CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota Chapters

The Forum's 10 regional chapters allow the organization to meet the specific needs of artists and local communities, while nurturing the growth of new music on a national level. Without the chapters, the scope of the Forum's accomplishments would be inconceivable. Over the course of a year, the Chapter Spotlight will profile each of the Forum's ten regional chapters and their extraordinary work. - Ed.

Elissa Ecklund Chaffee, Minnesota Chapter Director
Daniel Zielske, Southern Minnesota Chapter Director

(Sounding Board, December 2002) Over the past year, the Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota chapters helped composers forge new partnerships with local communities, connected them with artists of other disciplines, and provided them with career development opportunities. These efforts resulted in a diverse array of composer partnerships, including collaborations with war veterans, inner-city youth, and professional filmmakers. From Hutchinson to Minneapolis to Crookston (yes, those are all places in Minnesota), members and local residents came together to share new music and build stronger communities.

Engaging Communities

Composer-in-Residence David Wolff works with members of the Hutchinson High School Marching Band as part of his Community Partners residency. The chapters' Community Partners Program places composers in residence with community, social service, and educational organizations. To ensure that the projects meet the needs of the communities they serve, they are planned in collaboration with the partner organizations. Through Community Partners, composers have worked with an inner-city women's shelter, school bands, veterans groups, and at-risk youth. One of this year's many successful projects, composer David Wolff's residency in Hutchinson culminated on May 27 with the Hutchinson High School Band's performance of his composition "No End Save Victory." The residency brought Wolff to Hutchinson to create a work honoring local veterans and celebrating the new Veterans Memorial Park of McLeod County. As part of the residency, Wolff spoke with local veterans and used the interviews as source material for the composition. He also worked with high school band members to prepare the work for performance.

CitySongs participants work on a small-group activity. In the Twin Cites, Raymond Berg served as composer-in-residence for CitySongs, an after-school choir program for third- through eighth-graders, which uses singing and related activities to encourage positive youth development, foster respect for diversity, and give rise to musical excellence. In March, Berg began working with participants to choose themes for the three songs he would write for them. They eventually settled on the themes of peace and tolerance. After completing the songs, Berg returned to CitySongs to teach them to the children, who premiered them at a May 10 concert at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. "Playing in Place," composer-trumpeter John O'Brien's project with The Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (a nonprofit cable television network), brought composers, instrumentalists, and a videographer together to celebrate St. Paul. The project was proposed by O'Brien and funded through the chapter's Community Partners Program. Photographed by Craig Schlattman of Proletariat Pictures, it featured 11 short video clips of St. Paul street scenes, set to music by 14 local composers. This original blend of images and new music premiered on SPNN in August and has been aired more than 30 times on a number of cable access networks. The program garnered lots of local press and numerous awards, including Suburban Community Cable's award for "Best Overall Program of the Year."

A Matter of Faith

Now in its 10th year, the Faith Partners program revitalizes what was once a rich musical partnership - that of composers and communities of faith. Through the program, composers work with consortia of two to three religious congregations in the creation of new sacred music. Projects last approximately 18 months and are administered by the Twin Cities Chapter throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

The program has worked with 88 congregations and 27 composers in the Upper Midwest, and four more composers are currently being selected. To date, these projects are responsible for the premieres of more than 170 new sacred works.

In a recently completed residency, Ron Nelson collaborated with Bethany Lutheran Church, the Diocesan Chorale, and the Amery Congregational Church of Christ, in Amery and Siren, Wis. The project took on added significance when a tornado devastated Siren in June 2001. Nelson wrote one of the compositions for the dedication of Bethany's new sanctuary, an event that was delayed by the tornado.

"Although Bethany was right in the path of the tornado, she was not destroyed - bruised but not broken," wrote Pastor Diane Blahauvietz. "Finally, on October 14, [2001], we had our dedication and it was truly a day of joy and thanksgiving. … The music was a high point for many of us that morning."

Nelson's residency wrapped up on October 6, 2002, when all three congregations joined together to perform and share the six compositions that had been composed for the consortium.

Out of the Concert Halls

As part of the Musser New Music Series, the Composers Syndicate unleashes its own brand of heavy metal.

The two Minnesota chapters also continued their commitment to building markets for composers by reaching audiences outside of typical concert-hall settings. Through chapter programs, audiences encountered the work of living composers in a host of venues, including public parks and historic buildings.

The Southern Minnesota Chapter's Performance Series concerts are unique to the region. They not only bring vibrant new music to rural communities, but also allow area composers to practice their art where they live. Concerts have included multimedia, jazz, contemporary classical, and electro-acoustic performances. Over the past year, the series has reached several-hundred audience members in St. Peter, Rochester, Winona, Mankato, and New Ulm.

In St. Paul, the 2002 Musser New Music Series gave Minnesota composers a hands-on experience in concert production. A program of the Twin Cities Chapter, the Schubert Club, and Minnesota Landmarks, Inc., it places artists in the producer's seat, guiding them through the various stages of concert production, promotion, and performance. In March, the four-concert series, held at the Historic Landmark Center, featured works by eighteen composers.

It's Not Just a Job; It's a Career
The chapters provided Minnesota composers with networking opportunities and workshops to help them learn more about the art and business of composing. The Music for Moving Pictures workshop was held in conjunction with the Minnesota Film and TV Board, Springboard for the Arts, and Musictech College. The sessions included a seminar on licensing and clearances by legal experts, an in-depth presentation on creating music for the screen by professional filmmakers and composers, and an opportunity for local artists to share their current projects and get feedback from participants.

Behind the Beat: Workshop for Composers and Choreographers brought music and dance professionals together for a daylong exploration of composer-choreographer collaborations. The event featured New York composer John Mackey, the musicians of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, and choreographer James Sewell of Sewell Ballet.

The Southern Minnesota Chapter is funded through the generous support of the Mardag Foundation, Mankato Sesquicentennial Committee, Prairie Lake Regional Arts Council, Southeast Minnesota Arts Council, and The Helen F. Whitaker Fund.

The Twin Cities Chapter is funded through the generous support of The Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation, F. R. Bigelow Foundation, The Fred C. and Dora L. Gosso Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation, and The Helen F. Whitaker Fund.

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