Getaway

From: Mark Schaffer <markschaffer100@gmail.com>

Date: Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 4:52 PM

Subject: 2017 Acoustic Getaway Annual and December Report to Board.

To: Board FP <fullboard@folkproject.org>

Acoustic Getaway 2017 Annual & December Report to The Folk Project

The Getaway achieves its 2017 attendance, financial and mission goals in grand style. We continue to attract first-timers and engage many to become permanent members of the Getaway, Folk Project and even the Minstrel and board communities. Survey scores for the overall experience and community spirit remain at an impressively high 4.7 out of 5.0. Earnings were $827 over our annual target.

Main Stage Performers in 2017 include: Vance Gilbert, Connor Garvey, David Nachmanoff, Ryanhood, Gina Forsyth, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Christine DeLeon, Roia Rafieyan, Roy Book Binder, The Kennedys, Burning Bridget Cleary, Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen, The Honey Dewdrops, Nick Page, Chrissy Roberts, and a special featured performance by our own registrar and official co-chair Elizabeth Lachowicz as Betsy Rose & The Chicago Fire. Live in the Lounge Performers in 2017 include: Andrew Dunn, Mike Agranoff, Carolyn Messina, Frosty Morning with Jim West, Ed Roffman & Frank Sole, Diane Perry & Todd Dennison, Rowen Groth, The Poorhouse Pickers, Jerry Krantman, Chris Bukata and Tim Weinrich.

The People’s Choice vote was a tie between Jerry Krantman and Rowen Groth, so both will receive our congratulations and a main stage concert set at the 2018 Spring Getaway.

This fall we focused on increasing performance opportunities during day and evening programs. The response was better than expected, so we’ll build on that success in 2018. That effort included Vocalotto winners performing full sets for a Live in the Lounge performance. We added a Friday late-night cabaret from the main concert stage that highlighted elements of the new Minstrel Open Stage program, and the turnout and response was much better than expected. We also increased audience participation by opening the Saturday and Sunday concerts with sing-alongs led by professional choirmaster Nick Page – an interesting and well-received twist on the standard concert opening sets of the past 42 years.

The contra dance grew this fall – thank you, Beginners and Contra Lovers – and the pickup dance band was in its best and most joyous form ever. The book club was morphed into The Big Chat generating better attendance and important results. In May The Big Chat examined bipolar disorder in October it examined the Folk Project’s future. We expanded the private lessons signup program to include more volunteer teachers, and the response by students was excellent. The program is expected to grow as awareness increases.

Volunteer participation continues to be the backbone of the Getaway. It is truly a community effort. Member-led workshops are the essential element of the entire weekend, and gratitude is offered to the leaders and participators for their efforts and excellence. The breadth of community participation and devotion of individual volunteers to their responsibilities continues to be our greatest resource.

We had our first Getaway Day featuring a workshops and a concert by Cliff Eberhardt and Richard Barone (filling in for a hurricane-stranded Terre Roche), followed by a song circle. It was a sold-out success and joy. The purpose was to introduce ourselves to newcomers who are reticent to invest three days and $200 on a weekend away with strangers. We succeeded in attracting six attendees to the Fall Getaway, plus some new-but-busy friends loved our program and members and expressed the desire to attend next May, so the event surpassed our expectations as a means to attract new guests and members.

Additional thanks go to our committee, Pat, Elizabeth, John and Mike, and to our hardworking sound and lighting crews that work hard before, during, and after the weekend loading, unloading, setting up, and running stuff. Thanks to Deborah for her growing presence and competence at running The Boutique. Thanks to our survey-respondents, whose suggestions make every Getaway better than the last. Thanks to our donors large and small for their generosity, love and the help they offer our fellow Projectiles.

We explored a new site, but decided not to move there because the church affiliated with the site expressed principles and values in direct conflict with ours.

We are prepared to launch registration for the Spring Getaway on February 14th, 2018 – a Valentine’s Day gift to the membership. We continue to tweak, experiment, improve and move forward with a combination of the new and exciting, and the familiar and comfortable. We continue to enjoy working with our committee, our volunteers, our membership, and each other.

This year’s been a real doozy. Next year will be even doozy-er.

Mark & Robin Schaffer, Getaway Chaircouple