Susan Jensen / Kenosha Orchestra Boosters Interview
By Franco Tarsitano
Franco Tarsitano: Tell me what Kenosha Orchestra Boosters is for our readers that have never heard of it…your mission?
Susan Jensen:Orchestra Boosters is a non-profit organization that is affiliated with the
KUSD orchestra program. Our mission is to support and encourage the orchestra program through volunteer efforts, as well as through our fund raising activities.
F: Who are the members?
S: Anyone who has a child in the KUSD orchestra program or is an orchestra is automatically a member. There are no dues. We want every parent to feel welcome to attend our meetings and contribute in anyway they feel comfortable. We do have a regular board, with a president, vice president (no vacant), treasurer and secretary. And each middle school and high school has a parent representative that acts as a liaison. The orchestra directors from each school are all members, of course.
F: How do the students get involved?
S: We usually don’t have students attend our monthly meetings, but the students do participate in many of our activities. Students volunteer to work at the annual fruit sale, which used to be a big money maker for Band, Choir and Orchestra. Students are also invited to perform at the Boosters’ Afternoon Tea fundraiser, which is something new we started last year.
Every time I work with the orchestra students I am impressed by how well behaved and cooperative they are. By being in orchestra they’ve learned how to work together as a group, and they demonstrate that sustained effort over a period of time yields results.
F: Are they involved in other events? Are they available for performances?
S: Our website has a calendar listing all the concerts for the individual schools throughout the school year, included Orchestra Fest. Students can also compete in the WSMA-sponsored Solo and Ensemble Competition. Some of the directors arrange for the students to do special performances at nursing homes. Students often play at commencement and promotion ceremonies. Each school does different things. Tremper High School, for example, has an extra-curricular group called the Golden Strings that really has an impressive performance schedule. Any one that is interested in procuring a group to perform can do so through the KUSD’s Fine Arts Department, and ask for the coordinator, Dr Robert Wells.
F: What is your personal involvement?
S: I’ve been president for the past two years. Before that I was treasurer for three years, and Washington’s representative for one year.
F: How did you come up with the idea of the violin covers?
S: The blank violin covers are sold in the “
Shar” string music supply catalogue. They must be seconds from the manufacture of violins. Three years ago, our then- president Linda Ziesemer had the idea to use the violins to make the trophies that we award at Orchestra Fest. When I was trying to think of silent auction ideas for our up-coming Afternoon Tea, I felt that we needed to do something really different. As I was falling asleep one night I thought about us doing a variation on the “Paws and Claws” project that benefited the
Rhode Opera House not too long ago. I went to
Lemon Street Gallery to see if anyone would be interested and they liked the idea and they have really knocked themselves out helping me with this. They lined up the artists, took the pictures that appear on the web site, and have given me a lot of advice about the whole project. “Shar” donated the violin covers themselves. Everyone involved has been so enthusiastic!
F: Did you ever think of cellos, or other instruments?
S: Actually, that would be great! Someone else asked me that recently. I know “Shar” doesn’t sell them, but made we can find someone who does.
F: Tell me about this event: name, location, time, purpose for auction, etc…
S: The auction is going to take place at our Afternoon Tea. It’s on Sunday, February 24, 2008 from 1-4pm at the Woman’s Club of Kenosha. The event is free and open to the public (no tickets necessary; donations are accepted), and you can come and go as you please. We will have student performances throughout the afternoon and serve refreshments. We will also have other things for raffle.
This Tea is to help fund some of the Boosters’ projects. We send the middle school orchestra students to a special performance of the Milwaukee Symphony, so that they get to experience a professional orchestra. We have an account for each school so that they have money for instrument repairs, sheet music, and concert attire for the students, class trips and retreats. We also offer a summer music camp scholarship at the middle school level.
F: You have a guest violinist, tell me something about her?
S: We are so lucky that Chicago-area violinist
Rachel Barton Pine has agreed to come. Rachel was a child prodigy who started playing at the age of three. She is a world-class musician, and really knows how to engage an audience. Some might remember seeing her perform as a soloist with the Kenosha Symphony. I believe she’s played with them four times now. Greg Berg, from WGTD, will be our MC, and he will do an interview with Rachel, some Q & A with the audience, and Rachel will play pieces from her recent CD “American Virtuoso: A Tribute to Maud Powell” (available through the Cedille label). The students are going to be wowed by her! For those that aren’t familiar with Rachel should visit her beautiful web site:
www.rachelbartonpine.com.
F: This benefit is specifically for summer music camp, tell me about that… how are the scholarships decided where is the music camp?
S: A few years ago we felt that we could be doing more for the students, something on an individual level, to encourage their playing. After some brainstorming at one of our meetings it was decided that we would initially offer this scholarship to middle school students, and to expand on the program when our budget allowed. We thought of doing college scholarships, but middle school can be a tough transition time for music students: the music is getting harder, requiring more practice and effort, and we wanted to offer encouragement. We offer six, $200.00 each and the students can pick a camp of their choice. Some of the schools in the UW system offer camps, like Green Bay and Whitewater.
F: How long has all this been going on?
S: We are on our fourth year. In the past 3 years we’ve given out 21 scholarships.
F: How does this music camp benefit the students? The community?
S:We’ve gotten a lot of positive feed back about this scholarship.
The first year we offered the scholarship, one of the winners wrote to us about her experience. While at camp she took a class on conducting, which she really enjoyed. The follow school year one day she had a substitute for orchestra who didn’t know anything about music. The student was able to lead the class because of what she learned at camp! It’s so gratifying for us to hear stories like that–it proves that what we do really makes a difference. I hope that events like our Tea make the public aware of the wonderful music teachers and students we have in Kenosha, and how much power we as individuals have to positively influence the lives of others!
F: Each violin cover is an original piece of artwork?
S: Yes. Each artist that participated had free reign. Lemon Street tried to pick artists with diverse styles, and the results are fantastic! I hope each artist realizes how grateful the Boosters are for their participation in this project. This is a wonderful example of the rich and diverse art community in Kenosha, and how the arts can support each other. I hope that the artists will be able to attend the Tea and give the public an opportunity to meet them. I’m personally looking forward to it.
Incidentally, attending the AHA! Kenosha meetings was another part of the inspiration for this project. I think AHA! is going to be very good for Kenosha.
Susan Jensen and the Kenosha Orchestra Boosters you have been “exposed”
3 comments ↓
Those covers are beautiful! Awesome idea! Much love for string instruments.
Thank you so much, Susan, for giving some of the Lemon Street artists the opportunity to collaborate on the Orchestra Boosters project. We LOVE arts partnerships! This is exactly the kind of project that builds community among artists across disciplines, and has the additional benefit of showcasing to the public the positive effect a united arts community can have on finding economic solutions.
Has anyone sent notice of this project to our Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton? She’s a cello player, the Chair of the WI Art Board, and a legistator who totally “gets” how the arts impact communities. She would love to know about this.
What great news! The Lemon Street Gallery never fails to extend its reach in a new way. Building a bridge between local artists and budding musicians strengthens the network within the arts and culture sector, and better leverages both funding and a community’s understanding of the deep public value of both. The website is very sophisticated and good looking and engaging.
Thank you for your important work. I hope that the event was a great success!
Truly yours,
Barbara Lawton
Lieutenant Governor
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