Garfield Jazz Foundation

Parent Handbook
September 2003

WELCOME TO GARFIELD JAZZ FOUNDATION

Congratulations on your student's selection into Garfield’s jazz program! We welcome you and look forward to your student's participation and to your involvement in our parent group known as Garfield Jazz Foundation (GJF). The Garfield jazz program provides ensemble experiences at an exemplary level under the direction of our nationally recognized band instructor, Clarence Acox.

It can be difficult or intimidating at times to navigate a new organization. To help you better understand GJF, we've designed this handbook to answer many of your questions.

Garfield’s band director, Clarence Acox, launched the Garfield High School jazz program in 1979. In recent years, he has expanded the program to serve three performance ensembles. GJF was created in 1991 to support this ambitious program. In the summer of 2002, GJF was established as a

501( c )3 nonprofit with a mission to provide financial and administrative support for the study, performance and outreach activities of jazz at Garfield.

Each year Mr. Acox proposes a calendar of performances, which include a concert series, competitions and benefits focused on meeting both educational and performance goals. GJF develops a budget to support this calendar, which is voted on and approved at a fall GJF meeting. Across the year parents are highly valued and much needed to provide the program with financial, administrative and logistical support. The most effective way to keep updated and involved is through attendance at the monthly GJF meetings.

PERFORMANCES

CONCERT SERIES

GJF hosts a concert series featuring Jazz Ensembles I, II and III as performance and fundraising opportunities. This year, an additional ensemble, the Saxophone Ensemble will join in this series. The year’s first concert is traditionally held at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in January and features all three ensembles. For the last several years, GJF’s second concert has been a swing dance held at the Swedish Cultural Center in March, featuring Ensembles I and III. The final concert of the year has a “Farewell to Seniors” theme and features the seniors in all three bands.

COMPETITIONS AND FESTIVALS

The Garfield Jazz Ensembles participate in a number of annual competitions and festivals. Recent competitions have included the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Competition and the Bellevue Community College, Mt. Hood, Viking and Clark Jazz Festivals. Festivals often request the participation of Garfield’s first band, which results in an intensive performance schedule for Jazz Ensemble I. Mr. Acox nonetheless works to provide competitive opportunities for members of all the ensembles.

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Jazz Ensemble I also receives numerous invitations to perform regionally, nationally and, on occasion, internationally. In recent years, Jazz Ensemble I has toured Europe (Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals) and has attended the International Association of Jazz Educators’ conference, in varying locations. In addition, individual students have the opportunity to participate in combos as a fundraising activity for GJF. Please see the handbook section on “Student Gigs” for specifics.

COMMUNICATION

§ Monthly parent meetings: These traditionally begin in September for Jazz Ensemble I and in October for Ensembles II and III. Please plan to attend all meetings. This is your opportunity to keep well informed and to offer your input. This year’s meetings will be held the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in room 209. The first meeting will be held Monday, October 6th for all four ensembles.

§ Email: As we attempt to keep our operating costs down, we've found that email is a great way to distribute minutes from our meetings and to inform families of any changes or upcoming events. If your family does not use email at home or work, it is your responsibility to find another band member who can be your email buddy and pass on all information to you.

§ Email newsletter: We plan to initiate a bimonthly newsletter with current news on the ensembles and their members, including information and expectations for upcoming performances and activities.

§ GJF family directory: These will be distributed to each family at the year’s first meeting and will be sent to each ensemble member in Microsoft Excel format.

§ Phone tree: A phone tree will be established and put into use if the need arises.

MEMBER DUES AND FUNDRAISING

Membership Dues: An annual fee is assessed for your student’s participation in a jazz ensemble at Garfield. The ensembles are assigned graduated dues, based on their projected travel and competition fees, on GJF’s anticipated income and on carryover funds from the previous year. Roughly, dues cover 50 percent of the actual costs associated with each group. Dues are presented, discussed, and approved at a fall meeting, and can be covered in one or multiple payments. If your family is unable to afford the full dues, please speak directly with Clarence Acox about partial or full scholarship support. Your request will remain confidential.

Fundraising: Fundraising covers all remaining costs of the Garfield jazz program, including scholarships. These include competition, administration and travel fees, the purchase and maintenance of instruments and equipment and miscellaneous supplies. We hope that all students and parents will actively participate in GJF fundraising, in order to keep both dues and volunteered time equitable for all.

GJF hosts numerous fundraising events each year. The number and type of events will vary from year to year depending on the costs of competitions and projected travel. A typical year's schedule of fundraisers includes:

Poinsettia Sale: This sale begins in September and lasts approximately three weeks, with plants ready for pick-up and delivery in late November or early December. We ask each GJF family to sell ten plants, and welcome additional sales to area businesses and community groups.

Kick-Off Concert: This is a "Donation at the Door" fundraiser held in November, featuring Jazz Ensemble I. This popular concert is typically held at the Mount Baker Community Center, and GJF families contribute desserts and coffee to share with guests.

Three Concert Series: This series, described earlier, raises significant funds for GJF, and provides a great opportunity for students to join parents in supporting the program by actively selling tickets. Admission to the concerts is by ticket only; this policy includes GJF and family members.

Annual Gala with Auction: This is GJF’s major fundraiser, held each spring, and the full participation of all GJF students and families is important. The gala also provides a major opportunity for the community at large to support the program. To ensure success, the gala requires planning for an auction, dinner and the performances of all three jazz ensembles, along with guest artists or former students. For many years, Ernestine Anderson, an avid Garfield jazz supporter, has donated her time to perform at the gala. Volunteer roles and expectations will be made clear to GJF members early in the planning process, and your participation is welcomed.

Student Gigs: Numerous requests are made throughout the year for the Garfield jazz program to provide music for a variety of events. Most requests are for small combos and this is a significant way for the students to contribute to fundraising. See the handbook section below on student gigs for details.

Grant writing: We welcome the expertise of any GJF member who is experienced in grant writing to secure funding for GJF needs and outreach activities.

Hot Java Cool Jazz: Starbucks hosts an annual benefit concert that features outstanding area high school jazz bands. Jazz Ensemble I is fortunate to have been repeatedly invited to perform. As each participating music program receives proceeds from the ticket sales, we encourage you to recruit as many concert attendees as possible.

In years past, GJF has also raised monies through CD sales, merchandise sales, raffles and bake sales. We welcome your ideas and participation in any new and existing fundraising endeavors.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Parent volunteers are essential to the success of GJF. We are always open to new ideas, and volunteer needs are always changing. These are discussed at our monthly meetings and families will be asked to sign up at that time. Listed below are some of our current volunteer leadership positions:

BOARD MEMBERS

The following elected positions, plus the band director, make up our Board of Directors who formally vote on management decisions, taking the larger group’s input into account:

PRESIDENT: Elected officer. Sets meeting dates and facilitates meetings; tracks progress of committee members; oversees revenue and expense accounts; contributes to projects as needed and makes decisions between meetings (if needed on an urgent basis) with the band director and vice president.

VICE PRESIDENT: Elected officer. Facilitates meetings in the absence of the president; works with the president on coordination of overall implementation of projects and assignments; helps in decision-making when needed and coordinates special projects. It is our hope that the person filling this position will be mentored for the future president position.

SECRETARY: Elected officer. Records and publishes the meeting minutes; writes and sends thank you letters; maintains parent rosters.

TREASURER: Elected officer. Accounts for all revenue and expenses; generates monthly financial reports; pays bills; files tax returns in conjunction with legal advisor.

BAND REPRESENTATIVES: Elected officers. A parent representing each jazz ensemble sits as a voting member of the board and helps shape policy, ensuring that the interests of the corresponding ensemble are met. Band reps also facilitate communication to their respective bands and initiate phone trees when necessary.

ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER NEEDS

DATA BASE COORDINATOR: Updates GJF data base regularly.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER: Writes and sends out a newsletter with current news and upcoming performance information.

LEGAL GUIDANCE: Provides general and monthly meeting guidance on legal requirements to maintain GJF 501( c )3 tax-exempt status including coordinating with the treasurer for financial reporting to IRS.

GALA COORDINATOR: Oversees various committees associated with the gala (venue, catering, table captains, silent auction, etc.).

GIG COORDINATOR: Coordinates student combos in the community. Receives donations from individuals or businesses requesting a combo and directs donation to GJF treasurer. Maintains records of student volunteer hours (related to gigs only) for community service.

INVITATIONS: Designs and arranges for printing of gala invitations.

MERCHANDISE COORDINATOR: Manages inventory of merchandise and presents items for sale at concerts and events; fills orders from website.

POINSETTIA COORDINATOR: Distributes order forms to GJF families. Collects pre-paid orders; places order with company; sets date for GJF families to pick up flowers.

PRINT COORDINATOR: Oversees program printing for concerts; creates posters and flyers to advertise events; prints tickets for concerts and distributes them to GJF families for sale.

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTIONS: Develops strategies for promoting Garfield jazz band programs in the community; coordinates press releases for radio, television and print media; keeps in close contact with student overseeing website maintenance.

TICKET SALES: Oversees sales of tickets for concert series.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Recruits volunteers for all concerts, events and projects. An average concert requires 15 volunteers to manage ticket, merchandise and

refreshment sales; to set-up and clean-up and to move equipment. Most of these tasks can be performed in 30 to 45 minutes.

STUDENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Community Service Credit is Waiting!

MAINTAIN THE WEBSITE: Keep in contact with the publicity and promotions coordinator, GJF president and Mr. Acox for website updates. Update the website monthly or as needed.

CONCERT PROGRAMS: Design programs for the three concert series and send a Microsoft Word version via email to the print coordinator one week prior to each concert.

SPECIAL PROJECTS: Organize or facilitate a car wash or bake sale.

STUDENT GIGS: Make yourself available for gig opportunities. See below for details on participation and logistics.

Students can also contribute to GJF by selling concert series tickets and by preparing a dessert for our renowned dessert auction, an essential part of our gala fundraiser.

STUDENT GIGS

A wide variety of clients contact Mr. Acox, the GJF gig coordinator, or another Garfield jazz band parent to request a combo for an event. Many requests come from our website. All requests are forwarded to the gig coordinator, who serves as the liaison between clients and the jazz program. These are typically asked questions regarding GJF student gigs:

Who decides the size of the combo? The size of a combo is determined by how much a client is willing to spend. Many of our requests come from charitable organizations with limited budgets. As a result, we book many more rhythm trios than we do quartets or quintets.

How are student musicians assigned to combo gigs? Jazz Ensemble I musicians play the majority of combo gigs. However, there are times when Jazz II and Jazz III musicians (rhythm section players in particular) will be contacted to play in a combo. The gig coordinator contacts students and asks about their availability for an event. Students respond and combos are created. A record is kept of all bookings and musician assignments. Occasionally, clients ask for specific students to play and every effort is made to honor those requests. Students are rotated as much as possible, to distribute the responsibility and the opportunity. However, there is no guarantee that each band member will receive combo assignments. It is NOT the gig coordinator’s responsibility to ensure that each band member has a gig opportunity.

My student prefers to play with particular band members. Is it possible to use only those players with him/her? No. It is impossible for the gig coordinator to keep track of individual preferences. Assignments are made to fill client requests, not those of an individual student.

What is the time commitment? Are there additional expectations? The gig coordinator relays necessary details about a performance to the musicians. Gigs do not exceed two hours of playing time but it is necessary to arrive at least one-half hour early for set-up. Students should be on time and arrive prepared to play. They should bring “Real Books,” organize a play list ahead of time, and be ready to adjust the play list as necessary. Three community service learning hours are awarded for each performance.

Do students play outside of Seattle? Gigs are located only in the Seattle area. This is important because parents and students arrange their own transportation.

What is the dress code for gigs? Dress codes will vary but always require the musician to be neat. Khakis and a nice shirt or blouse is the general uniform. There are times when dressy or formal attire is worn. In any case, the gig coordinator will inform the musicians about the dress code.

Why are community service learning hours awarded for combos? Service learning is a requirement for graduation and most students earn these hours in a variety of ways. Because student gigs benefit the entire Garfield jazz program, community service learning hours are awarded to combo participants. The gig coordinator records service learning hours only for combos that he/she books.

How do I know if my student is ready for this experience? Please contact Mr. Acox about this. He determines what our musicians are ready to do.