Community Arts Support Grant

Outcome 1: Command Performance Choirs will maintain two essential functions: educational programming on a weekly basis, and regular performance opportunities at current levels to benefit our students, families, and community. Weekly educational program schedules: In order for students to benefit and learn from systematic, incremental musical instruction and prepare for the challenges of performing before live audiences, Command Performance Choirs will maintain weekly class and instructional schedules. Our class schedules for Saturday morning are as follows: one and one-half hour of class/rehearsal and supplementary instructional time per week on Saturday mornings for each younger choir group: Prep, Premier, and Prima. Supplementary activities for the younger choir groups support and enhance the musical instruction and provide social bonding within the group and tactile benefits to the students. Command Performance Choirs's weekly Monday schedule is: one and one half hours rehearsal/instructional time for the Command group and one and one-half hours instructional time weekly for the Young Mens' Chorus. An additional instructional period of 45 minutes-one hour is dedicated to the Command Jazz group, which incorporates advanced vocal instruction with instruction in dance and movement. Command Performance Choirs will continue to provide additional rehearsal and instructional time in advance of impending performances, intermittently as needed. Weekly incremental instruction provides significant impact for the students by enabling them to learn and master musical material of increasing complexity and difficulty, and by learning the skills, intricacies, and the dynamics of performing before live audiences. Weekly instruction will ultimately culminate in a planned performance at the end of fall semester, in late winter, and at the end of spring semester. Performance outcomes: Command Performance Choirs will continue to conduct specific performances during the year. Our main performance project opportunities are typically in December and in late spring each year. This year, Command Performance Choirs conducted a Christmas Renaissance Theme project in December 2012, and in May of 2013, we will conduct a German Heritage Music and Community Festival in conjunction with the Elk River Lions, the Guardian Angels, and Elk River Parks and Recreation. In addition, CPC typically plans and carries out a late winter performance, as well as additional performances and educational outreach. These extra projects and/or performances are accomplished as we have time and resources and determine need, interest, and the benefit impact within the community and within the organization. Examples of these extra performances or outreaches that Command Performance produces or collaborates on include SingOut! In October of 2012, produced in collaboration with Land of Lakes Boys' Choir and the Elk River School District, and an upcoming outreach in March 2013 to PreK and early elementary ages: the Teddy Bear and American Girl Teas. These extra educational and performance based events provide enhanced artistic benefit to each student involved and make artistic performance and education easily accessible to the broader community and the target student populations. To summarize: Command Performance Choirs will maintain the current level of structured weekly education classes and rehearsal times for all choir groups from September through May. Command Performance Choirs will also maintain the current level of performance opportunities and the community educational and concert opportunities that are offered. We currently schedule a concert at the end of fall semester, one in late winter, and a larger production in late spring. In addition, we schedule other projects, music education outreach, and performances that align with our mission as needed. Outcome 2: We will increase media exposure for our organization and performances by 50% through newspaper, direct mail, email, internet and website, brochures, signs and posters and other media. Outcome 3: Command Performance Choirs will maintain scholarship funding to enable as many as desire to participate in our music and performance education programs without economic roadblocks that may prevent them from doing so. Command Performance turns no student or family away due to inability to pay tuition. Outcome 4: It is critical for our students, our families, and our audiences that we maintain our presence in the region and continue to provide the same level of instructional services, and same number (or more) performances throughout the region to meet a variety of needs, including free and low cost performances to a variety of audiences and populations, including students and seniors, who may never otherwise be able to enjoy them.Outcome 1: To maintain educational programming and performance opportunities at current levels--the evaluations of current educational programming and performance readiness will be conducted by assessments from staff and board members, and surveys to member families as to the effectiveness of the educational programming in accomplishing the objective, which is mastery of the material at all developmental levels and performance before live audiences. Periodic pre and post-performance discussions and feedback between directors, accompanists, and students will also be used to evaluate outcomes and determine whether objectives are being met. Surveys and meetings with parents and families and project collaborators to evaluate progress of learning and preparation will also be conducted on a project by project basis. As we continue to add additional performances and educational outreach offerings, such as the Teddy Bear/American Girl Teas and Sing Out!, performance and educational opportunities thereby increase for students, program participants, and audience members. Command Performance Choirs will be pleased to consider that increase as surpassing our basic proposed outcome goals for all age groups. Outcome 2: To gauge the impact of increased media exposure, we will compare paid and unpaid attendance numbers from 2013-14 with previous years, and membership levels in all choir groups to determine effectiveness of the types of media we use to increase awareness of our organization and our performances. Outcome 3, maintaining scholarship funding, shall be measured by retention of 50% or more of students who are unable to pay the full monthly tuition amounts. Outcome 4, to maintain our presence in the region, is evaluated by stable or increasing membership levels, stable or increasing audience numbers, and maintaining or increasing the number of our planned performances to benefit our students, their families, and our regional community. This is in spite of an environment where various factors compete for the time, energy, and financial support of area students and families.