Even More STATisfying! – part 2

Yesterday I wrote of our 80%+ concerts that are free of charge, today I want to take my hat off to the biggest donor group (outside of our board) so far this season.  This is another stat that made us very proud, and it was also a surprise to them!  They are……..

THE MUSICIANS OF THE SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA!!!!!!!!  Yes adding direct donations with leads to secure donations, the members of the Orchestra contributed just shy of $31,000!  When we include donated services for our upcoming gala that amount rises to nearly $36,000!

How proud I am to lead a group that believes in itself and their place in our community to not only perform, but to also donate and secure donations.  For the opening concert of this our 75th season we provided cake to the entire audience and sold sponsorships at $75 per cake.  Nearly every section of the Orchestra bought a cake and individual members bought cakes too.  Musicians are directly involved in providing leads for chair sponsors, and we have also visited sponsors with musicians who have secured the meetings.

When building an organization ours is proof positive that having musicians living in the community and the region is vital, as they too are members of that community who want to see it thrive with a vibrant arts scene not just for them but for their children and families also.  Having skin in the game truly makes a difference, and the SSO truly inspires me!


Last weekend I performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and an elderly gentleman stayed behind to meet me after the final performance on Sunday.  He introduced himself as Dave Steele and proudly proclaimed he was in the Viola section of the Springfield Symphony in 1939/40!  He left to join the Navy to fight in WWII.  It was an amazing moment and very emotional, he was in the orchestra the year my father was born and 3 years before they started to get paid (at $1.25 a service!).  He now at 88 lives in Texas, is a working engineer and gave up the Viola to play Baritone Sax and still does in a Big Band.  The history of the orchestra was in front of me as his conductor was the orchestra’s founder James Robertson, and here I am it’s 7th Music Director!  It was a great honor to meet him, and we will stay in touch.

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