Good morning...
I'm sitting in a warm house in Jamaica, VT; the love of dear friends surrounds me, the fireplace is glowing while the birds (bright yellow! blue! red!) flutter outside the glass door, and believe it or not, a bit of snow lightly dusts the porch and trees. I've been in VT for a few days, as I generally am this time of year. I'm mainly here to hang signs, stop into businesses to ask for sponsorships, and also to finish arranging the final details of the season. This weekend, I was lucky enough to be in town for "The Best Little Arts and Crafts Fair in Vermont," which took over Jamaica's Main Street and was just about perfect... complete with Mother's Day painting projects for kids, some of the best falafel you'll ever taste, and too-many-to-count talented potters, jewelry makers, glass blowers, and everything of the sort. I said hello to all the people I've been so fortunate to get to know over the past 5 years, and got to know-better a family that makes me grin from ear to ear. This is all to say: the people here are wonderful; the town is vibrant. Those of you who live here know that, those of you who visit here know that, and I hope those of you who support the music festival from afar have come to understand how special this place truly is. When I run into friends I haven't seen for a while (when up in Vermont, or anywhere else), I tend to get the question: "So, how's the music festival going?" And with that comes a bit of elevated anxiety, but then a deep breath and the response "Well, things are basically lined up organizationally. I just have to finish fundraising for this year." Of course there is more to it than that (housing! repertoire! personnel! advertising!), but I have to remind myself that things have always worked out. In terms of funding the festival, we always manage to raise enough money. Last year was very close, closer than it's ever been, as we had to wait for some matching funds to come through in order to finish paying the musicians, but still... we pulled through without going into the red. And so, as I get ready to head back toward Philly later today, I want to take this moment of calm to tell you about the state of PFCM for this year. Here's the black/white version: We've raised almost 50% of the $20,000. We need to raise at least $10,000 more over the next 2 months. Yes, we always manage to do this. Year 6! That's an achievement, by any standard. We have so many incredible events planned for this year. Schubert, Brahms, and Villa Lobos, early music guest artists, the return of the blues band for open mic, another World Premiere (PFCM has commissioned more than 8 so far!) with composers-in-residence, installations by artists-in-residence, collaboration from Vermont Cartoonist and Poet Laureates, an art and music event for kids, concerts at the Jamaica State Park, the Latchis Theater, Valley Cares Assisted Living, and the Jamaica Town Hall... and so much more. But, we can't do it without your help. If you've supported the festival in the past, please consider donating again. If you've already given this year, thank you! Can you possibly help a little more - either monetarily, or by spreading the word, or both? If you haven't given in the past, but the thought of supporting a grassroots arts endeavor warms your heart, please follow that instinct and donate what you can. I'm attaching the poster for this year that our talented, patient, and dedicated intern created. Feel free to print it out, pass it around, and post it on social media with a general call for support. We need all the help we can get! As always, thank you. We're at Season 6, and we're looking forward to when we can celebrate Season 10 in 2021. Oh, and I hope this goes without saying, but feel free to get in touch anytime; I always enjoy hearing from you. Susanna Loewy Comments are closed.
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