Dear Chris,
I have just read your article in Organfax with interest.
Having been involved with a music shop in Hastings for 23 years before moving on some 11 years ago I saw a steady decline in the sale of home organs when keyboards arrived on the scene in the early 80’s. However, I embraced this at the time as they were still creating music, which is what we all aim to do.
During this time I was a supporter of the Music Trades Association and attended their annual conferences in various locations and remember one in particular in Bournemouth in the late 80’s when a speaker said the nation spent more on baked beans than what they did on musical instruments. You would think that all dealers would have returned to their shops and pulled down the shutters. But thankfully they did not and although I am not on the music retail scene these days shops have found new directions and still are going strong to this day.
So knowing the organ market was dying in the late 80’s by the time I arranged the first Wurlitzer Concert at Rye in September 1990 on not even a half working instrument I never would have realised I would be writing this in an authoritative way some 19 years later and still arranging and enjoying the concerts we hold throughout the year.
Chris, as our President at Rye for the past two years and keeping you up to speed with newsletter in the past plus of course your own appearances over the years you have seen what we have achieved, and you have written some very nice things about us, which, is always appreciated.
I set myself challenges over the years to get certain artistes to appear. Over this time I can safely say I have ticked all the boxes and now of course we are fortunate that they agree to return either annually or two yearly .
You mentioned involving Rotarians, we tried this at Rye last year on a separate evening away from our Sunday concerts. Len Rawle demonstrated the instrument to 60 new people who had never been to a concert before, the result was worthwhile but not ground breakingly successful that we would make it an annual promotion but would try it again and involve more clubs i.e Lions, W.I, Masonic Lodge. Rye is famous for Scollops and a festival is arranged each February we hope to take part next year. Once again – something completely different.
The underlying problem is people are always too busy doing other things. We all have too much choice in our social lives. I have noticed and of course appreciated that we have a great team that attend and assist with the concerts and their support has been wonderful over the years, but as far as supporters go , attending the concert it appears to me is always the second option. Family babysitting, Family event, or another event if it clashes they will do this first and Rye concerts comes second. Frustrating but true.
So as not to clash with other venues from 2010 all Rye concerts will be on the 4th Sunday of the month, so that we don't hear the excuse " Sorry we can't be with you we are listening to X at Y". If it helps maintain our audiences then so be it.
Locals ( interpreted as those living in the town of Rye with a population of close to 4,000). Of a current membership of around 200 only 20 are local and that’s an improvement of how it has been in the past. Now the organ has been moved to the stage and it rises from the pit we are enjoying an inquisitive period of seeing new faces. We have relied so much on people travelling from away as much as 50 miles to a concert, so if the old faithfulls are getting older, no longer with us or caught in bad weather then they won't come to the concert.
In April I have produced a questionnaire for our quarterly newsletter, we have done this twice before with positive feedback. It will be a good check to see if we are doing the right things for existing members and to plan ahead.
Our numbers have decreased , I think we peaked twice at 400 with Robert Wolfe's first visit and for John Marsh the BBC Newsreader with the Local Wind Orchestra both of those were in the late 90's when the organ was still on it side and we had to make the rostrum stage. Audiences now vary greatly between 100 on a bad afternoon to 275 on a good day. So, if I was being totally cynical I could say why bother with what we have done in the past 10 years as it has not made any difference. Possibly a little true but what matters it we have supplied a service of happiness to hundreds of people during this time with the creation of beautiful popular music performed by the nations favourite organists and that positive ethos wins hands down every time.
There is no pattern to our concert attendance because of some of the reasons mentioned and you just have to learn to cope and budget for this. However clubs need to try new things as otherwise they will fall into the trap of booking the same 24 artists over a two year period which gets predictable to members.
Personally over the 19 years I have had to evolve to make it interesting for me and to maintain my own interest. Club committee members should ask the question “am I still enjoying it “, the answer should be a resounding yes. If it isn’t then you need to stop, think and look at ways to motivate yourself as well as members after all it’s a hobby and not a chore or obligation to society at large.
Without thinking I developed some humour to the concerts in 2003 which now seems to be expected, a challenge in itself, as I prefer never to do the same thing twice at Rye , however, supporters still keep laughing so must be doing something correct. Recently I made a list for the Fancy Dress Shop of the costumes I had hired ( over 80) as I am running out of ideas now ( surprisingly) and they needed to know what else they had in the shop that would fit me!!
Friends of Rye Wurlitzer have just been awarded three thousand, five hundred pounds from the Sussex Grass Roots foundation for our Audio Visual project for 2009 which should be ready by May 2009. However, Grass Roots also assist with running costs and every area has a Grass Roots Foundation. It is run by the Third World Sector and I would seriously encourage all club secretaries to seek this out for your region as they have some serious amounts of money to give away, not just for specific projects – as you all rightly know Organ Clubs are a fundamental part of our community.
Awards for All and the Arts Council of England have been kind and very generous with 19,500 being award with a 10-year gap in between. Without these kinds of funding we would not have achieved half of what we have. But if there is an opportunity there clubs need to go for it, seek it out and would definitely encourage clubs to seek out this money that is out there. If you don’t apply for it someone else will. Its not a matter of pride – its making your club survive and entertain your members.
Sorry to have waffled, but your article made me reflect , never realising I would be involved with one project and a wonderful hobby for so long. 19 years on, is there another 19 years out there of concerts. That's a difficult as we all know members are getting older, but statistics show that it is an aging population and time should be focused on getting older people along to listen, but also to encourage talented youngsters to perform. One of my missions at the moment is to get a student of Rye College to compete at Woking at the Young Theatre Organist of the Year Competition. Although we have a wonderful supportive Principal at Rye College we have a Head of Music who is Anti Wurlitzer since arriving seven years ago, so, at the moment I am on a hiding to nothing – watch this space.
Clubs should focus on “selling” the idea of their club to their own age group in their own area. Write an article for the local paper, I did recently and they produced about three weeks later when they were short of rape and pillage the most wonderful article with a full colour photo of the Wurlitzer, space if it was a paid for advert would have cost several hundred pounds.
At your next committee meeting make a list of 12 things to try, one a month for the next year, no more as you have a club to run. Try them, but see it through to all 12, don’t give up after the first two. You have to be consistent.
What have we learnt in all this, I think all clubs have to just keep trying and trying to make themselves known. Club websites can be very informative and provide a mountain of information to the uninitiated to the hobby, but, are you on speaking terms with your local Tourist Information Office, Rye has been a superb supporter for years. As you said in your article its the little things that count, in the current economic small is beautiful and I am not encouraging anyone to try large projects its not always the big event that works consistency is the answer, as after all, we are talking of long term survival.
If it helps I have listed some organisations that it is worth approaching in your own locality. If they say no, its only cost a stamp but make your presentation eye catching and memorable. For both lottery applications I presented ,the relevant questions to be answered were on the right hand side of the folder, with corresponding photos, press articles, testimonials on the left. So, a 10 page application was in fact a 20 page wonderful presentation which got results as we were awarded the money we required.
By now you must be fast asleep but I will leave you with a list and an action plan.
Wishing you every success with your endeavors in keeping YOUR CLUB and YOUR MEMBERS well and truly alive. Don’t dwell on past time, they are all but wonderful memories but think to the future and create and continue to create something so positive in making and listening to music.
Best Wishes,
Richard Moore
Chairman Friends of Rye Wurlitzer
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.aspx – This will put you in the right direction for Grass Roots support in your area.
http://www.j4bcommunity.co.uk – An electronic two weekly newsletter that I receive but do not subscribe to. It lets me see what funding opportunities are available. It’s very informative and may lead to some areas having more opportunities than others.
Have you tried the following in YOUR area?
Landfill Companies - always wanting to raise their profile in the community.
Local Police Fund
Local Bank Charity Funds – Even in these times, have you a member that works for a bank. Can you take part in a sponsored event where they match fund what the individual raises? A local bank ( and not who we bank with) has supported for three years with a sponsored 10 mile walk we take part in with the local Rotary Club.
Awards for All = A must to have a go at. You will need a constitution, accounts and a local referee but a really easy application that you can personalise to make it look special.
Co operative Community Fund – yet another success for support at Rye in recent years
Service Clubs; Rotary Round table Lions – All run by successful local business people who take great pleasure in enjoying themselves and raise money for the community at the same time. Your club is the Community ask them for some help.
Make a list :-
Start by revisiting and developing your whole club plan. 12 simple ideas per year.
Be clear on what you want to achieve as a club in the short, medium and long term.
Be clear on what resources you need to achieve this.
Form a project team to take your ambitions forward.
Prioritise your clubs needs.
