Vermont ACDA Board Meeting
Middlebury College Center for the Arts
September 7, 2011
Attending: Jeff Buettner, Kristin Cimonetti, Dan Graves, Nathaniel Lew, Jeff Rehbach, Lori Routhier, Frank Whitcomb, Dawn Willis
I. President-elect Jeff Buettner called the meeting to order at 5:50 pm. He reported he had talked with president Sherrill Blodget (home with her new-born) just before the meeting. Jeff R offered to take minutes.
II. Board members who were present re-introduced themselves to one another.
III. Approval of previous minutes – postponed until next meeting.
IV. October open house
- We agreed to hold the open house, despite challenges of travel across the state from tropical storm Irene.
- We agreed to keep the date set for Oct. 1, since that is the date our guest speakers are available.
- We agreed to move the location from Randolph to Burlington, because access to Randolph is limited.
§ Nat will check for availability at St. Michael’s College, Burlington College
§ Jeff B has a query into Elly Long Center
§ Aimee could check on S. Burlington H.S.
§ Since Frank cannot stay the whole day, Burlington H.S. is not an option
- Sherrill and Jeff R will arrange for refunds from the Randolph locations (Chandler Center for the Arts and Bethany UCC have agreed to refund our rental fees)
- Publicizing the change:
§ We agreed not to re-send postcards (since it would be a ca. $400 cost)
§ Sherrill: send e-mail to VT ACDA listserv announcing the change.
§ Sherrill and Kristin: contact VMEA president Patrick Roberts to request that notification of change of location e-mailed to VMEA members.
§ Jeff R: contact statewide church associations to see if they can send out an e-mail about the change, since postcards went to ca. 400 congregations across the state. Also, send to any non-ACDA people who have email addresses on our large organization address list.
- October 1 details
§ Honorarium for Robert De Cormier and Gwyneth Walker – they have been contacted and agreed to amount plus travel plus lunch.
§ Robert De Cormier & Gwyneth Walker sessions
w Facilitators: Nathaniel Lew (De Cormier session) and Dawn Willis (Walker session).
Confirmed, and thank you!
w Accompanist: Dan Graves (thank you, Dan!)
Note to facilitators: please try to get Dan music in advance
w Timing: each session will be 70 minutes
(modify afternoon schedule so Gwyneth session ends at 2:55, then a 15 minute break)
§ Lunch:
w if at St. Mike’s, Nat will see if we can get meal tickets to eat on campus
w if elsewhere, Aimee Bushey may be able to recommend a deli for takeouts (JB follow-up)
and people could fill out order forms upon arrival during morning registration
§ Coffee/donuts:
w Jeff R will coordinate: order and bring donuts/bagels from Middlebury Bagel Bakery, and see if Middlebury-based Vermont Coffee Co. will donate coffee, cups, etc.
§ Registration/Fees:
w We agreed to set a single fee of $25 (i.e., no difference between advance registration and on-site registration) and keep lunch rate at $10.
w In the past, it was noted that facilitators and accompanists did not pay registration fee.
w Registrars: Frank, Dawn, Kristin
§ Handouts:
w Consensus to keep handouts to a minimum – no program or bios (bios can be read, print a poster with the days events to display at registration)
w We should have a survey (see below)
w We should distribute copies of ACDA score library to increase awareness of this resource.
Frank offered to prepare this.
w ACDA materials (Choral Journal, whatever else national may have) Dawn offered to contact the national office to request materials both for Oct. 1 and our table at VMEA.
§ Schedule/sessions:
w Welcome/group sing: Nat suggested we use a piece by Robert De Cormier (and perhaps distribute copies from the ACDA choral library if we own it) (Note: music in our library comes from the madrigal festival and children’s festival)
w Reading sessions: We hope our new location will still accommodate three sessions.
Take time to have participants introduce themselves to one another.
Keep it simple – likely won’t do handouts with selections listed; hand out each piece then collect, as hand out next piece so we keep track of all copies of the music.
If not enough music suggested in advance, facilitator should have music available
Elementary/Middle School:
Facilitator suggestions: Allison Ledoux, Gary Moreau (Jeff B will ask)
Accompanist: Dan Graves
Mixed ensembles (HS/College/Community)
Facilitator suggestions: Aimee Bushey, Karen Jordan, Armand Messier (Jeff B will ask)
Accompanist: Jeff Buettner
Worship
Facilitator: Jeff Rehbach (and Dawn offered to help make recommendations of music)
Accompanist: Jeff R will ask George Matthew, Ann Rowell, or others
w Lunch
Kristin offered to pick up lunches from deli, if that’s what we end up doing
We suggest that Sherrill introduce the board and talk about ACDA
Signs for table designations: may be able to do these ad hoc the day of the conference?
w Group sing/final session
Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep from Singing” (among us all, we have enough copies of the SATB version) <still need to designate leader for this? additional repertoire?>
w Hand out survey / collect as people leave
- Survey. We agreed to have a short evaluation / survey (could also send this out online afterwards). Four suggested questions (Jeff B, Jeff R offered to work on refining this, and board input welcome!)
A. How did you hear about today’s event?
(postcard, email, web, choir director, word of mouth, other ____ )
B. What was most valuable to you today?
C. For ACDA members: how does Vermont ACDA support you?
D. For everyone: How could Vermont ACDA support you in your music-making and work?
V. VMEA, Oct. 10 (Sheraton Burlington, apparently to be held even with impact of tropical storm Irene)
- Dawn, Jeff R, Jeff B offered to staff the ACDA table
- Jeff R / Jeff B can bring laptop(s) to show DVDs
— still need to track down Vermont madrigal festival DVD to show - Flyer: Frank reported it is finished and being printed, and will be in everyone’s folder
- Membership applications, library lists: Frank will prepare these to have at table
VI. New business
- Free memberships: Frank will send suggestions to Sherrill..
— if still unused memberships at Oct. 1, could do a drawing at the open house to give them out! - Bios for new board members – all received except for Aimee
- Meeting schedule. For those at this meeting, Tuesdays are best:
October 18 in Castleton (Sherrill to determine time); January 17, location tbd
VII. Madrigal Festival 2011
- Glory Reinstein and Aimee Bushey are preparing information to send out soon
VIII. Children’s / Middle School Festival
- Susan Cherry will remain as Children’s Choir R&S chair until a new chair is appointed (Kristin will talk with Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman more). Festival will be May 4-5 in Woodstock.
IX. Music in Worship report
- Lori is trying to contact Rip Jackson to see about an April 21 festival in Rutland at Grace UCC. If not settled within a month, will not hold this year.
X. Women’s Choirs report
- Dawn is trying to connect with Becky Graberin in Brattleboro area to see about a ‘north-south’ meeting of choirs at some point this year
XI. Membership report
- Frank plans to develop a list of current members (and dates membership expires) to post for ready reference on our web site.
XII. College & University report
- Nat just sent out an email to conductors across the state, requesting dates of choir concerts and vocal performances to compile and post on the web site.
- We noted that Becky Peterson is no longer leading “Music Makers” at Champlain College.
XIII. Men’s/Boys/Barbershop
- Dan noted this is an exploration year, with no event planned. He is working through contacts through various barbership organizations to solicit ideas.
XIV. Other
- Jeff R noted that hospice singing groups will be meeting in Rutland on Oct. 1
- Frank wondered if we should begin to plan for a bus to take Vermonters to ACDA in Providence in February? We agreed to discuss later in the fall.
- Frank will send out travel reimbursement forms for this meeting.
XV. Adjourned, ca. 7:45 p.m.
Vermont ACDA 