Board Meeting Minutes for May 2024
The meeting was called to order at 8:20 PM on May 7, by President Elizabeth Lachowicz. This meeting was held via Zoom.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mike Agranoff, Loretta Brooks, Jeff Canter, Todd Dennison, Paul Fisher, Doug Heacock, Peggy Karr, Allan Kugel, Elizabeth Lachowicz, John Mahon, Bob McNally, George Otto, Gary Pratt, Sandie Reilly, Chris Riemer, Tina Ross, Mark Schaffer and Robin Schaffer
Absent: Sam Edelston, Jean Scully and Pamela Zave
MOTIONS MADE
The minutes of the April meeting were accepted as amended, with some slight changes in spin and the correction of a typo.
The board approved the new logo artwork presented by the Future Planning committee, letting the rebranding work move forward.
The board elected Mark Schaffer as the new chair of the Troubadour committee, accepting the recommendation made by outgoing chair Todd Dennison.
ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW
Secretary
Chris reported that everything was under control.
Treasurer
Peggy had nothing special to report. We are currently cash rich because of Admissions income from the May Getaway.
President
Elizabeth let the board know that she will not be able to attend the June Director’s meeting, because she’ll be in Colorado for her day job. Vice President Paul Fisher will officiate.
NEW BUSINESS
Revisiting the Folk Project Logo
Robin updated the group on the ongoing development of a new Folk Project logo, walking through several PowerPoint style slides to illustrate fonts, colors, icons and so forth. These are tweaked versions of the visuals Robin showed last month, based on feedback from the Directors. It’s essentially the draft of a "brand book," and is being assembled by Yolanda Fundora. There are four different color treatments, featuring blues, greens and black, with images for web use, print, T-shirts and a new stage banner. Robin is planning to reveal the logo on May 31, with a few T-shirts ready to sell that night.
Some discussion ensued. Tina liked the design very much. Mike wondered why they’ve gone from a guitar to a banjo, because that’s how the second circle element reads to him. He was persuaded on that point, but also hoped the existing Troubadour banner could be kept in the mix. Doug agreed, suggesting that we might find a quilter who could combine the new logo with the old banner. Robin is fine with that idea in theory, and thinks specific applications of the new branding should be up to the venue chairs.
Allan had some questions about the relative visual weight of the circular element. He thought it should be lighter. Gary deferred to the musicians as far as the guitar/banjo discussion, but having had Allan point it out, he did feel the circle called too much attention to itself. He was also less happy with the colors, which he felt had a “save our oceans” feel. But he can live with it.
There was some extended discussion of how the color palette will play on streaming media, but the consensus was that it was something we should be able to adjust for at the camera level. Chris also said that while it’s important to protect our mark by using the TM symbol, it doesn’t have to be used everywhere. We certainly want it on the web and on our letterhead, but the TM probably doesn’t need to appear on the banner.
Bob reminded everyone that the current proposal reflects a great deal of analysis and collective brainstorming that has taken place over many months. So there has already been a lot of distillation of the core logo ideas. The board was happy with the work and gave the team a green light for moving forward. Thanks to Robin, Yolanda, Olga Alvarez, Liz Pagan, Peggy, George, Todd, Bob and Mark.
Jeff wanted to know if board members could pre-order T-shirts before the launch. Paul also suggested that we might want to extend the T-shirt offer to the volunteers. Robin will take that suggestion under advisement.
NERFA Showcase
Bob announced that the Future Planning Committee is lining up a bunch of volunteers to support a Folk Project showcase at NERFA, which is in Portland, Maine, this year. He thinks we should spend $200 for a showcase room.
In the past, we’ve had lots of members (and Directors) attend as individuals, but this would be an opportunity for the full organization to have a presence. It’s not about spending some money to get a financial return, but to make a greater contribution toward the larger music industry. Bob also thinks we should plan on attending for the next three years to establish a real presence. Gary agreed with that, and he’d also like to see some streaming content come out of the showcase, if we can work out the logistics. For that matter, Folk Alliance International is having its next event in Montreal, in February 2025. That’s another opportunity to show the flag.
There was some discussion of a possible motion, but Elizabeth felt the likely cost fell within her presidential discretionary budget. It’s a good idea that will put us out there, and she’s comfortable authorizing it without a motion. George pointed out that there will likely be some additional costs for things like signage and promotional items. He thinks we should spend that money when the time comes. Mark agrees, and thinks that some kind of snacks would also be appropriate. Maybe $250 total.
Chris added that this showcase would be a good distribution point for the presumed T-Shirt inventory, but adds that for that application, we should really add the URL to the design.
COMMITTEE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
Sound Reinforcement
John stands on his written report. Gary took the moment to praise the quality of the audio and video feeds, which have been great for the last few months.
Future Planning Committee
Robin stands on her report. Bob reported in more detail on some of the lighting experiments he and Todd have conducted at MUF, aimed at creating a more “magical and engaging experience.” The key is darkening the audience and adding creative lighting for the performers. This enhanced lighting has been used at about five shows since October 2023 and we should expect to see it more often as we get better at understanding the details.
That will mean striking a balance that considers both the live audience and the streaming audience. It will also be interesting if MUF moves forward on a plan to replace all the currently installed instruments with smart bulbs. Gary feels the enhanced lighting may be a real enhancement for the live audience, but feels it has been detrimental to streaming. At least so far. Mike also felt consideration should be given to where the equipment might be stored, and the extra volunteer effort entailed in setting it up and putting it away. There was a good deal of technical discussion on all these points, but not everything was resolved. “It’s an extended experiment,” said Bob.
Newsletter
As mentioned, George has begun the advance communication around the pending Troubadour price increase. Everything else is “copacetic,” thanks to his excellent team of proofreaders. This month, the Getaway will fall right in the middle of laying out the newsletter, so he asked that people make an extra effort to get their content in early.
Swingin’ Tern
Doug stands on his written report. Swingin’ Tern has decided to establish its own steering committee. The goal is to enable rapid responses to any issues that arise and also diffuse the chairs’ responsibilities.
Streaming
Gary stands on his report.
Open Stage / Membership
Todd did not submit a written Open Stage report this month, but he has noticed there is a steady stream of performers who are new to us. Names he’s never seen before. That’s good news. Everyone is up to date on their membership.
Troubadour
Todd has sent out a written report, and feels that he needs to step down as the chair of this committee. He has recruited Mark Schaffer as a qualified successor, and while Mark was initially reluctant, he is now “rocking it.” Todd’s recommendation is to let Mark keep doing what he’s doing because he’s doing a great job. Elizabeth thanked Todd for the new sense of playfulness he brought to the Troubadour, and accepted his resignation.
There was some discussion about whether Mark could take on this role via presidential appointment, or whether an actual vote was necessary. We decided to take the voting route partly on the recommendation of George Otto, our unofficial parliamentarian, and because Jeff pointed out that a vote was required by Article V Section 1 of the Folk Project bylaws . Mark was elected by a clear majority, although Alan worried that we were turning Mark into an overburdened resource. Chris seconded that opinion, believing that the board would be stronger and more agile if we spread the work over more bodies.
Mark agrees in a way, and would be happy to give up his role as chair of the Getaway. He wouldn’t mind having someone else take over the Music Alerts, either. But he feels the Troubadour remains the heart of the Folk Project, and that’s where he’s needed most.
Horses Sing None of It
Sandie has nothing to report.
Special Events
Mark wanted to add that the Singer-Songwriter event lost about $900 last year. If it failed to at least break-even in 2024, we would probably have dropped it from the portfolio.
But in fact, it recouped last year’s loss and was a great success. A success financially, but also an exciting day of workshops and a wonderful concert. Kudos to Tina, Diane and Laura McCluskey.
The Evening of Music this month is at Mark and Robin’s.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting proper was adjourned at 10:05 PM. Next month’s meeting is June 4, at 8:15 PM, via Zoom.
Submitted by Chris Riemer
WRITTEN COMMITTEE REPORTS
NEWSLETTER
From: George Otto <g_otto@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 2:11 AM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org
Cc: George Otto <GeorgeOtto@mac.com>
Subject: Newsletter Committee Report 2024-05
Newsletter Committee Report 2024-05
Things are proceeding as usual with the invaluable help of Kathi Caccavale, Pat Brangs, Bill Henderson, Gary Pratt, Paul Fisher, and Todd Dennison.
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 will be $20 going forward, with $15 admission for FP members. The creel will no longer be used.
George Otto
Folk Project Newsletter Editor
newsletter@folkproject.org
PUBLICITY
From: sam.edelston@folkproject.org <sam.edelston@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 12:56 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org
Cc: publicitycomm@folkproject.org
Subject: Publicity Report for 2024-05-07 Board meeting
Hi, all –
Here’s the May Publicity Report along with John Lamb’s Web Stats. I’ll probably have to miss the meeting.
Let me know if there are any questions.
Sam
SWINGIN' TERN
From: 'Doug Heacock' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 4:47 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Swingin' Tern Dances April 2024 Report for the Folk Project Board Meeting on 5/7/24
Swingin' Tern Dances April 2024 Report for the Folk Project Board Meeting on 5/7/24
In April Swingin’ Tern held two regular evening dances:
4/6 Chloe Levine & Contra Intuitive 48 attendees [35 paid/12 staff/1 free] Profit $57
4/20 Ridge Kennedy & Contra Rebels 41 attendees [33 paid/8 staff/0 free] Loss -$132
April total -$75 loss
The loss on 4/20 was expected since it was opposite NEFFA, the national dance festival that several Tern members attended. There were two dancers who fell individually while dancing at the 4/20 dance. The dance stopped to assess each situation. Both injuries were minor and the individuals were fine when Elizabeth Lachowicz followed up the following morning.
We had a committee meeting via Zoom on April 26th with 15 attendees. Given the falls at the previous dance, we discussed a safety protocol. We polled who was certified in CPR [we have a CPR instructor and an RN on our committee] and noted an AED defibrillator is in the upper lobby by the dance hall entrance.
We approved the creation of a steering committee. This will be a smaller group that can make rapid decisions on urgent matters or those that are of a personal nature. This is to ensure that the chair is not making unilateral decisions on critical matters without input. The members will be the Chair [Doug Heacock], those in charge of Booking [Jon Justin], Sound [Andrew Werner], Volunteers [Virginia Peace], MeetUp [Karen Justin], and an At- Large member [Christy Cook]. A simple majority will rule with the Chair being the tie-breaker if necessary. If appropriate, opinions will be solicited in advance of steering committee meetings. Significant decisions will be shared with the entire committee after the meetings.
We will establish a set schedule of committee meeting dates at a roughly 3-month interval.
Yours in dance,
Doug Heacock
dheacock@aol.com
973-634-7740
chair@swingintern.org
FUTURE PLANNING
From: Robin Schaffer <robinjs19@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 8:17 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: May Future Planning report
FP Future Planning Committee
May Board Report
May 7, 2024
April Accomplishments
Grant and Sponsorship Status
Still waiting to hear on the Mid-Atlantic Arts grant, which is for a concert in 2025 with Jorma Kaukonon. We will find out if we received the grant money shortly.
Presentation Sub Committee
MUUF will be installing new smart bulbs to provide lighting enhancements.
We will do the next “all out” presentation on May 31, when the Troubadour pricing changes and we reveal the new logo. We are planning to order a new banner and branded tablecloth.
Social Media
Social Media advertising experiments continued.
We continue to advertise and although we are still unable to specifically track ticket sales as a result of the ads, audience is starting to mention seeing them.
Our experiments continue through July
We ran a campaign for April 19, which was Restaurant Week in Morristown. We ran a promotion for free dessert. The act (Arielle Silver) did not draw a large audience and no one was aware of the promotion.
We are running an ad targeting performers and promoting Open Stage and Getaway. We have had a lot of interest and Todd received several new people sign up for OS.
Branding
Logo is ready for approval today. We are presenting a initial brand book, showing the logo in various configurations.
We are planning to order a short run of tshirts, to be available on May 31.
Team meeting
Planned for July 6
April Goals
We will be setting a day in June/July for the committee to do an in person meeting to look ahead at our next goals.
Social Media
We continue to promote events
We will promote the July 6 Swing ‘N Tern dance.
Branding
Based on results of Board presentation, will do any required tweaking.
Volunteerism
We still need help with social media - copywriters, and graphics. Right now Mark and I are hobbling along with it.
We brought up the idea of getting students from College of St. Elizabeth, Drew, Fairleigh Dickinson, or CCM to provide volunteer resources. Todd will investigate when he has an opportunity.
As always, the Future Planning Committee is open to all suggestions and feedback. If you want to learn more about longer term ideas, please reach out to Robin.Schaffer@folkproject.org.
Robin and Bob
TREASURER
From: timpeg@optonline.net <timpeg@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 1:33 PM
To: board@folkproject.org
Subject: Treasurer Report May 2024
Hello Everyone,
Nothing out of the ordinary to report.
BMI has raised their minimum rate from $290 last year to $424 this year. Michael says with the ticket increase it should'nt be a problem getting to the minimum.
Attached is the current Profit & Loss to date along with the Balance Sheet.
As always, any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Respectfully Submitted
Peggy Karr
Treasurer
STREAMING
From: Gary Pratt <prattdiv@comcast.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 3:24 PM
To: FP Board <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Streaming Committee Report - May 2024
Folk Project Board members,
To maintain parity with the new Troubadour in-person ticket prices, effective 5/31 the ticket price for streaming Troubadour shows will be $10 for all audience members (no distinction between members and nonmembers). Since the new streaming price is still low compared to other streaming venues, attendance and tips to performers are not expected to be significantly affected by the price increase.
An example of the effectiveness of streaming in terms of outreach and added revenue:
The majority of streaming audience members are not local people (case in point: 2/3 of The Tannahill Weavers streaming audience was from out-of-state including VA, NY, PA, FL, MI, British Columbia, MD, UT, Scotland, OH, ID, AZ, ME, OR, IL, MA, CA, The Netherlands, IN, WA, MN, TX, VT, and NC). As you can see, most of these folks would not have attended the show in-person and the ticket revenue from them far exceeded any loss of income from locals choosing to watch from home instead of in-person. In addition, we have a number of senior and/or disabled people who are very grateful for being able to watch the livestream since they are unable to attend the in-person shows.
Please note: All streaming concerts are available for rewatch until 24 hours after the live show ends. Tickets can be purchased until 6:30pm the day after the live show. Since concerts can start late and/or end early or late, be sure to start watching the rewatch no later than 7:00pm the day after the show so you don’t miss any of the show.
Respectfully submitted,
Gary
The Folk Project Streaming Chair
SOUND REINFORCEMENT
From: 'John Mahon' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers
Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 6:34 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>; Elizabeth Lachowicz <elizabeth.lachowicz@gmail.com>
Subject: Sound Reinforcement Committee Report May 2024
Sound Reinforcement Committee Report May 2024
In April we provided live and broadcast sound for 4 Friday night shows, and a Saturday special concert . This included 3 regular shows for Peter Yarrow with Christine DeLeon on April 5, Arielle Silver with Halley Neal on Apr. 19, The Tannahill Weavers on Apr. 26, the Open Stage on April 12, and the Saturday night show for Susan Werner with Natalia Zukerman on April 13.
All the shows proceeded with no technical issues.
John Mahon
Committee Chairman
TROUBADOUR
From: Todd Dennison <todd.dennison@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 9:24 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour Report April 2024
The Troubadour made several significant changes this month. As a committee, we met and developed a plan to eliminate the creel tipping system, opting for a more traditional approach. Under the new system, we expect artists to be compensated similarly, while the audience will not have to endure the creel pitch at every show. Admissions will be $20 to the general public and $15 to members, enhancing the value of membership.
We had been considering utilizing Afton, our current manager of streaming ticketing processes, for in-person events. Despite a notable impact on net revenue, after factoring in Afton and associated costs, we believed there might be a value proposition. The committee ultimately voted against using Afton to process in-person ticketing but does expect to continue using the Afton platform for online ticketing and streaming.
During this meeting, Co-chair Gary Pratt decided to leave the committee. This resulted in a number of changes. Troubadour operations have proven too complex and rapid to be made by a committee meeting monthly for hours of long discussions and votes. As the chair, I moved to a staffing model similar to Open Stage, Getaway, Streaming Tuesdays, Old Troubadour, etc., where operations are run by assignment of responsibility, and where policies and guidelines are set by the chair individually. Mike and Kathi agreed to remain under the team approach. Mark Schaffer, who has a strong track record in event management, has agreed to lead the booking team.
We’ve targeted the May 31st Joe Jencks concert as a deadline for finalizing the credit card system, revising and simplifying artist contracts, using credit cards for supply purchases, annualizing supplies and food purchases to automate bookkeeping, creating a new stage backdrop that doesn’t distort the automatic video lighting settings as well as a better lighting solution, creating a more-welcoming front desk and lobby visually and experientially, and booking strategies that leverage the recent successes of our bigger name acts to some day attract enough regulars to avoid the almost-empty theaters we’ve also recently experienced.
April was an odd month for Troubadour. We had two shows this month of entirely different character. Arielle Silver’s show on the 19th was woefully under-attended with only 26 paid, while the Tannahill Weavers’ show on the 27th was packed with 160 paid. The Weavers’ show, while highly successful in terms of audience, did not make as much money as would have been expected, due to their unusually high (for us) guarantee of $2,000. They routinely ask for 2 to 3 times as much guarantee, but we were able to get them at a bargain because we fit so nicely into their touring schedule. Even with the money we had to kick in to meet their guarantee, we still came away with a profit of $294 for the show. Overall we wound up with a loss of $252 for the month, but we’re $1,585 in the black year-to-date.
Todd Dennison
Troubadour Chair
TROUBADOUR STAFFING
From: 'Jean Scully' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 8:08 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour staffing
Greetings all,
I just got a last minute work assignment that needs to be done tonight, and I need to beg off the meeting.
Here’s the report.
With all the changes upcoming in Troub operations, things are going to be in flux for the next few months. Some volunteer positions are going to be retired, and others will change. Amy and I will be in touch with the volunteer mailing list as things are more firmed up.
The iPad credit card reader is a welcome addition, and Todd’s programming means there’s about a 5minute learning curve. Especially with the price increase and attracting more newcomers, I’m sure it will be getting more use. Ticks will continue in the foreseeable future, but some positions (like baker) may not be given an extra free entry once it’s worth $30 or $40. All these things, as noted, are still TBD.
Of course the next big change will be the opening of the new addition at MUUF, which will be yet another change. The presumed new Minister, a woman named Sasha, was at the Weavers concert and several of had a chance to chat with her. I told her I was looking forward to some more synergy with MUUF folks.
Jean