Badpuppy Gay Today

Thursday, 29 May 1997

The international association of lesbian and gay singing groups, GALA Choruses, founded in 1982 to foster the artistic and organizational development of lesbian and gay choruses worldwide, is scheduled to meet in Canada at the end of the summer. Following fifteen years of carefully managed stewardship, GALA is presenting its 1997 Leadership Conference and Singers Weekend, August 29 to September 1, in Toronto, Ontario.

Singing Out!, Toronto's 90-member lesbian and gay chorus, will host the conference. The planned weekend of skill-building, music workshops, choral clinics, in-depth studies, networking sessions and staged presentations by singers, marks the first time GALA Choruses has hosted a conference for both choral directors and singers.

The first annual Singers Weekend will bring together hundreds of lesbian and gay choristers for three days of rehearsals, masterclasses, clinics and concerts. Singers Weekend participants will be expected to spend three hours daily rehearsing as members of either men's, women's or mixed choruses. When not rehearsing, attendees will participate in the clinics and masterclasses that focus on vocal techniques, musicianship, and singing music styles. Those interested may elect to attend Leadership Conference workshops. While the Leadership Conference and Singers Weekend are distinct events, the opening and closing concerts, general sessions, and meal programs are joint activities for all attendees. The Singers Weekend will culminate with the Closing Night Concert, which will feature performances by each of the three choruses.

The Artistic Directors Institute, one of three major groups attending, will be led by world-renowned choral clinician Doreen Rao and will focus on a diverse range of artistic topics including score analysis, vocal placement, conducting technique, and the authentic presentation of music. Celebrated for her spirited and moving concerts with choirs and orchestras, Ms. Rao's commitment to music has reflected in her memorable appearances as a festival conductor and choral clinician, conducting masterclass teacher, and in her choral series and textbook publications with Boosey & Hawkes.

Designed to benefit boards at all stages of development, the Board Development Institute, another major grouping, will be led by Berit M. Lakey, Ph.D., a renowned trainer with the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, and Linda Reppond, CEO of Washington Special Olympics and a board member of Seattle Men's Chorus. This institute will cover basic board responsibilities; developmental stages of non-profit boards; and recruiting, orienting and involving new board members.

A third group, The Fund Raising Mini-Institute, will offer two sessions for persons involved in choral fund raising. "Selecting a Sound Fund Raising Strategy" will cover how make the best use of limited resources and provide participants with the tools to make informed decisions about what types of fund raising will work best for their choruses. Acclaimed fund raising consultant Ken Wyman, C.F.R.E., will discuss elements of successful direct marketing, major donor campaigns, grants, and special events. During the second session, "How to Ask," Ken Wyman will help participants develop and test successful methods for requesting donations, selling tickets, inviting people to events, and phone pitches to potential donors.

Dozens of workshops will be offered on the following topics: Marketing, Repertoire Selection, Membership Recruitment and Retention, Concert Production, Box Office Management, Fund Raising, Copyright Issues, Financial Management, Choreography, Vocal Pedagogy, Personnel Management, Volunteer Management, Singing in the Gospel Style, Music Reading Sessions for Artistic Directors, General Managers Roundtable, Diversity, and Women's Music.

Artistic Directors for the Singers Weekend are: Jon Bailey, artistic director of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and an active leader of the gay community in Los Angeles, will lead the Men's Chorus; Kathryn Mahan & John Quillin, co-music directors of One Voice (Charlotte, NC), will lead the Mixed Chorus; and Sue Coffee, founder and artistic director of Sound Circle, a women's a cappella ensemble from Boulder, Colorado, will lead the Women's Chorus.

The keynote speaker for the 1997 Leadership Conference & Singers Weekend is Richard D. Burns, Esq., Executive Director of The Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center of New York City. Mr. Burns was involved in the lesbian and Lesbian & Gay Bar Association in 1984, as well as the National Association of Lesbian & Gay Community Centers. Since his appointment to the Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center in 1986, it has grown from a staff of four, including a handful of volunteers, to become New York City's largest lesbian and gay-identified community organization, now boasting more than 40 staff members and hundreds of volunteers. They produce 27 cultural, educational, mental health counseling, and public policy programs. Today, the Center serves as a home to more than 300 community groups while hosting a quarter million visitors a year.

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For 1997 Leadership Conference or Singers Weekend registration information call GALA Choruses, a not-for-profit association, at 202-467-5830. ___________________________________________________________________________________