FINAL the Westerlies Annual Report 2017
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THE WESTERLIES ANNUAL REPORT FY 2016-17 Our Mission: The Westerlies transform their long-standing friendships into a bold and personal chamber music experience that enriches and inspires a global community. Andy Clausen | Riley Mulherkar | Zubin Hensler | Willem de Koch A letter to our community: Watch out! The Westerlies have entered their growth years! As a fledgling not-for-profit, The Westerlies have already achieved a great deal. The Board is energized and excited to be a part of what comes next for these gentlemen, and committed to helping them realize their incredible potential. These virtuosic young men are now positioned to pursue an ambitious performing and recording schedule, audience development, educational outreach and a sustainable future as unique genre-busters and creators of ferociously unique, beautiful musical experiences for a diverse global audience. The coming year will see The Westerlies continuing to expand and share their music and vision through the kick off of a Summer 2018 music festival and an increasingly robust touring schedule. Community outreach and education are a vital part of the mission and we will see the guys continuing to work with youth groups and pursuing collaboration with diverse segments of our society. The Westerlies are about making music in living rooms, rock clubs, backyards, wood shops, barns, urban and rural school houses, art galleries and atop mountains. We are grateful to all of you “besterlies” who have contributed and supported our mission! The world needs art and the world needs artists with vision, talent and energy. Thanks for being part of our team — we can’t do this without you! Sincerely, Mark Wittow Mike Halperin Board Chair Board Chair 2015-2017 Board of Trustees Mark Wittow Andy Clausen Georgina Javor Attorney, K&L Gates Trombonist, The Westerlies Assistant Program Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center President Ex-Officio Richard Kessler Gayle Bush Laurie de Koch Executive Dean Performing Arts: The New School, Attorney, Bush Kornfield Executive Director, Seattle JazzEd Dean: Mannes College Vice President Secretary John Kohl Marc Daudon Florangela Davila Music Booking and Promoting Founder, Cascadia Consulting Managing Editor, Crosscut Treasurer, Finance Chair Mike Halperin Physician FISCAL YEAR 2016-17 WAS RICH AND VARIED. A FEW “SOUNDBITES”: • After receiving a competitive NEA-funded grant from Chamber Music America, The Westerlies spent four weeks in 2017 using their music as a tool of social engagement in Kenner, LA. • The Westerlies taught music composition, improvisation and entrepreneurship to hundreds of students in eight Florida high schools. • “Saro” premiered on NPR Music as a Song of the Day selection and reached #5 on Spotify’s United States Viral Chart with hundreds of thousands of plays. • The Westerlies played NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and received great press coverage from The Seattle Times and The Los Angeles Times. • The Westerlies kicked off their “Open Labs Initiative,” in which they invited composers to submit new pieces for brass quartet. • The Westerlies’ residency at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn was recognized as a successful curatorial and community-based model. • East and West Coast tours supported the release of a new self-titled double album by The Westerlies, resulting in 75 performances across 20 states. • Signed with Baker Artists, a renowned talent management agency. • The Westerlies lit up the Newport Jazz Festival and toured and recorded with musical luminaries Dave Douglas and Fleet Foxes. • And a whole lot more … "We love having The Westerlies return to Caramoor! Their musicianship, versatility of repertoire and fun spirit captivate audiences of all ages.” Jeffrey P. Haydon Chief Executive Officer Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts "The Westerlies are the real deal, bringing exquisite musicianship, infectious camaraderie and seemingly endless variety to the concert stage." Timothy Christie Founder and Artistic Director Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival “The Westerlies have been intrinsic to the implementation of Chamber Music America's pilot program, Sound Places, which explores ways in which ensembles can galvanize communities to improve and enhance public spaces. The Westerlies have already helped to preserve and revitalize a farmers market that was near economic collapse, and have embarked on a "History of Kenner" project in which audio recordings of the personal histories of longtime residents will be presented at the local museum. The group's talent, creativity, vision and ability to adapt to myriad circumstances have made them an ideal partner in this project and responsible for its success.” Margaret Lioi Chief Executive Officer Chamber Music America “The Westerlies hit each of our high school band rooms with a creative force that energized, enriched and motivated our students. From the inspiration they received in hearing of the group members’ own journeys, to the artistic skills of developing a musical idea into composition, our jazz students experienced something unique that will last them throughout their musical lives. Five months later, I stopped in one of our band classes and caught the students 'Westerliesing'! The group name has now become a verb among our young musicians.” Debbie Fahmie Fine and Performing Arts Resource Specialist Osceola District Schools Getting the call to join Fleet Foxes (fellow NorthWesterlies!) for their recent album Crack-Up and a subsequent tour has been a total dream. Their previous album, Helplessness Blues, was one of the most impactful albums on my 19-year-old soul, and I continue to be a total fanboy of the group! After jumping on stage at Newport Folk Festival with no soundcheck, we trembled through three songs in front of thousands of screaming fans. It must have gone OK because the next night, the band asked us to open and join them for whatever other pieces we wanted to hop into! After a bumpy, sleepless overnight drive to Maryland, we huddled in the tour bus all afternoon to work out the new arrangements; ran them at soundcheck; and later that evening, found ourselves performing under a spotlight for 10,000 people. It has been so thrilling to develop the music in subsequent shows, and we look forward to what the future might hold for this collaboration! — Andy The Sound Places project was one of our most challenging endeavors yet. We embedded ourselves in the community of Kenner and helped residents execute their vision of what Rivertown could become. Through our creative placemaking efforts, we revitalized the local farmers market that was on the brink of collapse, brought attention and awareness to the Kenner Museum, and interviewed the community for an oral history project. The generous spirit of the people of Kenner made the project an experience we will never forget. — Willem In April we journeyed to Kissimmee, FL for a residency with StART Osceola, an arts education organization that connects Juilliard-trained artists with students in the greater Orlando area. That week was among the most intense of our professional lives. We visited eight different high schools over four days to lead master classes on composition, improvisation and entrepreneurship. We reached 300 students in the county. On our last school visit, just as we were feeling the exhaustion of the work creep up on us, a young girl picked up her saxophone. The spirit of Ornette Coleman entered the room through her horn; we froze. We led her class in creating an original piece based on her melody. Thirty minutes later the class performed the piece for their band director without sheet music: Westerlies-style. — Riley On March 17th, our manager received a frantic call from the Musical Director of Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music. His performers, the American Brass Quintet, had just cancelled and he was desperately searching for a brass ensemble to fill in. To make matters even more intense, this was to be the first brass ensemble the series would ever present. Willem had to book a same-day flight from the West Coast; the rest of us borrowed a friend’s car to drive from NYC through a late-winter snowstorm. It was intimidating knowing we would be so different from what the audience was expecting, but we decided to present our music in the most earnest way we could. The concert ended up a complete success! We received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, many specifically referencing how fun it was to hear a fresh sound in the chamber music format. We left inspired, with even greater confidence in our music. — Zubin Donors The Westerlies recognize Jane Fellner + Neal Friedman Greg + Lisa Pecknold with gratitude the following Penelope Fredlund Caroline + Tadd Perkins individuals for their generous John Giaever Georgia Ragsdale gifts as of July 1, 2017. Addis Goldman David Robinson + Cathryn Mike Halperin + Jodi Green Kirkness Elizabeth Abu-Haydar Bonny Headley + Michael Mense Kathryn Robinson Susan Adkins David Hensler + Arni Adler Lee + Stuart Rolfe Donna Bellew Catherine Hillenbrand Beau + Stephanie Sadick Bonnie Berk Ellen Hoenig + Peter Glass Lisa Orlick Salka Rhonda Berry Patrick Holderfield John Schlosser + Marnie John Blackman Georgina Javor O’Sullivan Kathryn Ann Blackwell Raymond Johnston Kristi Skanderup + KC Golden Jim + Joan Bromley Mary + Peter Kerr Karen Smith Fraser Rachel Brumer Wiley + Marianne Kitchell Mary + John Snyder Lesley Burvill Holmes John + Mary Kohl Katie + Bob Strong Gayle Bush + Mary Ellen Hudgins Martha Kongsgaard + Peter Goldman David Thyer + Jane Hedreen Allegra Calder Kristin Kucera Lisa + Sam Verhovek Curt + Sally Clausen Dan Lewis Glen + Margretta Voinot-Baron James Collins Shaya Lyon Nancy Ward Counterbalance Arts James + Casey Margard Mark Wener + Corinne Fligner Marc + Maud Daudon Sanford Melzer + Ellen Evans Mark Wittow + Gail Gatton Florangela Davila + Glenn Nelson Tom Moore + Barbara Schwartz Ann Woodliff Cathy + Phil Davis Anne + Shirish Mulherkar Martha Wyckoff + Jerry Tone Christina + Mark Dawson Tese + Bill Neighbor David Zapolsky Laurie + Steve de Koch Alessandra Panieri + Dan Barsher Mark + Beth Zobel Photo credits: Claire Harbage/NPR (p.