Getting the Most from Your GALA Choruses Membership

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Getting the Most from Your GALA Choruses
Membership
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The first key to getting value from your GALA
membership is to stay current on the events and
programs offered. The GALAgram is a quarterly
magazine mailed to our singers spotlighting
success stories from our member choruses along
with previews of upcoming events and columns
providing practical advise from experienced
artistic directors, administrative managers and
accompanists. EBlasts are use to communicate in
between GALAgrams.
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To join our email list go to the GALA Choruses
web site home page and use the Join Our Mailing
List box.
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Our member choruses have commissioned a great
number of original pieces of music and
arrangements but unfortunately there has been no
easy way for other member choruses to know about
much of this repertoire. Check out our NEW online
library of music.  Nearly 200 selections are
available complete with sound clips and sample
pages from the score.  The library is searchable
by several attributes including composer,
arranger, genre, voicing and lyrics. Our target
is to have 1,000 selections in the resource
center by the end of 2009.
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GALA Choruses added a rotating Artistic Director
in Residence (ADR) position beginning January 1,
2008 with the appointment of Dr. Timothy Seelig
as the inaugural ADR. The ADR is available to
member choruses for weekend choral clinics as
well as telephone consultations. The clinics
will be free but the chorus is asked to cover
travel and lodging expenses. The ADR also
serves as an artistic advisor to GALA Choruses on
event programming, is a regular contributor to
the GALAgram and leads our educational
programming for artistic directors.
I just wanted you to know that the both the
Seattle Mens and Womens Choruses took advantage
of using GALAs Artistic Director Tim Seeligs
workshop services this year and were very
pleased with the results.  Tim is personable,
knowledgeable and fun in workshops. - Dennis
Coleman
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Festival is the signature event of GALA Choruses
and we will be working during 2009 to identify
the site for Festival 2012. As early as possible
we will begin releasing information about
programming opportunities and arrangements for
2012 so choruses can get a head start on
planning and fundraising. A limited supply of
audio recordings and merchandise from Festival
2008 Miami are still available through the GALA
Choruses web site.
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Leadership conferences are held annually (other
than Festival years) providing an opportunity for
education, inspiration and just plain fun! The
2009 conference will be held in Columbus, Ohio on
Sept. 3 7. Watch the web site for programming
and special event details.
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• Annual Managers Directors retreats are held in
  January of each year. The schedule for the
  weekend includes
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• Repertoire reading sessions
• Feedback session and reception with the GALA
  Choruses Board
• Networking opportunities with GALA Board, other
  conductors and LGBT chorus administrators
• The 2009 MD meeting is scheduled for January
  8-11 in San Antonio.

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The Dwight Joyner and Michael Murphy Commission
Matching Grants program is designed to encourage
the creation of original musical works for our
member choruses. The program now has two funding
levels. Program 1 is designed for choruses with
little/no history of commissioning and is
available in amounts from 500 - 2,500. Program
2 is designed for choruses with a track record of
commissioning and is available in amounts from
2,500 - 10,000. 18,800 in commission matching
grants were made in 2008 to a total of 6
choruses. A youth chorus support grant program
has been added for 2009. The grants committee
will be working out the program details with a
first solicitation expected in the 2nd quarter of
2009.
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GALA Choruses is sponsoring a North American
Festival chorus to attend the European Festival,
Various Voices, in London. A similar chorus
will be formed for the Gay Games in Cologne in
2010. Watch the web site and eBlasts for further
information on these opportunities to combine a
love of singing and travel.
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Every three years GALA Choruses conducts a survey
of its member choruses regarding compensation and
benefits. The tabulated results are available to
member choruses and provide useful information
for Boards assessing their chorus compensation
levels. No individual chorus responses are
disclosed.
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Member choruses can submit job openings in their
choruses to be posted on the GALA Choruses web
site.