It's a crazy week here, in fact, crazy two weeks to come, and perhaps to help allay stress and help fortify staff, Dr. Mahlmann treated the staff to “Healthful milk” and peanutbutter cookies yesterday in honor of National Peanutbutter Cookie day. Maybe we were overfortified, as the MENC server crashed and we've been without email (a lifeline to the outer world!) since noon on Tuesday. Yikes! And what a week! Webinars, three day National Anthem Project grand finale this week, NEB finance meeting, strategic planning finalization, budget finalization, notebook for Centennial Congress finalization (see ML’s blog of Monday)…..busy busy busy! The staff of the Executive, Special Programs, Public Relations, Government and Conference Department are all on full drive/overdrive, and my hat is off to them! Not easy to do what they do.....good luck and kudos! (I'm sure music teachers reading this understand this sense of wearing many hats, being their own PR, executive, finance, programming department all rolled into one - talk about being pros!!)
Speaking of pros....and hats off.....there are a few other people here at MENC who quietly and efficiently and effectively keep this place humming along.....membership processors, memberservices reps, accountants and financial folks, publications editors, administrative assistants, receptionists, the IT and mailroom guys who keep us connected to the outside world, the production and web folks, the directors of these departments....all parts make the whole! Makes MENC an interesting place to work! (if I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m sorry, I get fogged in with all the info swirling around in the Info/Research Dept!).
Had a great email from a 30 year member who contacted us a couple weeks back for advocacy help, programs being cut…..her email was telling me how well the meeting went – one school board member showed, but 125 other folks –parents, arts people, you name it – and they had a long and productive brain storming session about what to do …..had her entire quote to share with you, but the MENC server is down, so cannot get at the email just now – may post it later...worth reading.....good solutions and approach. Really great to hear news like this, and an unusual solution! Yay to long time members and all members who work daily to keep music alive!
Recently got the results of a member survey sent to 5550 members randomly, about possible celebrity spokespeople for MENC…..the most frequently suggested person was Wynton Marsalis- and a good cross section of conductors, composers, jazz folks, opera, classical musicians, and tons of pop musicians and a good number of American Idol contestants! (as well as a few movie and TV stars/personalities.....) Don’t know if MENC will pursue any of these options…but thanks to the many members who took the time to give us feedback, it is so valuable and so interesting! (by the way got about 574 responses…..)
REFRESHMENT around the WATER COOLER
Remember (if you watched) the April 24 episode of American Idol, “Idol Gives Back”? The performance that most stayed with me was the African Children’s Choir. I found their website, as I wanted to know more. Great info here: CLICK
They are amazing, they're orphans and war tramatized kids, you'd never know it from their smiles and joy. Talk about the power of music!
Speaking of Africa and singing - read this great article "Why We need Choral Music - Ubuntu", by Steven Fisher CLICK
Wonderful poem, The Junior High Band Concert, courtesy of the Writers Almanac. In the archive, check the posting for June 7. It's worth a read! CLICK
Good article about taking music lessons and practicing! CLICK
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! SR
