Support Music Education in Middle Tennessee
Facebook Cause Page Lunched This Week     

 

Almost 17 million people are regular users of the Facebook Cause application. This app helps non-profit organizations raise money or build awareness to support their mission. 

      

Causes was founded on the belief that in a healthy society, anyone can participate in change by informing and inspiring others. The most successful movements have always been born out of and held together by the bonds of real world relationships, and online social networks present never before seen opportunities for organizing. This app allows people to mobilize their friends for collective action, spread the word to friends of friends and acquaintances, and eventually launch movements that span local communities or even the globe. 

Unlike other models that favor organizations with large budgets, causes rise and fall based on how well leaders organize and keep their communities engaged and mobilized. This article is Nashville Singers' first step to mobilze fans of our music and our mission to provide support and resources for music education in our schools and the community.

Funds raised through our new cause page support the following
Nashville Singers music education programs:

Youth Programs Targeting At Risk Youth

• Music Makes a Difference Music Education Grant Program
• Young Singers Project
• Middle & High School Master Classes

Adult Programs

• Year-Round Adult Music Education Program
• Free Singing Lessons (most recently offered in March of 2011)

In 2012, providing the funding is available, Nashville Singers would like to begin offering one or more college scholarships to graduating high school seniors pursuing a music education degree. Your donations can help us change many lives through participation in these programs.

To learn more about these programs, visit the OUTREACH page of our website or click on the Facebook Cause logo at the top of this article.

To learn more about how donations work, visit
 http://apps.facebook.com/causes/help?category=Donation+questions  

Special Offer from Netflix Can Benefit Nashville Singers

 

 

 

Sign up for a FREE one-month trial and

Netflix will donate$15

to the Nashville Singers

Support Music Education in Middle Tennessee Cause on Facebook.

Click on the Netflix logo for details. 

Video of the Week       

Learn To Sing From The Diaphragm

While barely 21 years old, Eric Arceneaux began creating a worldwide buzz as one of the youngest and most in demand vocal coaches in America. His fans began referring to him as the "Vocal Guru," amazed by his remarkable insights into training the voice. You can follow Eric on Facebook by clicking HERE. 

 

Director's Corner

Todd Wilson  - Executive Director, Director of Music

 

 

I am often asked...

 

 

"How has Nashville Singers been able to accomplish so much  

in such a short period of time?"

 

 

My answer might come as a surprise to other performing arts organizations, because our success has little to do with singing or music. Instead, it depends greatly on utilizing some very important non-musical strategies:

1. Have a dream and create a plan to make that dream a reality - start with a clearly defined mission and vision - follow Stephen Covey's advice to build the organization with the end in mind;  
2. Monitor the plan for progress achieved or challenges encountered;
3. Expect more, and get more - volunteer organizations with high standards tend to attract highly competent members and leaders;
4. Present a quality product and image - good singing attracts good singers (and concert patrons);
5. Model and utilize best practices of other successful organizations;
6. Make a commitment to analysis and feedback - gather accurate information about our members, prospective members, and other customers to make data-driven decisions to better meet their needs;
7. Preserve the core/stimulate progress - keep clear the difference between our core values, which never change and the operating strategies and cultural practices which endlessly adapt to a changing world;
8. Good money management - focus limited resources to areas where they can make the biggest difference;
9. Educate, inspire, recognize, and monitor the effectiveness of our leaders - we must maintain commitment to building and developing an extraordinary team - getting the right people on the bus, and sitting in the key seats, especially the driver's seat;
10. Learn from and respond to change - maintain a willingness to change but also be cognizant of what not to change.
11. Exhibit a willingness to regularly explore and implement modifications to our governance and management structure to improve the effectiveness of the organization;
12. Build alliances - seek partners that complement our mission, and leverage the talent within those alliances;
13. Serve our community - be involved in supporting a noble cause;
14. Embrace technology and the internet;
15. Work diligently to make our organization attractive to outside funding - then secure funding to implement our plans and programs - once we have made our organization attractive to outside funders, we need to place as much emphasis on fundraising as we do on singing well.
16. Resist the fear of failure - Successful people and organizations recognize that nothing ever goes exactly as planned. And no matter how hard you work, failures do occur. You aren't going to hit a home run every time you're up to bat. You don't always get what you want. Failure should be expected. Confront the brutal facts and retain unwavering faith that we can and will prevail, regardless of difficulties encountered;
17. Have fun - for Nashville Singers, hard work is fun when improvement is evident;

 

Today in Music History    

April 18 1987 - Aretha Franklin and George Michael started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with "I Knew You Were Waiting" also a No.1 in the UK. Aretha Franklin set a record for the artist with the longest gap between US No.1 singles, it had been 19 years, 10 months from her last hit 'Respect' in June 1967.

 

New Music Educators Resource Page Added to the Nashville Singers Website!   

To support our philanthropic mission to provide resources and support for music education in our schools and the community, through our affiliation with Chorus America, a new MUSIC EDUCATOR resource page is now available on the Nashville Singers website. If you know a music educator, please encourage them to subscribe to our newsletter and visit our website to avail themselves of this important resource.

Agenda for April 21st Meeting 

SECTION I
7:00pm    Tag time (Todd)
7:05pm    Warmup (Sloan)
7:10pm    Tonight 

SECTION II
7:15pm    Sectionals (Tonight)

SECTION III
7:45pm    Tonight 
7:50pm    Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 
8:05pm    Satin Doll
8:20pm    Man in the Mirror

SECTION IV
8:30pm    Business meeting (Bryan)
8:40pm    Break

SECTION V
8:50pm    Star Spangled Banner
9:00pm    Happy Together
9:10pm    Impossible Dream
9:20pm    The Lord's Prayer
9:30pm    Over the Rainbow
9:40pm    Danny Boy
9:50pm    Home on the Range
9:55pm    Closing song 

Question of the Week      

"Where does my dues money go?" 

 

In 2010, Nashville Singers collected just $2270 in dues revenue. This represents only 15% of the money needed to run the organization. The balance came from individual and in-kind donations, the annual concert, performance fees, merchandising, and advertising.  

 

In 2010, the allocation of expenses looked like this.

 

(37%) $4850.00  CD Recording & Production

(14%) $1799.05  Event Production

(08%) $1000.00  Loan Payment

(08%) $  999.26  Miscellaneous

(07%) $  901.66  Music

(07%) $  900.29  Marketing & Communication

(05%) $  648.29  Fees

(05%) $  620.00  Rehearsal Space Rental Fees

(04%) $  469.78  Costuming

(03%) $  392.84  Membership Recruitment & Recognition

(02%) $  265.33  Choral Risers

(03%) $  248.52  Office Supplies

(100%) $13,095.02 Total 2010 Expenses

 

Because dues income is so limited, it is imperative that Nashville Singers focus as much emphasis on fundraising as it does on singing well.

Quote of the Week     

 

"Men never plan to be failures; they simply fail to plan to be successful."
William Ward