Civil Unions

Mass Civil Unions today in Millennium Park -- the day after it becomes legal in Illinois. Cool!

Madison Symphony Orchestra

Hi all!

Hope everyone's summer is off to an excellent start!

I am interning at the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Madison, WI. I am the Institutional Relations Intern in the Development Department. My main responsibility this summer is to help organize a corporate giving audit (which will happen in mid-July). I have invited select board members and corporate donors to come in and discuss the current corporate giving programs that the Symphony offers in hopes of improving the programs and benefits. In preparation, I am in charge of writing a case statement and organizing all of the giving levels and associated benefits into a logical chart (not as easy as it sounds). I will also be preparing the PowerPoint for the meeting and helping lead the discussion (eek!). The MSO's goal is to have a more organized and focus corporate giving program, so that they can begin a corporate giving campaign. Right now, their annual giving program is very focused and effective, and they are looking to achieve equal success with corporate giving.

I am also helping the grant writer (mostly looking up demographic info) and will be gradually taking on more responsibility with grants as the summer goes on.

I will also be completing a practicum project with the MSO's Education Department by helping them complete a teacher's guide that accompanies their educational outreach program Up Close & Musical, where a string quartet comprised of MSO musicians visits local schools and teaches students about different aspects of orchestras and orchestral music.

I am absolutely loving the internship so far. I've been there for 2 weeks now. My supervisor is a great mentor (she really wants me to learn, not just complete the tasks she assigns) and everyone in the office is incredibly nice and willing to help me with any questions I have. Even though it can be stressful and overwhelming at times, it's exactly the experience I was hoping for this summer. It didn't hurt that my first week was awesome. I was able to attend 2 concerts (one educational outreach concert, and one organ concert), a post-concert donor reception, and an awesome donor thank you event at one of our board member's gorgeous condos overlooking the Capitol.

This week, I get to help with a Public Radio/TV partner event which I am super excited for (I love NPR and WI's member stations are terrific!). One of the MSO's outreach programs is a young artist solo competition. The winner and runner up get air time on Wisconsin Public Radio and TV and guests are able to come watch the recordings live. I'll be there helping direct the guests. In a couple weeks, I'll get to participate in the bi-annual Dev. Dept. retreat where the Dev. staff (3 people plus me) take a day off from the office and meet at someone's house to discuss long-term plans and other things that don't get discussed amidst the normal work week craziness. I think this will be a really valuable learning experience for me.

Not sure that Development is where I want to end up, but I know that by the end of this internship I will have a much better idea!

That's all for now.