Wave Week 2009

Villanova University

July 23rd, 2009

Guest Speaker: Jeremy Seltzer

The Columbia Festival of Winds & Making Music Matter

Two roads diverged in a wood –

and I took the one less traveled by –

and that has made all of the difference.

- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

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Do not follow where the path may lead.

Go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.

-Harold R. McAlindon

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Step 1: Find Your Passion

What does musicmean to me?

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Step 1: Find Your Passion Pursuit of music at Columbia University

Columbia University Jazz Ensemble

Columbia University Wind Ensemble

60 member band full of self – proclaimed “band geeks”

Became a member of the executive board as a Freshman

Served as Personnel Manager for 2 years

Elected to serve as President as a senior

Earn the right to make decisions

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Step 2: Identify the ProblemA 2008 survey conducted by Class Size

Matters, in conjunction with the New York City Council, revealed that 25% of New York City principals reported losing their art, dance, and/or music spaces during that principal’s tenure.

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Step 2: Identify the ProblemAccording to the New

York City Department of Education’s 2007-2008 "Annual Arts in Schools Report" the lack of in-school arts space and the lack of available money were the top challenges to the implementation of arts education.

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Step 2: Identify the Problem Columbia University is located in New York City right

next to Harlem

Harlem used to be a thriving center for new music and musical expression

Many public schools in Harlem had no music programs

In my opinion, everyone deserves the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, but many cannot afford it

I needed to find a project that I was excited about working on – this was it.

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In the words of President Barack Obama, it was

“Time for Change”

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Step 3: Set Your Goals My project began in February of 2008

Columbia University Wind Ensemble was growing quickly

We had held joint-concerts in the past, but never raising money for a cause

Columbia Festival of Winds

Develop a full-day music celebration combing bands from all over NYC in order to raise money for inner-city music education

Make it an annual event in New York City hosted by Columbia University Wind Ensemble to celebrate music performance & education

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Step 3: Set Your Goals Columbia Festival of Winds

Build Community Enhance the relationship between Columbia and its

surrounding community Donate raised money to a program or non-profit that would

support music in NYC public schools

To-do list: Find bands, find a space, create a website, create a logo, derive

a mission statement, find volunteers, make T-shirts, create CDs, find a speaker, find a headline performer, market & advertise, determine pricing, develop programs, etc… BUILD A TEAM!

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Step 4: Building Your Team

I believe you shouldn’t have to ‘trick’ anyone into doing something you want

If you believe in your project and gain respect through hard work, then other people will see, and will work hard towards the same goal

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

My Team: Columbia University Wind Ensemble Executive Board + Friends

“Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he/she wants to do it.”

- President Dwight Eisenhower

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How do we make sure that this isn’t you?

Step 4: Building Your Team Emphasize team

Surround yourself with the right people

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses

The key is having the right people in the right positions

Empower your team - LISTEN

Importance

“I’ve never done this before”

Determine roles

Trust your teammates

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DON’T GIVE UP!

Major problem #1: Working through Columbia University

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Problem: “Red Tape”. Everything needs to be approved by the University.

Resolution: Persistence. Plan in advance. Coordinate with the University throughout.

150% of the time & effort to get 50% of the product

Step 5: Develop the Idea Weekly meetings

Derive a mission statement Raise money through joint-performance to

benefit NYC public school music programs

Finalize a date: Sunday, March 1, 2009

Reserve the space: Essay to Apply

Determine leaders to: Contact other NYC bands

Create a website

Create a logo

Make T-shirts

Develop CDs

Develop and manage budget

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Step 5: Develop the Idea Find volunteers

Friends / other bands’ members

Find a keynote speaker Mr. Theodore Wiprud, Director of Education for the

New York Philharmonic

Find a headline performer Jazz trombone phenom and noted philanthropist

Wycliffe Gordon & The Wycliffe Gordon Quartet

Market & Advertise

Develop programs

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DON’T GIVE UP!

Major problem #2: Donating the Money

Problem: How do we maximize the number of kids who will be able to learn an instrument because of the money we raise?

Resolution: Develop our own after school program with a local public school where we can use the money to purchase instruments and then have members of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble volunteer to teach…Making Music Matter.

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Step 5: Develop the IdeaTWO STEP PROCESS!

1) Raise money and raise awareness

Columbia Festival of Winds

2) Make sure that all funds are allocated efficiently

Making Music Matter Program

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THOUGHT

VS.

ACTION

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DON’T GIVE UP! Major problem #3: Band drops

out 2 days before CFW!

Problem: We had scheduled 9.5 hours of continuous music and education, and now there was a 1 hour gap, right at the beginning!

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Resolution: Called emergency late-night brainstorming session with the whole team. Used all of the connections we had in NYC. Found a professional group to fill the timeslot for FREE. Speaks to our cause.

Actual photo of Jeremy on February 27, 2009

Step 6: Make it Happen Over a year from the date the idea originated, it happened: On March 1, 2009 The Columbia University Wind

Ensemble hosted the 1st Annual Columbia Festival of Winds raising money to support inner-city music education

The event featured over 350 New York City musicians of community, middle-school, high-school, collegiate and professional levels

Presentation by Theodore Wiprud, Director of Education for the New York Philharmonic

Headline performance by the Wycliffe Gordon Jazz Quartet Over 800 attendees!

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The Columbia Festival of Winds

March 1, 2009

12:00pm – 9:30pm

Roone Arledge Auditorium at Columbia University 23

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Mr. Theodore WiprudDirector of Education

New York Philharmonic

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Mr. Wycliffe GordonJazz Musician Extraordinaire

Community Activist

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Wycliffe Plays a Didgeridoo!

Mr. Theodore Wiprud, Mr. Wycliffe Gordon

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March 2, 2009…

“How often does someone get to wake up knowing for a fact that the previous day was the best day of his life?”

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Making Music Matter Developed after-school music

program

Morningside Area Alliance

Public School 125

Biweekly meetings from January 2009 forward

CFW raised enough money to sponsor the purchase of 20 instruments, stands, and music books

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Making Music Matter Hosted an assembly at PS125 in

early May 2009 to teach students about the instruments

Program will be on Tuesday & Friday afternoons starting in September

Will culminate in a performance by the 20 students at the Columbia Festival of Winds 2010.

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Lessons Learned Thought vs. Action:

There are a lot of talkers – be a doer!

Persistence!

You will run into a lot of unexpected roadblocks

Incredibly Fulfilling

Sense of purpose when you are giving back

Skills for Leadership

Every group is different - learn on the job!

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The Trail… The trail is still being carved by current students at

Columbia University

The Columbia Festival of Winds is still being established as the largest festival in New York City to celebrate Wind-band music

Goals for the next CFW are still being determined

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The Trail… How is Making Music Matter going to be sustainable?

Find others who share your passion –or- instill your passion into others

The next step is to have the students in the Making Music Matter Program perform as part of the Columbia Festival of Winds

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Two roads diverged in a wood –

and I took the one less traveled by –

and that has made all of the difference.

- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

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Do not follow where the path may lead.

Go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.

…What Trails will YOU leave?

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Special thanks to… Liz Scarcelli, Assistant Executive Director of Wave Week

Sarah Burns, Executive Director of Wave Week

The rest of the Wave Week staff!

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