Small arts groups say what they want from Santa

With most arts groups enduring tough times – largely through budget cuts by foundations and government funders – it would be nice to remember your local small choruses, orchestras, chamber groups and arts centers with a holiday gift of money or time. Here are some ideas:

Lick 6,000 postage stamps – Ten hours of volunteer work will get 6000 envelopes labeled for a donor mailing at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

"Not so glamorous, but very needed and important," says director Alvin MacWilliams.

They'll take cash too: $100 would be used to tune a studio piano for the year. Another $250 will pay to print and bulk mail each of the concerts of their Artist Series. (513) 948-1900 or e-mail finearts@fuse.net.

Your name here – At the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, $500 could sponsor a chair in the orchestra for an entire season. The donor's name will be attached to the chair and mentioned in the program. 513) 232-0949 or e-mail LSPace@cinci.rr.com.

Give the musicians a raise – "My wish is for finding one new donor for each concert," says Dave Jackson of the Linton Chamber Jazz Series, in its 13th year at the First Unitarian Church in Avondale. He is brimming with ideas of what he'd do with $100 to $500.

With a few extra dollars, "I'd buy a few more stamps and flyers or upgrade the reception wine by a buck or two per bottle," he says.

Larger donors, such as $300 to $500, would help him give the musicians a raise. They still earn $100 per concert – the same payment they made 12 years ago, he says. "That’s too little for a two-hour concert, and even though they don't complain, I want to increase that."

Since Jackson is Minister of Music Emeritus at the church, the group gets a break on rent. "I hope to recitfy that, too," he says.

Finally, a few extra dollars would mean "we can print programs again. Or have actual tickets!" he enthuses. Call (513) 729-4183 or e-mail jax@fuse.net.

Rent the Hall – "So many times small donors think they can't make much of a difference. Not true!" says Jennifer Nagel, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.

A $500 donor at the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra can:
1. Pay for the printing and mailing of a postcard for a performance
2. Defray the cost of hall rental
3. Cover the cost of a guest pre-concert lecturer
4. Underwrite sheet music for a concert
5. Cover one month's office rent
To donate: call (513) 723-1182.

Close a budget gap – The folks at "Challenging Performances," a small, struggling concert series in Springfield Township, says any extra cash would be welcome to help them showcase CCM students working on graduate degrees.

A gift of $500 would pay four performers and toss in a piano tuning, too.

"Many (soloists) are international students who are not allowed by law to enter the American workforce, so cash is all too often in short supply for them," says volunteer Joan Wolking. "We pay $100 to each student, whether soloist, accompanist, or member of a chamber group."

The series also must pay a token rental to the church where concerts are held, Northern Hills Unitarian Fellowship. A few dollars would help the series reimburse its volunteers for small expenses.

And finally, a donation of several hundred dollars would help balance the books, in a season of disappointing ticket sales. (Concert tickets are just $10, and children and music students are free.) To donate, call (513) 825-6052 or (513) 861-8181.

Sheet music bill for guest choirs – The Vocal Arts Ensemble this season is using small donations to support the partnerships with 300 children and youth in various greater Cincinnati, says Earl Rivers, director.

Gifts of $25, $50, $100 will go toward purchasing the music for youngsters from all four children's and high school choirs joining the Vocal Arts in its three December holiday concerts this year.

The Vocal Arts Ensemble can put volunteers to work donating professional services, such as consulting on marketing and business practices, or ushering, mailing concert announcements and hand addressing thank-you letters. Call (513) 559-0000 or visit vaecincinnati.org to donate.

Sponsor a Chamber "Rave" – Chamber Music Cincinnati says a $500 donor could sponsor an outreach performance in a school, or other options of their choice, such as:

1. A post-concert reception with bartender
2. Publicity for a concert
3. A Chamber Rave – chamber music concerts in unexpected places around town
4. Housing for a guest string quartet
5. Rent for Corbett Auditorium for an entire season
To donate, call (859) 781-5340 or (513) 550-1037.

Pay for a harpist – "As with all groups, our funding has been cut,” says Cincinnati Boychoir board member Jeffrey Deaton. "Any gift is welcome."

A donation of $60 would buy a Boychoir member a new performance blazer.
A $250 gift would buy small musical instruments for the first and second-graders' program, "Music Magic."

Or, a donor could sponsor a singer by paying for tuition for a year ($280 to $370, depending upon whether they're in a training, resident or tour choir).

A $450 gift would pay for a harpist for two performances in the Boychoir's "Ceremony of Carols." Another $450 would pay for the Miami University Percussion Ensemble when they perform the "African Missa Luba" in the choir's spring concert. Call (513) 396-7664 or e-mail cincinnatiboychoir@fuse.net to donate.

Be an usher – Kentucky Symphony Orchestra: Between preparing for his January concerts, "Unfinished Business," music director/founder James R. Cassidy dreams of receiving a gift of $100, which would pay to tune a piano or print tickets for one subscription program.

Another $250 would covers the cost of a equipment truck rental for a free concert that thousands attend each summer in Covington's Devou Park. And a $500 gift would cover the live performance license fees of the sheet music. Yes Virginia, orchestras need to pay hefty licensing fees for every piece they play.

And volunteers willing to give 10 hours could perform duties such as stuffing envelopes for the Kentucky Symphony's annual gala invitations or ushering for three subscription concerts. (859) 431-6216 or e-mail mweathers@kyso.org.

Pay for an orchestra – Check out the sliding scale for this all-volunteer chorus named Musica Sacra led by Helmut Roehrig:

$100 would pay the stipend to the church in which we perform.
$120 pays the bulk mail postage for our postcards advertising our concert.
$125 pays the mailing service we use.
$150 pays people to transport our risers.
$175 pays for the printing of the postcards.
$250 pays for the printing of our concert programs.
$300 pays for the facility we use for rehearsals.
$480 would pay our accompanist for 10 rehearsals.
$500 pays for three to four soloists.
$1,500 to $2,000 would pay for the orchestra musicians.
To make a donation, call (513) 385-5583 or visit www.musica-sacra.org.

Host a Website – A gift of $100 could pay to host a website for a year for Catacoustic Consort, a unique Glendale-based early music ensemble led by Annalisa Pappano. Here are some other gift ideas from Annalisa:

$500 could pay for food for musicians for a week of rehearsals and concerts.

"In order to foster the kind of bonding that ensures a tight and energetic performance, we not only house musicians, but also provide three hot meals a day for the entire cast," she says. "This communal atmosphere of music creation and personal interaction over meals creates a special energy that leads to great music making."

"Or, $250-500 could pay for travel for a musician. Catacoustic uses the best early music performers from around the country and the world, so we bring musicians in for a week of intense rehearsals and two performances. Round trip airfare from San Francisco, Portland, or New York can range from $250 to $500.

"A $500 gift could pay to have a weekend of concerts recorded and edited for radio broadcast on WGUC for people who have difficulty attending concerts in person.

Or, a $500 gift will pay for concert publicity or chamber organ rental and tuning.
For a $250 gift, you could rent a church for them for a concert, provide staff training for a year or underwrite programs for a concert. To donate, call: (513)772-3242 or e-mail appapano@yahoo.com.

Got more ideas? Let me know at jgelfand@enquirer.com