Town of Morrisville’s Post

Performance spaces and education are just the start...

***Warning: Celebratory Post Below*** While the Portland Lindy Society (PLS) hosts weekly dances and live music for our local community, our flagship event every year is the Portland Lindy Exchange (PDXLX). First hosted in 1999, PDXLX is an entire weekend celebrating the vintage swing music and dances of the 20’s – 50’s, and draws dancers from across the U.S. as well as international swing communities. Looking over the data we collected from PDXLX 2024 last month, two numbers stand out to me: - We increased our event pass sales by 65% from 2023 📈 - 100% of our survey respondents have a desire to return next year 😍 As the Event Director for PDXLX since 2022, I know our event growth is in no small way fueled by our efforts to reflect and learn from each year. Not only do we survey our attendees for feedback, but we also host an internal retrospective process, allowing us to capture lessons learned and build better the following year. Staying open to feedback can certainly be challenging, but like dance, facing the music often yields the best results! BONUS: Check out the Breakfast Club featured in our group photo, consisting of those who were the last dancers standing in the wee hours of the morning 🤠

You can find two of my most recent articles in the newest issue of Spotlight on Business Magazine where I cover Waves End RV Park and the Ship's Company Theatre!

How can we save British nightlife from collapse? Small venues are the heart of our musical culture. Here’s the excellent Gilles Peterson with a plan to keep that heart beating. 'We need to find new economic systems for funding these smaller clubs so they can thrive, not just barely survive...But perhaps we could also look at models of community ownership and cooperative practices that could shore up the foundational layer of smaller venues.' Full article: https://lnkd.in/eaeJFj4p #musicvenues #grassrootsmusic #coops #communityownership #cooperatives

Gifting experiences like the Central Montana Jazz Night to employees can significantly impact company culture in several ways: ✔️Bonding and camaraderie: Shared experiences create lasting bonds among team members. Attending events together allows them to connect on a personal level outside the office, fostering stronger relationships and teamwork. Recognition and appreciation: Offering experiences as gifts demonstrates a company's appreciation for its employees. It shows that the organization values their hard work and wants to reward them with memorable and enjoyable moments. ✔️Morale boost and stress relief: Taking a break from the usual routine for a fun and engaging event helps alleviate stress, boosting morale, and re-energizing employees. This can lead to increased productivity and a more positive work environment. ✔️Support for work-life balance: Encouraging employees to engage in enriching experiences outside work emphasizes the importance of work-life balance. It shows that the company cares about their well-being beyond the professional sphere. ✔️Building a positive employer brand: Providing unique experiences reflects positively on the company's employer brand. It can attract top talent, as prospective employees are drawn to organizations that prioritize employee happiness and holistic development. In essence, incorporating experiences like the Central Montana Jazz Night into a company's culture demonstrates a commitment to employee satisfaction, team cohesion, and a supportive work environment. It contributes to a more engaged, motivated, and connected workforce, ultimately benefiting the company's overall success and reputation, which is incredibly important in todays business landscape! We are thrilled to offer this opportunity and are thankful to those who have already secured their tables!

Session 4 - Strawberry Fields Festival 2024 - Morning Session with Q&A for David Hoffmeister David starts the session by talking about music. Music is a higher form of communication that goes directly to our hearts, bypassing concept analysis and intellectual maneuverings. It is a theme in today's activities, as it serves as the soundtrack of our experience on Earth. The movie tonight will be strong in the music and collaboration themes, as Jesus teaches us that miracles are a collaborative venture. Jesus also teaches us that the solitary journey to God fails because it is of joining and connecting. David emphasizes the importance of understanding that our union is in our minds and that we share the same mind with God. Jesus teaches us that our earthly conditions differ from the kingdom of heaven and that we long for a sense of connection, relaxation, ease, flow, and harmony. This longing is our natural condition, and Jesus tells us we long for these things because it is how we were created. Competition can hinder our connection and unity. Jesus encourages us to come together without the pressure of productivity or trying to forge a desired outcome. Instead, we should come together like in jam sessions where everyone plays their part, letting the music come through naturally without any sense of trying to direct or control it personally.

Summer is here (regardless of whether the weather agrees!), and for those of us who live in Edinburgh, summer means a plethora of festivals are on their way! Some of the events we have to look forward to include Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick. But in addition to offering a smorgasbord of entertainment, these performances offer a wealth of suggestions for anyone who has to face an audience of any sort. Inspired by some of the shows I've seen over many years, here are 3 Simple Rules of the Stage for Presenters: ❤️ It’s all about the audience This might seem obvious but sometimes performers and speakers appear to forget that the whole reason they are in front of an audience, whether large or small, is because people are there to watch and listen to them. Therefore, it is important that you keep the audience in the forefront of your mind at all times to ensure that they can hear and see you properly, and that you are serving them in the best possible way. ❤️ You are in command When you are on stage, you are in control so make sure to take control and own the stage (without being diva-ish!) Arrive early, familiarise yourself with the environment and the equipment, know the stage, check the sight lines, do a sound check and make sure everything is as you require before you begin. Oh, and always make friends with the tech crew. ❤️ Find your light Professional stage performers will be very familiar with the term ‘find your light.’ When you are on a stage there will be certain areas that are well lit and other areas that may cast shadows across your face. To ensure your audience can see you, especially your facial expressions which are a crucial part of your communication, it is important to stand where you can feel the light on your face and in your eyes. If you have an opportunity to watch speakers on the stage before you, take note of where they are standing when they are in the best light and areas to avoid. In future posts I'll share more 'rules'; if you can't wait, I'll pop a link in the comments below to a blogpost I wrote with all 7 'rules' and a story about a jazz show I saw that inspired the post.

Come and learn more about why our ODs attendees and Vendor friends keep coming back to the annual GRT Summit!

Network size and follower count is a largely meaningless vanity metric that a lot of folks inexplicably still brag about. Thinking about your social media audience in relation to famous music venues might help put things into perspective: 🎙 CBGB only held 350 people 🎙 The Troubadour only holds 500 people 🎙 The Whisky a GoGo holds 500 people 🎙 The Bowery Ballroom holds 600 people 🎙 The Fillmore holds just over 1,000 people 🎙 The Metro holds 1,100 people 🎙 The 9:30 club holds 1,200 people 🎙 The Beacon Theater holds 2,600 people 🎙 Carnegie Hall holds 4,000 people 🎙 The Greek Theatre holds 5,900 people 🎙 Radio City Music Hall holds 6,000 people 🎙 Red Rocks holds only 10,000 people Despite never holding even 500 people, CBGB is one of the most famous and influential gathering spots in the history of American music. Likewise, Carnegie Hall– a place synonymous with virtuosity– holds fewer than 4,000 people. Having a "small" audience doesn’t mean you can’t create a huge impact.

Music is Economy— PERIOD!!! A centralized statewide office Makes it All Make Sense!!! A main key to success is organization. Let’s create the equilibrium needed, and collectively be drivers of effective change in the “gig” /“creator” economy.