Polar Express Family Concert

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Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras
Polar Express Family Concert
Service Project Competition Winner 2007-2008
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Womens Symphony League of Tyler and the East
Texas Symphony Orchestra
Chairs Angie Coleman and Belle Thomas
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Per Brevig Music Director and Conductor Photo
courtesy of Dr. Scott Lieberman
Appearance by Michael Moss, composer of The
Polar Express
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Project Goals

• Outreach to families in the community that had
  not been exposed to the symphony experience
• Enhance the Family Concert experience with after
  concert events
• Promote the event and sell tickets
• Work with the public library to show integration
  between printed works and composed works

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Project Determined By

• Volunteers determined a need to build upon
  symphony experience to attract more people
• Traditional date of the Family Concert changed
  from February to November to accommodate
  programming

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Success of Project Measured By

• Attendance at concert and pre-events (2000)
• Feedback from attendees
• Tickets sold to other upcoming concerts and
  increased interest in subscription tickets
• Positive comments made by patrons

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Information Gained From Project

• Additional individuals added to mailing lists for
  fundraising, symphony events, etc.
• ETSO determined need for holiday programming in
  the future and will collaborate with Tyler Junior
  College Academy of Dance in 2008 to produce The
  Nutcracker

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Challenges of Project

• Change in chairs timeline to adjust to an event
  being held in November
• Management of 2000 participants at the event

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Changes in Family Concert

• New twist on an established projectthe Family
  Concert took place in November, instead of
  February
• Eliminated Meet the Instruments after concert
  to provide a photo opportunity with Santa, the
  composer, and the conductor
• Cookies and milk reception after concert

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Project Status

• Family Concert programming is determined by the
  Music Director
• Due to success of event, there is a possibility
  it will be repeated in the future

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Audience Development/Community Engagement

• Symphony exposure to Tyler and surrounding
  communities
• Event attracted non-concert going members of
  community
• Partnered with Tyler Public Library showing
  correlation between printed story and symphonic
  story
• Symphony Stories at library provided outreach to
  the community - each child attending received a
  free ticket to the concert
• Concert and events targeted a younger audience

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Audience Development/Community Engagement

• By having available information about the
  subscription concert season, additional season
  ticket subscriptions were purchased by a younger,
  more diverse audience
• Funding for the concert and advertising was
  provided by the symphonys board, staff and
  community sponsors
• Appearance by Michael Moss, composer of The
  Polar Express, was also underwritten by the ETSO
  board

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Communication

• Media Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler Today and
  Bscene magazines
• Pre-concert publicity coordinated by WSL and ETSO
  staff (cost underwritten by ETSO)
• WSL email used to remind members of event

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Leadership/Organizational Structure

• Volunteers chair the Family Concert each year
• Pre- and post-concert events determined by the
  programming
• Family Concert observes 15th season - a very
  successful endeavor and tradition
• Project serves the orchestra by attracting a
  diverse audience group and exposes concert
  participants to a different type of music than
  the orchestra usually performs

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Volunteer Involvement
Number of volunteers needed to plan this event
and how they were used

• 25 WSL members
• Created and executed a 1000 piecemail-out
• Sold tickets to the event
• Distributed posters to local merchants
• Assisted with Symphony Stories at library
• Sold books/CD's at library, concert, and WSL
  meetings
• Decorated concert hall
• Provided milk, cookies, and paper goods for over
  2000 people
• Created bell necklaces for children attending
  concert

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Volunteer Involvement (cont.)

• Number of onsite volunteers needed to staff this
  event

• 10 - Womens Symphony League volunteers the day
  of the event
• 15 - Junior Symphony League members the day of
  the event

JSL members volunteering at concert
Volunteers served as docents the day of the
event passed out bell necklaces to the children
sold books and CDs served milk and cookies
helped with photos of Santa and autograph/photo
sessions with Michael Moss, composer and Per
Brevig, conductor.
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ETSO Staff Involvement

• Arranged for funding/underwriting of event
• Printed tickets, posters, educational booklets
• Executed publicity campaign
• Coordinated appearance of conductor, composer,
  and supervised orchestra needs
• Assisted volunteers the day of the event

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Timeline of Project

• Augustchairs met with staff, librarian at the
  public library, and project committee to begin
  planning
• Septemberletters sent to all WSL members and
  patrons of the symphony
• Octoberposters and tickets distributed to local
  merchants books and CDs sold at league
  meetings committee assigned to provide milk,
  cookies, and paper goods Santa secured for event
• NovemberSymphony Stories at library bell
  necklaces and signs made backdrops created for
  photos decorations completed

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Financial Information

• Income
• Womens Symphony League

Expenses
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The bell still rings for me as it does for all
who truly believe.