Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Fall 2022 19 about the composition. e composer needs to know about the strengths of the performing group, the level of difficulty that would be appropriate for the ensemble, and any concerns the conductor might have regarding scoring. If the performers are to be involved in the process, you can discuss what that might look like. We held a Zoom meeting with all stake holders. We were able to cover the specifics about the composition, brainstorm ways to involve the students, and talk about the composition itself. Everyone had promising ideas to contribute, and this meeting opened the door for the conductor and composer to continue collaborating. Budget and fundraising. You need a strong chairperson for this committee! Work out your budget for the project. In addition to the cost of the composition, you need to determine whether you must share costs for the performance, advertising, and programs. Will you be mailing out solicitations for donations or invitations to the event? If so, you will need postage. Consider ticket costs for the event. Will you be providing tickets to those who donated at a certain level? Will you be purchasing tickets for the composer and their family? Once you have determined your costs and set your fundraising goals, start a list of all the ways you might raise money. When you get to this part, SAI chapters should think about applying for a Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies Grant. We applied for and were grateful to receive a grant for our project. e application is online and is easy to fill out. In addition to the grant, we solicited donations from our faithful arts supporters, friends, and family. We had a couple of donors who helped us create interest in our fundraising by graciously agreeing to match donations we received. Education. Is education a part of the goals that you listed? Who are you trying to reach, and how will you share this experience in a way that benefits others? We wanted our student performers, our sisters, and our community to learn and grow through this experience. To involve the students, the composer, Diane Whitacre, and the conductor, Jonathan Busarow, agreed to have the students sing a partial dra of the song and give feedback to the composer. e composer was moved to hear students talk about how they interpreted the lyrics, and this helped her to finish the work including their ideas. Two different endings were written for the song and the students gave input as to the one they preferred. To educate ourselves, we invited our composer to be a guest at one of our meetings. She talked about the composition process and answered many questions. We learned about her writing style, the interaction she had with students, and she shared lyrics of the song. To reach out to our community, we had a forum open to the public, which was held one hour before the concert on the site of the performance. e panel included one of our sisters as moderator, the composer, and four student performers. e composer talked about her composition, Gentle Rivers, about the friendship between two people, one from Fort Wayne and one from our Sister City in Takaoka, Japan. Students talked about what it was like to interact with the composer and rehearse a new piece of music which was specifically written for them to sing when they tour Japan next year. Audience members were encouraged to ask questions, and the newspaper reporter took notes and put a complimentary article in the paper. Getting ready for the big day. e performance will be a special event and you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Here are some details to cover. If needed, secure tickets for your composer and your VIP guests. Contact the media to request coverage for your event. Check to see if a recording will be made. e composer may wish to have one to promote future sales of the song. Recording details will have to be worked out with the performing organization. Find out who oversees the printed program to determine what will be included in the publication about the new premiere. Ask your composer to send you program notes, a biography, and a professional picture. Make sure you give them plenty of time to complete this task. For the performance by the Fort Wayne Children's Choir, we were able to have two full pages, one for a biography and picture of our composer, and a second page to tell about SAI, the mission and history of our local chapter and a list of our donors for the project. Our president was allowed to introduce the new song at the concert and talk about Sigma Alpha Iota and the project with the audience. And finally, make sure all your sisters or group members have the date circled on their calendar! It will be a wonderful experience to be together to hear your ideas, fundraising, and hard work come to life as a new song. We chose to have music as the centerpiece to mark our celebration of fiy years as an alumnae chapter. rough these compositions we have grown in sisterhood and have accomplished our goals of promoting women composers and raising awareness for them in our community. Vita Brevis, Ars Longa! Cposers At top: Composer Diane Whitacre At top: Composer Diane Whitacre and Director Jonathan Busarow. and Director Jonathan Busarow. Above: Whitacre leading Above: Whitacre leading a rehearsal of her work. a rehearsal of her work.

• Cover