The meeting was called to order at 8:24 PM on December 3 by President Elizabeth Lachowicz. This meeting was held via Zoom.

ROLL CALL

Present were Mike Agranoff, Loretta Brooks, Jeff Canter, Todd Dennison, Sam Edelston, Paul Fisher, Doug Heacock, Peggy Karr, Allan Kugel, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Bob McNally, George Otto, Gary Pratt, Sandie Reilly, Chris Riemer, Tina Ross, Mark Schaffer, Robin Schaffer, Jean Scully and Pamela Zave. John Mahon was absent.

Also, given the annual nature of this meeting, we had several guests: Pat Brangs, Christine DeLeon, Jeffrey Jonas, Lindsey Meyer, Jo Sippie-Gora and Alicia Weimer.

INTRODUCTIONS

Elizabeth explained that tonight’s meeting will actually consist of two parts. In Part One, committee chairs can introduce year-in-review information and otherwise look at the big picture. Also, all members in good standing can vote for a recommended slate of Trustees for 2025. After that, the Annual Meeting will be adjourned, and an abbreviated monthly meeting (Part Two) will be called to address any leftover bits of business. 

Chris took a moment to give an attaboy to the folks who have a perfect attendance record for the year now past. They are Mike Agranoff, Jeff Cantor, Paul Fisher, Doug Heacock, George Otto and Chris Riemer. Pamela suggested that may be a sign that these folks need to take more vacations!

Secretary’s Note: Since the annual reports were unusually detailed, the minutes this month will be less so. Readers are encouraged to drill down into the reports to get a full understanding.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Treasurer

Peggy stands on her written report. She thinks most of the accomplishments this year are within the venues, and wouldn’t be part of the Treasurer’s report in any case. It’s fun to look at how we’ve grown, though. She thinks a key goal for the months ahead willl be to think critically about the money in our Vanguard account and consider how it should be allocated. “How can we make it last the longest for us?” This is her last year in the job, and she will ensure a smooth transition to the new Treasurer.

President

Elizabeth made no written report, but pointed out that we're always looking for what is the best for The Folk Project. This year has been a banner year of “stepping up, stepping out, trying new things and making changes. It’s not always fun and not always easy but she thanked all the volunteers for finding the camaraderie that’s let us consistently entertain our guests, our members and potential members. The Project is an important part of so many peoples’ lives. 

Open Stage / Membership

Todd believes that the Open Stage has been and continues to be a success, with close to 110 unique performers crossing the boards this year. That’s a lot of people for an open mic, and an increasing proportion of them are newcomers. It’s a great gateway activity, with the best performers moving on to opening acts at Troubadour, and maybe even headlining there. Audiences have run from 40 to more than 60. It’s been a great year for Open Stage, and it's also proven to be a great channel for finding performers for Streaming Tuesdays. 

On Membership, Todd wants to introduce more automation, so our system can be hosted and run on-line and be self-administered by everybody. We will also be introducing a tiered membership structure, to encourage additional donations.

Newsletter

George stands on his written report. We sent 411 electronic newsletters in December, but there are still 64 people who prefer the Open Stage has also been a great channel for finding performers for Streaming Tuesdays. aper version. Over the year, we ran several articles encouraging people to support various Folk Project activities, by joining a committee or applying their own particular expertise. We also implemented the new logos designed by the Future Planning Committee. George thanked his team of proofreaders, all of whom do a fantastic job of catching mistakes.

Future Planning

Robin stands on the committee’s report, stressing that nothing in the Future Planning space is done alone. She appreciates the collaborative activity of the venues, the committee chairs, and working closely with all stakeholders to make things happen. The core motivation mission of this committee is to gain and maintain the Project’s long-term viability.

Future Planning experiments, tests ideas and then passes them on to the committees that will make them part operational. She particularly mentioned the work that landed us a $4,500 grant from Morris Arts. We’ll be doing more of that next year. We also want to forge more ties with organizations in the community: other music organizations, other organizations in town, local companies.

Horses Sing None of It

Sandie reports that HSNOI was largely dormant in 2024, but she hopes to pull something together for next year.

Publicity

Sam thinks there are three mainstays inside Publicity. Mark’s work on e-communications and general electronic alerts, Kathi’s work as Facebook Admin and John Lamb and his team managing the website. Sam adds that Future Planning has been a “major provocateur” (in a good way). He had been running publicity in sort of a maintenance mode, and they said, Wait a second. How about adding this, how about doing that? Guess what we got you? A couple of incredible volunteers. We’re doing far more in terms of publicity than we were a year ago.

 Swingin’ Tern

Doug reports that we started the year with our 40th Anniversary dance, and will be ending it with a New Year’s Eve party. John Justin took over the booking at the beginning of the year, although Doug has booked some special dances. That’s largely because of his experience doing so many videos and the personal relationship he has with the performers. The dance has also modernized its traditional flyers in the form of business cards, so more people can have them at the ready. Swingin’ Tern also plans to work toward a steady double-dance four times a year.

Streaming Concerts

Gary stands on his report. He thinks the streaming concert team has their work down to “pretty darn good science” when it comes to streaming The Troubadour. He is also now booked into April and May, with one open slot in March. He admits that since his committee doesn’t produce revenue for the Folk Project, he has paid that much attention to the numbers. But he plans a year-end analysis during the last weeks of December, and will have a lot more to say in the future.

Special Events / Troubadour

Mark stands on his report. He expects to be doing a higher percentage of Special Concerts on Friday’s at MUUF, and the strategy is to tough things out in the short term while our enhanced publicity (and commitment to quality performers) take their effect. With the new theatrical lighting, and the end of the creel pitch, we are making an investment in building a long-term audience.

Troubadour Staffing

Jean is very happy that she’s been able largely to hold onto her key volunteers, and has good things to say about the new management system for supporting cash and other sales at the Troubadour. She hopes the new system will make on-site staff more efficient, so the volunteers don’t have to miss so much of the show. She and Mark went to the ribbon-cutting for MUUF’s new auditorium. We will presumably be able to rent that hall for special events, but the details on that are still TBD.

TRUSTEE ELECTIONS

Elizabeth shared her screen so everyone could see the list of names that are in play. To keep things simple, the new trustees, recommended for a three-year term ending in 2027, are Mike Agranoff, Todd Denison and Christine DeLeon. There were no other nominations from the floor, and the new slate of Trustees was accepted unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT #1

The annual meeting  was adjourned at 9:14 PM. 

Submitted by Chris Riemer

Minutes for the Board Meeting of December 2024

ROLL CALL

(See Above)

MOTIONS MADE

The motions were approved as amended, clarifying the language around the Click Clique program, and correcting the abbreviation MUUF to include a second “U.”

BOARD MEETING REPORTS

All Committee chairs stood on the reports previously submitted, with the exception of Mark Schaffer. He wanted to expand on the wonderfulness of Todd’s new computer system, blending contract management, comprehensive booking alerts and general team communications.

DIRECTOR’S ELECTIONS

The Trustees (and Trustee-elects) elected the Officers. Jeff Jonas will be taking over as Treasurer (replacing Peggy Karr) and Mark Schaffer will take over as Vice President (replacing Paul Fisher, who is himself moving to the Secretary’s chair.  These officers were accepted unanimously.

With no nominations from the floor, the expanded set of Directors for 2025 was also accepted unanimously.

There was some discussion of Gary’s stated desire to keep running Streaming Concerts, but as a non-voting position, rather than a chair that’s required to attend meetings. It’s an oversight he reported last month, and here it is again. Jean Scully took responsibility for this mistake, and apologized for a situation that Gary found awkward and uncomfortable. “But civilization will not cease to exist,” because of this, he said. It’s all good.

Chris also added some words of praise for Elizabeth’s performance as president over the past year. As a grizzled veteran of 30 some years on the board, he thinks she’s done a great job. A round of applause!

ADJOURNMENT #2

The annual meeting  was adjourned at 8:57 PM. The meeting will be January 7, 2025, at the usual time and the usual Zoom link.

Submitted by Chris Riemer

WRITTEN COMMITTEE REPORTS

TROUBADOUR (METRICS - AMENDED)

From: The Troubadour <mike.agranoff@folkproject.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 8, 2024 12:51 PM
To: 'Board - Current voting directors (officers trustees chairs)' <board@folkproject.org>; 'Jeff Jonas' <jeffj@panix.com>
Subject: Bad data

To the FP Board

Some recent apparent discrepancies I’ve encountered have led me to the conclusion that Troubadour attendance and financial data I have been reporting to the Board at our monthly meetings has been in error since the transition to the new ticket pricing and performer pay arrangement.  The formulae and field definitions in my database were incorrect.  My apologies to all concerned.  I have now straightened that out, and I have attached the corrected versions of the Troubadour’s attendance and Profit/Loss, and performer pay I would request that the Secretary replace the data I had sent in my email to the Board on December 2 with the corrected version shown here.  My apologies to all.

Troubadour Profit / Loss

·         November----------------- -(1,633)
·         YTD----------------------- -($3,228)
·         Past 12 months---------- -($2,407)

Average Troubadour Paid Live attendance

·         November---------------------- 61.7
·         YTD------------------------------ 68.1
·         Past 12 months----------------- 70.7

Average Troubadour Streaming Attendance

·         November---------------------- 22.0
·         YTD------------------------------ 19.4
·         Past 12 months----------------- 20.6

Average Feature Act total Earnings (including streaming tips)

·         November----------------- $1,397
·         YTD---------------------------- $780
·         Past 12 months-------------- $777

Mike Agranoff
Troubadour Committee
Morristown, NJ. USA
www.Troubadour.FolkProject.org

____________

From: The Troubadour <mike.agranoff@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 12:08 PM
To: 'Board - Current voting directors (officers trustees chairs)' <board@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour attendance and P&L

Troubadour Profit / Loss

·         November----------------- -(1,633)
·         YTD----------------------- -($2,260)
·         Past 12 months---------- -($1,399)

Average Troubadour Paid Live attendance

·         November---------------------- 61.0
·         YTD------------------------------ 68.1
·         Past 12 months----------------- 70.7

Average Troubadour Streaming Attendance

·         November---------------------- 25.5
·         YTD------------------------------ 19.6
·         Past 12 months----------------- 21.0

Average Feature Act total Earnings (including streaming tips)

·         November----------------- $1,397
·         YTD---------------------------- $744
·         Past 12 months-------------- $744

See attached graphs for details.

Mike Agranoff
Morristown, NJ. USA
www.Troubadour.FolkProject.org

SWINGIN' TERN

From: 'Doug Heacock' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 7:37 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Swingin' Tern Dances Annual 2024 Report

Swingin' Tern Dances Annual 2024 Report

Swingin' Tern has had a year of excellent dances held on the first and third Saturday evenings along with Double Dances in January, June, September, and October.  The Double Dances feature Afternoon Advanced Contras and the Evening All-Level Dance.  A special Double Dance held on January 6, 2024 celebrated Swingin’ Tern’s 40th Anniversary.

Jon Justin took over booking the talent for Swingin’ Tern in January following Xander Kastan’s service in that position for eight years.  Doug Heacock assists Jon in booking many of the special dances.  A concerted effort is being made to book more out-of-state and nationally known bands and callers while still providing a stage for our more local talent.

In September, the Folk Project approved Doug’s motion to establish a Swingin’ Tern Fund.  The additional monies provided will allow for booking nationally known talent, raising the minimum guarantee for musicians, and providing a financial cushion when losses are incurred. 

One of the goals of the Fund is to raise Swingin’ Tern’s attendance to pre-pandemic levels.  The average attendance for the first eleven months of the year was 44 dancers.  Despite several profitable dances, there was a loss of $1080 for January through November.  The loss was $767 for December 2023 through November 2024. The loss this year will be erased with a sponsored dance on December 7th.

To attract more dancers, Doug has added several publicity initiatives to his 41 years of doing publicity.  In addition to posting to the Folk Project website and the Swingin’ Tern Facebook page, a schedule has been added to the back of the full-color postcards, business cards have been printed, and a new A-frame sign for the sidewalk has been created.  Several promotional videos for individual dances have been published to Facebook with the aid of Sam Edelston.

A steering committee was created from the general committee to handle issues that need a rapid response or are of a sensitive nature.  The steering committee is made up of the chairs of publicity, booking, volunteers, MeetUp, and an at-large committee member.

We will close out the year with our New Year's Eve Dance.

Special thanks go to all our committee members, including Andrew Warner and Jon Justin who do our sound reinforcement, Virginia Peace who organizes our volunteers, and Karen Justin who handles our MeetUp page.  Our committee members, volunteers, callers, bands, and dancers ensure that the Swingin' Tern dance floor is a place of unbridled joy.

Yours in dance,

Doug Heacock
chair@swingintern.org

_________________

From: 'Doug Heacock' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 7:29 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Swingin' Tern Dances November 2024 Report

Swingin' Tern Dances November 2024 Report for the Folk Project Board Meeting on 12/3/24

In November Swingin’ Tern held two evening dances:

11/2    Qwill Duvall & Dead Sea Squirrels          31 attendees [25 paid/6 staff/1 free]         Loss    -$230

11/16  Dave Rupp & Bosnick & Bittel                  26 attendees [16 paid/8 staff/2 free]         Loss    -$200

November loss -$430

2024 cumulative total -$1080 loss [not including Swingin’ Tern Fund]

November was another disappointing month for attendance.  The second dance was particularly hard hit as it was opposite the ContraShock weekend in NYC with top talent.  The loss that night would have been greater if committee members had not chipped in donations to cover the payment to the talent.  Fortunately, the loss for the year will be erased on December 7th as the dance is being sponsored by Roz & Gary Kendellen in celebration of Gary’s 80th birthday.

A Swingin’ Tern committee meeting is scheduled for December 7th before the dance.

Yours in dance,

Doug Heacock
chair@swingintern.org

SPECIAL EVENTS / TROUBADOUR

From: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org> on behalf of Mark Schaffer <markschaffer100@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:20 AM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour & Special Events 2024 Annual Report

Troubadour & Special Events 2024 Annual Report
By Mark Schaffer

INTRO

These are in challenging times. Half of the medium and small music venues nationally and, sadly, also locally have closed, audiences are down everywhere, inflation affects everyone, including the Project. The operations and systems that sustained this organization through 50 years of ups and downs are not enough to bring this downturn back up like they did in the past.

That said, something big and wonderful is happening. There is an astounding burst of energy and intellect that is determined to make this organization successful and fulfill its musical mission. The manpower and thought power is coming from every generation of volunteer -- from the founders through to recent regulars. This effort has the financial wherewithal and business experience to invest smartly and judiciously. It relies on research and experimentation to find what works and what doesn’t. 

The overall strategy: Publicity brings in first-timers and great shows bring them back. We’re investing in both to solve the dilemma of low attendance. If there is a way out and up, The Folk Project will find it.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND YOU, TOO

There are dozens of volunteers that deserve thanks and accolades for their contributions. It’s important to recognize vast volunteer complex that supports what we do, but a complete list of names would take hours to assemble and I have to get this report in.

Some are obvious, like the sound crew, Friday night staff and Gary hosting online. Some are hidden deeper in the organization, like Kathi posting on FaceBook, Faith and Sena researching news outlets, and John and Mike working the tech end of bookkeeping. Some are hidden in plain sight, like George doing newsletter and Peggy running reports. The team is immense and I am grateful all year long and every year I’ve been involved in the Project for everything so many of us contribute.

I thank you all.

A 2024 NARRATIVE

2024 saw major changes and challenges at the Troubadour. In January, Mike Agranoff was replaced by a committee: Gary Pratt, Todd Dennison, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Kathi Caccavale, and Mike Agranoff. The committee successfully instigated major changes: They eliminated the creel donation basket, instituted fixed pricing ($20/$15 Members), and introduced credit card payments at the front desk. The committee model proved unwieldy, and on June 1st Troubadour went back to its original model with one chair (Me, Mark Schaffer), no committee, and many volunteers performing tasks.

Eliminating the creel pitch makes Troubadour Concerts a better audience experience. That’s important. The financial implications of fixed pricing are difficult to measure in low-attendance times. That’s important, but attendance is the major factor and challenge to the series’ financial  stability. 

New to the Project, old to other non-profits, and essential to our mission of superior concerts presented at lower prices to support community, the Future Planning Committee is initiating grant, donation, and membership programs. When these programs mature, they will become an essential ingredient to our success.

The Future Planning Committee installed new computer-controlled lighting in the Troubadour’s theatre. Although currently experiencing difficulties, when operating, the new lighting dramatically improves the atmosphere of our concerts. Thank you Todd Dennison and Bob McNally and Alex West from MUUF.

Credit cards, fixed pricing, a new iPad cash register, and the June 1st change in leadership caused a number of technical and operational bookkeeping difficulties, which added to the cost of bookkeeping. We expect these problems to be solved by year end and bookkeeping costs to return to reasonable in 2025.

Operations were of necessity changed with the change of leadership. Up to June 1st, all Troubadour financial and operational data was collected and distributed to and from Mike’s home laptop, which proved unwieldy when Mike wasn’t running the Troubadour. Todd Dennison spent many months moving much of the operational data up to the cloud, where all volunteers can access what they need whenever they need it. That new system is being implemented currently. One impressive advantage of the new system is data collection. Contracts double as input forms, and the moment information is filled in by the artists and agents, it is instantly placed in the cloud where our volunteers can access it.

THE NEW SYNERGY

As chair of both Special Events and Troubadour, there’s been the benefit of considering both programs in tandem under one Folk Project umbrella and coordinating strategies from both programming and financial perspectives.

Special Events -- Songwriters Day, The New Jersey Guitar Summit, Peter Yarrow, John Gorka, and Comedy Song Night -- were all fabulous, well-attended concerts. Their financial success offset Troubadour financial losses: Specials are about $4K positive vs. Troubadour about $2K negative. 

Viewed as “Friday Attendance” as opposed to just Troubadour’s, attendance is growing faster. This conforms with national trends: Big concerts have rebounded; medium and small generally have not.

Regular Troubadour concerts average 70 ticket holders this year, but can go as low as 40 and high as 130. Special Events performers attract anywhere from 110 to 180. This history forces the conclusion that more higher-priced special concerts is necessary in the short-term, especially considering they are our most effective tool in harvesting new members and regulars.

These special concerts will of necessity be on Fridays. I previously announced a Sunday concert series in the new MUUF hall to increase visits to our location and presumably harvest first-timers for Fridays. However, MUUF is understandably examining their use of the new and exquisite concert hall, and we’ve been asked to hold off adding extra rental dates until they have a better idea of what new programs they will consider. The result: Expect a higher percentage of special concerts at special pricing on Fridays.

To attract new regulars at a higher rate, Folk Project publicity efforts expanded their reach, creativity and, of course, costs. Kudos to Robin, Sam, and Kathi, plus new additions Faith Heisler and Sena Stein for an amazing effort. Thanks to them and the vast FP Publicity Team, including the substantial contributions of George Otto.

The Acoustic Getaway

The 2024 Spring Getaway was great. Concert performers included: Jenny Glenn & Friends, Flamy Grant, Toby Walker, Jean Scully, Steve Gibb, The Boom Chick Trio, Joe Crookston, and The Pairs. The Board generously supported the retreat financially. To ease that burden in light of high inflation and low attendance, we ran one Getaway this year and will continue that policy until demand demands otherwise. Thanks to everyone.

Event Hosting

Jay Wilensky runs the Evenings of Music and our picnics, which include the 4th of July Picnic and any other picnic he chooses. This year he ran two picnics with the help of Scott Rovner. All three picnics were well attended, lots of fun, lots of food, and lots of music. This year he moved Evenings of Music from the Schaffers’ to a variety of new hosts.Great times.

Songwriters Day

Tina Ross leads this wonderful day, again, supported by a team of hardworking and hard-thinking volunteers. The workshops and concerts were excellent, featuring all-stars Susan Werner and Natalia Zukerman. This second Songwriters Day is an example of with how a great team and Board support the Project to accomplishes amazing music. When the first Songwriters day lost $900, the Board allowed us another try, and this year we made $900. Most importantly, we presented the community with a fantastic program to learn songwriting, followed by a great concert showcasing two renowned, meaningful and entertaining songwriters.

The New Jersey Guitar Summit

The Summit was co-presented by Beppe Gambetta and the Project. It featured Beppe, Chris Newman and Joh Shain, presenting their individual styles in solo, duo, and trio formations. The workshops were A-1, top-grade, and the concert was beyond-fabulous -- a true tribute to the art of guitar’ing. We came within dollars of breaking even, which is a good showing for a first-time event. We’ll do this again in October 2025 with Beppe and expect even better success. thanks to volunteers

I gotta get this report emailed. I’m sure there’s more. I’ll close by saying I did not want this Troubadour chairmanship, but I love this community and am happy to bring the community all the gifts this community has brought me. Thanks to you all.

Cheers,

Mark

Mark Schaffer
Folk Project Troubadour & Special Events Chair
201-207-8696
Mark.Schaffer@folkproject.org

The Folk Project:

The Project has been putting on shows and making community music for over 50 years. We’re an all-volunteer nonprofit with over 400 members and thousands of followers dedicated to the entertainment, education and self-expression through original and traditional acoustic music and dance.

We present over 100 live events annually, including the weekly Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series, an occasional special feature concert, member showcases, open stages, living room song swaps, Swingin’ Tern contra dances, Acoustic Getaway weekend retreats, music picnics, and more. Folk Project Online streams Streaming Tuesday concerts, the “Horses" cable TV show, Inside the Song concert/interviews, online workshops, and our Friday evening concerts.

TREASURER

From: secretary@folkproject.org <secretary@folkproject.org> on behalf of timpeg@optonline.net <timpeg@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 1:12 PM
To: board@folkproject.org <board@folkproject.org>
Subject: Treasurer Year End Report 2024

Hello Everyone,

Attached:

• Profit & Loss by Class to date

• Balance Sheet to date

• Folk Project Income History

I created a fun Income History to help see how we have done through the years. 2024 is the year of many New Changes. New Troubadour systems, Credit Cards, Ticket Prices, Income Streams, Donations, Grants...

We are facing concerns over trying to recapture our audience and membership since Covid. Coupled with the reality we are starting to show our age. I am sure all the Venue Chairs will address their separate achievements & goals.

My reason for the History is to present an over view of where we are now, and how it relates to The Folk Project's past. Plotting a path forward helps to see where you came from.

Vanguard:

Opened 4/22/2003  $74,000
Current  $215,607
cashed out:
05/32/24  $10,000
11/17/23  $5,000
01/12/18  $14,000
01/08/15  $10,000

Total withdrawal  $39,000

History Highlights

• Most tickes sold 2019 with an income of $209,215

• Most profitable year 2015 with a profit of $20,964

• Biggest loss 2014 with a loss of $16,515

• Average Income $115,499

As we age 

I applaud all the efforts Robin's Future Planning Committee is putting in, their list of accomplishments is impressive. However I am the cautious one. I would like to see us make a (just in case) plan for how we should be spend down our nest-egg (Vanguard). I think we should start to think, exactly how do we want to spend it? Sort of like planning our retirement. Money can easily slip through your fingers if you're not paying attention. I would strongly suggest setting Budgets / Limits for all the Venues so they can plan how they want to spend their portion. 

Success depends on what your goals are. Whether it's sold out Crowds, Profit, Notoriety, Membership, Community or just Happiness enjoying the fruits of all your labors and not worrying about everything else. 

Respectfully Submitted

Peggy Karr Treasurer

____________

From: secretary@folkproject.org <secretary@folkproject.org> on behalf of timpeg@optonline.net <timpeg@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 12:04 PM
To: board@folkproject.org <board@folkproject.org>
Subject: Treasurers Report December 2024

Hello All,

Attached: 

• Profit & Loss by class to date

• Balance Sheet to date.

Not much to report. 

Lots of numbers still missing.

Again, Booking costs are high due to increased diverse income streams that all have to all be entered and reconciled. Plus inconsistencies in reporting Troubadour numbers because of all the new system changes. 

Jeff Jonas and I have meet and are working together on teaching him all our systems. I will be in the background as long as necessary till he feels more confident.

Respectfully submitted

Peggy Karr / Treasurer 

SOUND REINFORCEMENT

From: 'John Mahon' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:46 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>; Elizabeth Lachowicz <elizabeth.lachowicz@gmail.com>
Subject: Sound Reinforcement Committee Report Annual Report 2024

The 2024 year has been business as usual for sound reinforcement in the Folk Project. The use of Afton for broadcasting has settled into a reliable, predictable and dependable pattern that is straightforward to use. This facilitates using it in our all-volunteer organization.

We have been able to increase sound reinforcement staffing at Friday night concerts with the addition of Alicia Weimer, and Paul Fisher. However, Paul has also been filling in running the cameras for the video feed while Bill Henderson looked after some health concerns.

We also supported the Spring Getaway with sound reinforcement by providing a 16 channel, 6 speaker sound system in the main concert room. This was available from Friday night until Sunday afternoon, covering all three main concerts. In addition, video equipment was provided allowing broadcast of the Friday night concert to our Afton audience. The 6-speaker system was designed to optimize the sound in the room while minimizing the echo so that every seat in the room had perfect sound.

John Mahon
Committee Chairman

____________

From: 'John Mahon' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:44 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>; Elizabeth Lachowicz <elizabeth.lachowicz@gmail.com>
Subject: Sound Reinforcement Committee Report December 2024

In November we provided live and broadcast sound for 5 Friday night shows. This included regular Troubadour Shows on Nov. 1 for Donnie Kehr with Jay Wilensky, Nov. 8 The Open Stage, Nov. 15 for Comedy Night with Buskin & Batteau and the April Fools, Nov. 22 featuring Windborne, and Nov. 29 featuring Guy Davis with Michael Reitman.

All the shows proceeded with no technical issues for sound in the House or the mix for the broadcast.

John Mahon
Committee Chairman

STREAMING CONCERTS

From: 'Gary Pratt' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 4:12 PM
To: FP Board <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Folk Project Streaming Committee 2024 Annual Report

Folk Project board members,

The Folk Project Streaming Committee is proud to share the highlights of an impactful and successful 2024, a year that showcased the power of streaming to connect performers and audiences worldwide. Streaming has continued to be an essential part of our mission, providing performers with income through audience tips, offering entertainment to viewers, and increasing visibility for the Folk Project. It also remains an important way for senior and disabled performers and audience members to stay connected with the folk community.

This year, the Streaming Tuesdays concert series showcased diverse and exceptional talent from around the world. Performers received all tips, minus credit card transaction fees, directly supporting their work and livelihoods. The series has not only continued to thrive but has expanded its schedule well into 2025, ensuring a strong lineup of engaging performances.

In addition to Streaming Tuesdays, we livestreamed Troubadour shows, Open Stage, Member Shows, and Special Concerts, creating accessible spaces for audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend. Streaming brought new connections and strengthened the bonds within the folk music community. Audience engagement has been a highlight of the year, with viewers from local areas and international locations joining live chats and sharing their experiences in real time. These interactions have enhanced the sense of community that is central to our mission.

Now having completed well over a year using Afton as our streaming platform, we continue to be pleased with the reliability, stability, quality, functionality, and technical support they provide. As John Mahon, Sound Reinforcement Chair, noted in his annual report: “The use of Afton for broadcasting has settled into a reliable, predictable and dependable pattern that is straightforward to use. This facilitates using it in our all-volunteer organization.”

A detailed report with specifics on show attendance, tips, and other metrics will be distributed later this month.

The success of this year would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of many. Special thanks go to Kathi Caccavale, venue chairs, show producers, volunteers, and, of course, the performers and audience members whose enthusiasm and generosity drive our efforts. Audience tips continue to play a vital role in supporting the artists who bring these events to life.

As we move into 2025, the Streaming Committee remains deeply committed to creating opportunities for performers, enriching the lives of audiences, and p increasing visibility and support for the mission of the Folk Project. 

Respectfully submitted,

Gary Pratt
Chair, Streaming Committee

____________

From: 'Gary Pratt' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:49 PM
To: FP Board <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Streaming Committee Report December 2024

Folk Project Board Members,

I’m pleased to share that The Folk Project Streaming Tuesdays concert series continues to thrive! We are now fully booked through mid-March, with additional shows already scheduled for April and May.

In addition to Streaming Tuesdays, we continue to host livestreams for the Troubadour, Member Shows, and Special Concerts. 

Thank you to Kathi Caccavale for her ongoing and invaluable support, which remains vital to these efforts.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas for future events, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary

NEWSLETTER

From: 'George Otto' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 4:05 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Cc: George Otto <GeorgeOtto@mac.com>
Subject: Newsletter Annual Report 2024

Last month, email notices about the release of the December eNewsletter were received by 411 recipients, while 64 paper copies were mailed out.

Throughout the year, the newsletter began including articles listing the various opportunities whereby members could volunteer to help with our monthly activities. Descriptions were included for the Publicity Committee, the FP Website, Social Media Advertising, Swingin' Tern Dances, as well as other positions. Hopefully, this will bring more help to these activities.

The May issue of the newsletter and the corresponding Troubadour flyer announced the new pricing policy for the Troubadour beginning with the May 31 show. Admission for the public became $20, with $15 admission for FP members. The creel was discontinued.

 After the updating of the Folk Project logo by the FP Future Committee, work began on changing the logo artwork throughout the newsletter as well as on the Troubadour and Streaming Tuesday flyers. Many thanks to Liz Pagan for creating the artwork files to make this happen.

 And finally, many thanks to Kathi Caccavale, Pat Brangs, Dave Kleiner, Bill Henderson, Gary Pratt, Todd Dennison, and John Lamb for helping me get the newsletter out, and more thanks to all of the FP members who have submitted articles, pictures, and interesting information to help fill up the newsletter pages.

 George Otto
Folk Project Newsletter Editor
newsletter@folkproject.org

____________

From: 'George Otto' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 3:56 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Cc: George Otto <GeorgeOtto@mac.com>
Subject: Newsletter Committee Report 2024-12

Newsletter Committee Report 2024-12

Things are proceeding as usual with the invaluable help of Kathi Caccavale, Pat Brangs, Bill Henderson, Gary Pratt, Paul Fisher, and Todd Dennison.

George Otto
Folk Project Newsletter Editor
newsletter@folkproject.org

OPEN STAGE

From: Todd Dennison <todd.dennison@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 7:42 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Open Stage Annual Report 2024

The Folk Project Open Stage aims to create an inclusive musical space for people of all skill levels to share their talent by performing a couple of songs. It also serves as a gateway to introduce newcomers to the Folk Project. Many attendees experience the Open Stage, enjoy the atmosphere, and later attend concerts or even become members.

This year, the Open Stage hosted 108 unique performers. Each performer is allotted a two-song, 10-minute set. Most performers are acoustic singer-songwriters who play guitar or piano, often presenting original compositions alongside occasional cover songs. On average, we see one to two duos per show. The event is streamed live and hosted by Gary Pratt.

Additionally, the Open Stage doubles as a testing ground for improving the lighting, which would later be implemented at the Friday Night Troubadour shows. We also experimented with a secondary space, the Terrace Room, to accommodate overflow from the main stage. Hosted by Scotty Rovner, this space has been on hiatus due to reduced attendance since COVID-19. We’ve decided to temporarily pause its use but aim to bring it back when demand increases.

Audience attendance fluctuates based on the popularity of performers and the guests they invite. We’ve had several nights with attendance in the 60s, creating a lively and engaging environment.

Our marketing efforts primarily include Meetup and the Music Alert, but this year we’ve expanded to Facebook with support from the Future Planning Committee and Robin Schaffer. This strategy is yielding results, as we now see 3-4 new faces every month, some of whom have already become members.

The Open Stage also serves as a talent pipeline for the Friday Night Troubadour Concert Series, identifying performers who are ready to appear as openers or even headline. Among our performers, we’ve had individuals who have toured nationally and even graced Broadway stages. Despite the challenges live music and open mics face today, the Open Stage continues to thrive.

Goals for the Coming Year:

• Increase attendance to reopen the Terrace Room.

• Solidify the Open Stage’s reputation as northern New Jersey’s premier open mic destination.

Finally, I must express my heartfelt gratitude to the amazing team that makes the Open Stage possible each month. I genuinely couldn’t do it without them. Thank you, Team Open Stage—your dedication and hard work are invaluable. Seriously, thank you!

Submitted - Todd Dennison
Open Stage Chair

All accidently typos and omissions were intentional.

PUBLICITY

From: sam.edelston@folkproject.org <sam.edelston@folkproject.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 10:58 AM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Cc: publicitycomm@folkproject.org <publicitycomm@folkproject.org>
Subject: Publicity Annual Report for 2024

Hi, all –

Later than I intended, but here’s the Publicity Annual Report.

Sam

____________

From: sam.edelston@folkproject.org <sam.edelston@folkproject.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 8, 2024 12:57 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Cc: publicitycomm@folkproject.org <publicitycomm@folkproject.org>
Subject: RE: Publicity Report for 2024-12-03 Board meeting...

Hi, all –

Here’s the December Publicity Report, along with the Web and Facebook stats.

Sam

TROUBADOUR STAFFING

From: 'Jean Scully' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 7:45 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour Staffing - December Report and Annual Report

December Report:

One of the more exciting nights at Troubadour volunteer-wise was November 16th, the Friday before MUUF's grand opening of their new addition, when it was discovered that they had stripped the existing kitchen of virtually every item that we use to serve refreshments:  serving platters and utensils, pitchers, and even tables.  Volunteers scrambled to make things work, and things were patched together and worked out all right, but it was very difficult and unexpected.

Mark and Robin Schaffer and I attended the grand opening the next day as representatives of FP, and were able to see the new space, which is beautiful, and meet a few board members from MUUF, including their board president.

A private discussion with their admin, Katie, a few days later resulted in us being able to retrieve some of the items that had been taken  over to the new wing that actually were FP property, and FP now has some dedicated storage space in the kitchen and a big metal cabinet in the "cold room"  where we can keep our stuff.   We've also been assured that the old kitchen is going to stay and not be gutted, as has been periodically mentioned, since it's used every day by MUUF staffers, the AA groups and us.

I do plan to buy some folding tables from Costco, for a total outlay of about $400, because I am absolutely convinced that the first time MUUF has a big Friday or Saturday event in the new wing, their tables are going to disappear again.

I spent several hours over two days in the dungeon/storeroom in the basement of MUUF, one day with my husband Dave Heistand helping, and one day with Mark helping, and we purged and reorganized the space.  A small but steady leak in one corner of the room had resulted in many items getting mildewed and smelly; thankfully, there was nothing irreplaceable, but I did toss a bunch of things that were either damaged or no longer necessary for FP.  I took inventory of our weekly-use supplies, and that will help prevent unnecessary shopping and money outlay.

ANNUAL REPORT:

This year has been a challenging one, with several key volunteers who were present virtually every single week suffering serious health challenges that temporarily or permanently removed them from the lineup.  All but one is on the mend and will hopefully be able to continue volunteering, but their absence required some scrambling and extra effort on the part of others who stepped up to fill some very big shoes.  

The construction of the new addition resulted in a greatly decreased footprint in the Terrace Room, where we do refreshments for large gatherings.  Floor space was further decreased by a grand piano the size of an aircraft carrier; the situation has now thankfully been resolved, and the room is restored to its former dimensions, if not its former beauty.

The many changes in Troubadour operations have resulted in changes in staffing needs as well, several of them revolving around money.  The new desk system required door volunteers to learn to use an iPad- and laptop-based system to track admissions, which was a steep learning curve for some, but it seems to be settling in now as the new normal, and has greatly improved data gathering as to attendance and revenue.  We'll continue to encourage new folks to step up and learn the system.

The Exchequer job, who tallies the money at the end of the night, has an easier job of it due to input from the Door folks and the absence of creel counting and calculations.  My dream would be to make it such a quick job that the volunteer no longer needs to miss the second half of the show; this makes it a big ask for a lot of people.

As always, Amy Livingston does 99.99% of all the heavy lifting for this position, including emails and begging/coaxing/pleading to keep our rosters filled and everything working.  I am, as always, totally in her debt!

Jean Scully
Troubadour Staffing Chair

FUTURE PLANNING

From: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org> on behalf of Robin Schaffer <robinjs19@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 8:33 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Future Planning Committee -end of year report

Here is our report in Word format

From: boardplus@folkproject.org <boardplus@folkproject.org> on behalf of Robin Schaffer <robinjs19@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 8:31 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Future planning committee Dec report

Here is the report in Word format.