Greenbelt Community Orchestra
Board Meeting Minutes
March 9, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Attending in person:
Board: Anne Gardner, Susan Stewart, Sarah Wissel, Sarah Rusk
Members: None
Meeting was called to order at 1:08 PM. The board immediately entered an executive session.
The executive session ended at 1:38 PM.
Anne proposed black bottoms and a choice of solid blue, green, black or white tops to have a little more unified look than the last concert. The board agreed unanimously.
Anne asked if we should provide cookies and drinks. It was a lot of work to organize it and manage the table at the last concert. In particular, it was time consuming to refill the water pitchers. Also, we cannot put out a donation box. The refreshments table at the last concert was zero waste with cups for water and we would like to continue with that, if possible. The board agreed that we would only do it if we could get a volunteer to take full responsibility of organizing. Anne will solicit a volunteer
Timing for the upcoming concert is as follows:
1:30 setup chairs for orchestra (Community center staff will set up 100 chairs for the audience). We can have a max of 175 people in the gym, including the orchestra
2:00-2:30 Warm up
2:30 Open doors
Anne will ask GATe to film the concert.
Derek will be taking care of the programs. There will be a QR code with a link to the website for donations.
Anne asked if we should solicit donations for conductor gifts for the upcoming concert. For conductor gifts at the last concert not many donations were received. The donations that were received were generous enough to buy gift cards to Music & Arts and the New Deal Cafe. Anne proposed we could give a gift certificate for the Strathmore as a future gift.
The board discussed and decided to skip gifts at this concert, but plan for gifts at the last concert of the season.
The Copland music for the next concert has been mailed to Derek. It is a suite of music from the film The City, which Copeland wrote the score for. The film highlights Greenbelt as a planned community.
Anne would like the orchestra to watch the film and has inquired about viewing it at the Greenbelt Cinema. The rental for the small room is $300 for a weekday rental. The Cinema director brought up the possibility of showing it as a public viewing and having the GCO play live for it. Anne, Derek and Susan will meet with the Cinema staff on Wednesday to look at the space and further discuss this.
Sarah R asked if renting the New Deal Cafe had been considered. It had not.
Anne will ask the Greenbelt Museum if someone can speak about the film at the concert.
If we provide 200 copies of a GCO flier to the City of Greenbelt by April 19th, it will be included in the welcome kits for new residents. Anne has reached out to the Greenbelt Concert Band (GCB) and the Honk Situation to propose having a joint flier. Both groups have agreed.
As far as printing a color flier, b&w copies are .20 per sheet at Staples and color is a lot more. The GCB may be able to do it.
Susan asked if it would be possible to get music earlier so that she can have bowings and fingerings ready for the first violins and other string sections. Anne agreed that ideally we would have music selected well before the first rehearsal.
Susan brought up the importance of sectionals. It would be good to have one early in order to give instructions on practicing. Sarah W. said that the flutes already meet regularly. Sarah W. thought that sectionals for the entire wind section may not make sense.. Anne said that the violas also meet on their own.
Sarah W. said it would be helpful to have better planning for the wind players as far as who is playing, what parts they are playing and where there will be doubling up. Susan brought up the idea of a personnel manager, a person who would handle this, as well as, recruiting. Sarah W. will speak to the winds to see if someone would like to liaison with the conductor and manage the wind player positions.
Anne has started a waitlist for flutes and clarinets. We are in need of a bass player, more cellos and violins, although we may not have the space for many more violins. For percussion Doug won’t be back for the next concert. We may be able to get a GCB percussionist. We will need more than one for the Copland piece.
Susn volunteered to call a few of the violin players who have come to rehearsal but not returned.
As a future task/position, Anne would like to have a librarian who would pull the music from imslp and post individual parts online for players. Susan volunteered to do this.
The meeting adjourned at 2:35 PM