BCO November 2005 Board Meeting

Attendence: Brendan Caldwell, Gretchen Katzenberger, Julie Rathmanner, Tom Larson, Sandy Millerbernd, Walt Ostrom, Kyle McCallum, Rosie Tabbut, Kristi Brown

Meeting called to order at 3:08 by Gretchen

• Lots of Good comments from parents and kids

• Kids were so well prepared and even though concert was long, the kids were so good.

• Liked opening the “fourth wall” off the stage going into the audience.

• Brendan said he got feed-back about the concert being too long and that he had talked too much

• Most thought the reading of “Green Eggs and Ham” was appropriate and helpful

• Moving the equipment after the Montrose kids were finished was cause for possible impatience from audience members

• Do we need “Friends of BCO” to help with fundraising, stage crew, and a million other things that would free us to be musicians? Can we get non-musicians on our board?

• Include a questionnaire in Holiday Concert program, could include a place for outsiders to volunteer, Tri-M sort of handles it, but hard for us to know up front that things will get done when and how we need. Be specific about kinds of help we could use- Email whole orchestra for ideas of helping and ways people can fill in.

• Little kids, even school age, loved Maria – didn’t think she was “operatic” and loved the whole thing

• Concert has to sustain and engage and audience – doesn’t matter so much about length as much as interest.

• Buffalo Books were very happy about all the ticket traffic that came through the store and did other business. How many seats were filled? Probably as Mike Walsh for a “guestimate”. Concert sales were $2,932.25.

• Julie found a couple large checks like $100.00 were they also including a donation?

• Last December concert was about ½ of the ticket revenue as this concert.

• May pull back a little on advertising efforts for the December concert because it sells itself. Keep articles going in Journal Press with pictures and ads before December concert. Both Drummer and Journal Press. Just not having school coverage is a lot less.

• Advertising and PAC costs are not yet turned in – so do not show up in financial report turned in by Julie R.

• Advertising results have to be measured over a longer period of time. To what do we attribute certain successes? Rosie Tabbut moved that we use another round of paid newspaper ads. Julie R. seconded. Motion carried.

• “Ladies Workout Express” sent a 3 month pass for 1 lady- instead of donating money. How do we use it to our benefit and appropriately advertise thanks?

• Include in our advertising that we would be a drop site for Silent Santa – need cash and toys this year. Gretchen suggested we do food shelf donations for the March concert.

Discussion for the December program:

• Wright county chorus – 6 separate selections

• Oratorio – 15 minutes

• Hand bells – pre-concert at 7:00pm

• 7:30 concert:

• 1^st half – one segment of choir – plus Oratorio, Leroy Anderson Festival, Sing along

• 2^nd half – another segment of choir, T’was Night Before Christmas, Sleigh Ride, hand bell selection, Got Tell It medley with Troika, end with White Christmas

• Mike and Kristi will supply roster lists for Wright County Chamber singers and wRight Ringers.

• Mike will rehearse Bach at end of rehearsals so many players can go home if not needed.

• Need to rehearse “T’was the Night Before Christmas” with narrator on 4^th and 10^th and possibly the 20^th

• Wright County Choir will come to rehearse on the 4^th and 10^th

• Mike says we need to rehearse lights so we can be sure the choir can see the director if lights are dimmed.

• Title of December concert: “Holiday for Orchestra” with Ringers and Singers

• Hopefully we will have more grant money coming for this concert and another for the March concert.

Website additions:

• Gretchen would like to have roster listed on website and possibly a group photo.

• Discussion of picture possibilities: on stage in concert dress? From elevated point of view

• Notice the pictures on the website of Maria and Davey. Maria was absolutely thrilled with the performance/ especially thrilled with the rehearsal time given to “Green Eggs and Ham” – she thought BCO was a huge secret that should be shared. The Buenneke’s were also thrilled

• Kristi made a motion to adjourn/ seconded by Julie R.

Submitted by Lee Ann Carlsted, Secretary.