The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to announce our 2013 Young Artist Concerto Competition! Applications are now available for the Junior and Senior Divisions for musicians ages 8-22. We would love to have your students participate in this year’s competition!

As Boulder’s own professional orchestra, the Boulder Phil has sponsored its Young Artist Concerto Competition annually since 1959. One winner from each division will be chosen to perform with the Boulder Philharmonic. All winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to a Boulder Phil subscription concert at Macky Auditorium.

As Congress debates how to avoid the looming “fiscal cliff,” tax incentives for charitable contributions hang in the balance. Policymakers are considering a wide range of proposals to reduce the tax incentive for charitable giving – including capping the dollar amount allowable for all itemized tax deductions, or reducing the rate of deductibility – in an effort to generate new federal revenue. This would impact the tax deduction for charitable giving.

Your participation is needed to help Congress understand that limiting the charitable deduction would harm the arts in many ways. Please CLICK HERE to contact your Members of Congress today<> to urge them to preserve charitable giving incentives as the tax reform debates continue. Tell them how charitable contributions support the unique, essential services your orchestra provides in your community.

Thank you for your participation!
Hal Ponder
Director of Government Relations
American Federation of Musicians

A petition has been established to support the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra.

We’d like to encourage musicians everywhere to sign this petition, and we also encourage you to share the link with all of your friends through e-mail blasts and your social networking sites.

The petition is titled “Support Keeping World-Class Musicians in the
Minnesota Orchestra” and you can sign the petition at this link:
CLICK HERE

Let all of our voices be heard as we support our friends and colleagues in the Minnesota Orchestra and musicians everywhere!

Thank you,
Bruce Ridge,
Chairman, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM)

This coming Monday, August 6, the DMA hosts our first voter registration drive for the November 2012 election. We want every member of the DMA registered to vote!

Littleton’s Centennial Academy of the Arts needs musical instruments. If you have one to donate, please contact
Hank Troy at the DMA office, 303-573-1717, or by email at hanktroydma@aol.com
The current needs are 8 flutes and/or clarinets; 5 saxophones (alto and tenor); 7 trumpets; and 7 baritones.

Denver, CO (November 29, 2010) – Colorado Creative Industries, a new division of the state Office of Economic Development, merges the former Colorado Council on the Arts, the Office of Film, Television and Media, and the state’s Art in Public Places program. The division has scheduled a Listening Tour from December 2 through January 15 to gather final feedback before publishing the division’s new strategic plan, and to provide training on the division’s largest grant program, Colorado Creates.

From October 1 through December 31, 2010, the Denver Musicians Association (DMA) is offering an exclusive $50 membership discount to members of the Colorado Music Business Association (COMBO).

And, from October 1 through December 31, 2010, COMBO is offering a $10 exclusive membership discount to DMA members at a cost of $20. Read On

The idea is to create a pilot instrumental music program which could be used as a model for the entire country of Cambodia and perhaps even other Southeast Asian nations. There are currently no school band programs in the entire country of Cambodia, a country that just a couple of decades ago was devastated by what has been called “the killing fields”. Many of the students at the Logos School are orphans or “street” kids. I shared with Steven that I would try to get with the Denver Musicians Association to collect band instruments. The question became, how do we get the instruments to Phnom Penh. Read On

A new NEA report, Artists in the Workforce, details how Artists represent 1.4 percent of the U.S. labor force and constitute one of the largest classes of workers in the nation.

“The time has come to insist on an obvious but overlooked fact — artists are workers. They make things and perform services, just like other workers, and these goods and services have value — not merely in lofty spiritual terms but also in dollars and cents. Without denying the higher purposes of the artistic vocation, this report shows that artists play an important role in America’s cultural vitality and economic prosperity.”

Dana Gioia
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

You cannot imagine my disappointment when I read the news Wednesday morning that the Denver City Council voted 8 – 4 to approve the contract with Open Air to show a month of movies at Civic Center Park.

Jerald Lepinski (1931-2009) first came to Colorado in the 50s to conduct the Classical Choir at Rocky Ridge Music Center and stayed in the region for the remainder of his life. He was a member of the Denver Musicians Association since 1961.

The Denver Musicians Association recognizes Gloria Holliday, who was recently elected as president of the Denver Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Gloria has long championed causes of the African American community.

Meetings are held at 10:00 AM on the third Saturday of every month at 2823 Fairfax Street in Denver. The general public is encouraged to attend.more

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Board of Directors at their meeting on September 24th selected Gully Stanford to be the recipient of the 2009 Rex Morgan Citizen Volunteer Award. The award honors a resident living within the boundaries of SCFD (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties) who models citizenship and volunteerism for the benefit of the cultural community. The award was named after Rex Morgan who served as a leader, volunteer, and advocate who pursued a regional vision, SCFD, for the benefit of the community.

The Colorado Council on the Arts Announces
The 2010 Governor’s Arts Award
Nomination Form Now Available Online

DENVER—(September 10, 2009) The Colorado Council on the Arts and Arts for Colorado announce that 2010 Governor’s Arts Award nomination forms are now available online at www.coloarts.org.

COLORADO JOBS IN THE ARTS RECEIVE $568,040
IN AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA) FUNDS

DENVER, CO ­— September 10, 2009 — The Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA), the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA), and the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) today announced 47 Colorado non-profit arts organizations will receive $568,040 in federal recovery funds to preserve or restore 313 salaried and contract positions.

An anonymous donor will give $500,000 to help the Charlotte Symphony stay afloat if others kick in an equal amount by Dec. 31.

A letter from Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, was sent to school and education community leaders highlighting the importance of arts education.

50 Ponds and water gardens await visitors! The Junior Symphony Guild is pleased to be one of the recipients of the 2009 BR&D Pond Tour. Proceeds from the sales of the tickets will go directly to the JSG and will support our 2009-10 concert series, Inside the Orchestra and Tiny Tots, for Denver area children. If you are unable to make the pond tour, but would like to make a donation, please send your donation to Sarah Omer, 10376 Baneberry Place, Littleton, CO, 80129.

DENVER, July 27, 2009-Governor Bill Ritter has made three new appointments and one reappointment to the eleven-member board of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. At the July 23, 2009 meeting of the SCFD board, Board Chairman James Harrington thanked outgoing board members Dan Hopkins and Jake Zambrano for their three years of service to the District and its citizens. Mr. Harrington swore in new board members Khadija K. Haynes, Dave Montez and Shepard Nevel to their first terms.

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) requests nominations for the 2009 Rex Morgan Citizen Volunteer Award. The award honors a resident living within the boundaries of SCFD (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties) who models citizenship and volunteerism for the benefit of the cultural community. The recipient of the award will reflect the qualities of Rex Morgan after whom the award is named. Mr. Morgan served as a leader, volunteer, and advocate who pursued a regional vision, SCFD, for the benefit of the community. He enlisted the help of many of his contacts and used his energy and knowledge of the legislative process to make SCFD a reality.

Harland Jensen, father of JSG Music Director Tom Jensen, passed away on Friday, June 12. Harland Jensen was an ardent supporter of the arts. He was a big supporter of classical music and was especially proud of the Junior Symphony Guild and the “Inside the Orchestra” programs.

In lieu of flowers or cards, the family asks that you make a contribution to the Harland Jensen Memorial JSG Fund

A fundraiser for Junior Symphony Guild Music Education
Programs will be held at Meridian Golf Club
Monday, June 15th-1:00 PM Shotgun start. Cocktail Buffet Party-5:30 PM
Receive $25 off your entry free if you register by May 1st!
Win a Solstice from Suss Pontiac with a hole-in-one on the 8th hole!
Reserve your spot in the tournament! (men’s, women’s and mixed team divisions). Click heading for more details.

April 28, 2009 – Turning 40 for Lakewood just got a little more fun. Lakewood is calling on those who live, work, go to school or own a business in the city to participate in its competition to name an official tree, flower and song for Lakewood’s 40th anniversary.

Yesterday, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was one of the first agencies in the federal government to release grant guidelines for applying for economic stimulus and job recovery arts funds. As you may recall, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama on
February 17, 2009 provided $50 million to support jobs in the arts through NEA grants.

The House of Representatives approved their final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. We can now confirm that the package DOES include $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through National Endowment for the Arts grants. President Obama plans to sign the bill on Monday – President’s Day.

The current proposal for the State’s budget balancing plan includes a 50% reduction for the Colorado Council on the Arts. Such a cut would seriously impact the agency’s ability to continue to provide the grants and services for artists, community organizations, schools, creative businesses, and government agencies at its current level. The agency has scheduled a Listening Tour from January 30 through February 10 to gather important public feedback regarding the critical areas in which state investment is essential to support our state’s creative economy.

The 2008 honorees are Charles Burrell, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Su Teatro and The Bloomsbury Review. In addition, the Mayor’s Cultural Legacy Award will be presented to Noël Congdon. A reception will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON, DC, January 13, 2009—Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, announced today its policy recommendations to President-elect Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress, as they begin consideration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The nine recommendations detail how existing federal programs, as well as new proposals, can provide critical support to the country’s arts, as well as economic infrastructure.

“On behalf of our 90,000 members, the AFM urges President-elect Obama to appoint Michael Dorf to the position of Chairman of the NEA in the very near future,” said Thomas F. Lee, AFM international president. “After reviewing Mr. Dorf’s background in the arts, his accomplishments in support of the arts, and his ability to mobilize organizations to support the arts as he did in his native Chicago and elsewhere, the AFM believes that he will best be able to lead the NEA during this difficult time in our nation’s history.

Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts—now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.
Sign Petition

Former “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard stars in “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” one of the shows listed on Equity’s union show list.

If you’re looking to check out a play or musical during the holidays, the Actors’ Equity website lists Broadway touring shows nationwide that employ union actors and those that do not.

Click here for the Equity tour list.

With your help he did it! Or rather they did it – President-Elect Obama, Vice President Elect Biden, Governor Ritter, Senator-Elect Udall and a host of dedicated Americans from both sides of the aisle and unaffiliated. Be sure to visit
artsobamacolorado.com for updates from the Obama National Arts Policy Committee. Right now, you can
view photos of Obama, artists, and arts supporters who have worked on his behalf during this amazing election process.

Where do the presidential candidates stand on arts funding? That’s a tricky question, since the U.S. Senate no longer casts votes on allocations for the National Endowment for the Arts, the public agency that’s the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts. Since 2000, the issue has been voted on only in the House.

Complete Story

Senator Obama has articulated a solid platform for support of the arts – one which would provide an unprecedented opportunity for development of the arts and culture in the US as never before. Be present this Sunday, in Denver’s Civic Center Park, where Obama will speak and you can hear his inspiring message in person. This Sunday, Oct 26, Barack Obama will be speaking in Denver. Be there, volunteer, pitch-in, bring friends.

Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA) One way in which the Colorado Council on the Arts supports the arts in our state is to provide grants that leverage local support for arts and cultural activities in communities across Colorado. Colorado…
Read more… / Comment

Our nation’s creativity has filled the world’s libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books – Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.

Click link above for the Obama/Biden Platform in Support of the Arts.

At their regular meeting held on Thursday, August 21, 2008, the SCFD Board of Directors passed Resolution No. 08-07 to allocate $8,880,890.00 to 27 qualified and certified organizations comprising Tier II. These 27 organizations receive a designated proportion of the statutory 21% distribution of SCFD funds.

The Colorado Chamber Players has received a grant of $10,000 from Chamber Music America (CMA), the national service organization for the ensemble music profession, to conduct an extended residency at the Children’s Hospital in Aurora. Critically ill children, their families, staff and the public will be able to attend three noon-time lecture-demonstration concerts designed for children in the new Boettcher Atrium during the 2008-09 season.

to teach adult beginners in keyboard class, using Meloz Music Tablature. You’ll like it. Everyone can now learn to read music, because this approach succeeds with all ages.
Click here for more info: Meloz®
Contact Jerald Lepinski for an interview and demonstration, even if you are only curious.
(303) 526-7441
Jerald.Lepinski@gmail.com

After 10 weeks of sessions our youth ensemble is performing a free concert this Thursday, July 10 at 8 PM. They have named themselves “ Syntax Error” and they’re good! Please feel free to come out and see them play. We have plenty of room in our recital hall, so bring anyone who would enjoy hearing kids that can swing and groove!

Then next week we have one of our three adult jazz ensembles performing Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30 PM. They have an varied program of jazz standards, Latin tunes, and blues and would love to have you come out and support them in their first concert.

“The time has come to insist on an obvious but overlooked fact—artists are workers. They make things and perform services, just like other workers, and these goods and services have value—not merely in lofty spiritual terms but also in dollars and cents. Without denying the higher purposes of the artistic vocation, this report shows.”

“Taking Action Together” is the theme of the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC), which will take place in Denver on June 10 – 14. NPAC will lay the foundation for future cross-disciplinary collaborations, cooperative programs and effective advocacy.

The IAJE Board has voted to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Federal Bankruptcy Law. While over 250 individuals contributed just over $12,000, this, along with the many other efforts and contributions of IAJE staff, Board members, and association partners, was simply not enough to address the accumulated debt of the organization or its urgent need for cash relief.

Billy Strayhorn’s classic ‘Take the A Train’ takes us back to Harlem, NY during the ’40’s at the peak of a cultural and musical renaissance. To this day Harlem’s colorful history recalls the sophisticated lifestyle of the black elite who created a social, entertainment economy that was home for musical icons such as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday.

The Columbus and Shreveport Symphony Orchestras need your help, and at times like this, a letter to the editor, board members, or even to orchestra members can be priceless.

Bron Wright is formerly with the Charleston Symphony (SC), and is currently playing Principal Trombone in the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and Fort Collins Symphony. Bron is one of a growing number of accomplished musicians who refuse to sit back and watch as music education opportunities are lost. ‘Give Them Music’ is Bron’s latest effort to fill this void with a new approach to offering musical resources.

Obama supports allowing artists to deduct the fair market value of their work for charitable contributions. Obama supports the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow artists to deduct the fair market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions. Click on title for the rest of this story.

Completely genuine, born in America, appreciated worldwide, jazz is a beloved American art form that has contributed widely to cultural unity and understanding globally.

On Saturday, March 8, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs will present its 3rd annual Building Creative Businesses Expo.

The CO Council on the Arts announced a new “Small Steps” grant program that is intended to incorporate the arts into community and economic development. The purpose of this fast-turnaround $500 awards is planning, R&D, testing the waters on programs that could further this idea. For more information and guidelines, contact Maryo Gard Ewell at maryo@gard-sibley.org.

The SCFD today announced the selection of Marjorie (Peg) Long as its new Executive Director. She will assume the position on November 5. Ms. Long was selected from a field of 3 finalists. She is currently serving as Vice President of Public Policy and Communications for the Charter League of Public Schools. Peg Long succeeds Mary Ellen Williams, who left the SCFD Executive Director position on July 3rd.

Metro-Denver’s Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) facilitates distribution of the voter-approved retail sales and usage tax funds to organizations that provide for the enlightenment and entertainment of the public through the production, exhibition, advancement or preservation of art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history or cultural history. Appropriately, SCFD policy requires that recipients of these public grants must adhere to provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Federal Minimum Wage requirements.

Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs continue the annual tradition of the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to the arts in the City and County of Denver.
Please use the following link to access the nomination details and form, and instructions on how to submit your nomination:
www.denvergov.org/HomePage/TheNominationForm/tabid/427976/Default.aspx.

The Better Denver Program—Issues A through I on this fall’s mail-in ballot election includes everything from essential street maintenance and hospital and public safety projects, to cultural facilities improvements and upgrades. If passed, a portion of the bond proceeds will enable the City of Denver to expand and make critical improvements to Boettcher Concert Hall, transforming the outdated facility into a vibrant symphony center, while creating a new facade for the Denver Performing Arts Complex and putting a well-deserved spotlight on Denver’s cultural scene.

BROOKVALE,CO – The Beacon of Creativity in the Rocky Mountains, will celebrate the opening day of the ARTS & HUMANITIES MONTH, Monday, October 1, 2007 on the West Steps of the State Capitol. This day will have dance, music, theater, visual art, literature, poetry and historical moments.

Denver is also prepared to present Arts Week, starting with a super First Friday, Plein Arts and Opening of the Louvre Exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, October 5-12 throughout the City and County of Denver, and beyond.

WHEN: Monday, OCTOBER 1, 2007 10AM to 6PM National Arts & Humanities
WHERE: Around 5280 West Step at the State Capitol, Denver, Colorado
INFORMATION: 303-825-7570 www.Brookvale.biz

The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the SCFD Denver County Cultural Council have partnered with Artspace Projects, Inc., a Minneapolis-based national, nonprofit developer, to study the space needs of the creative community in the seven-county Denver metro area. This study will assist in the potential future development of affordable space where artists may live and work, and where arts organizations and creative businesses may thrive. The study has already been completed by over 300 visual artists but very few musicians have told us what kind of space you need and can afford!